Joel's Jottings: "Shift Happens"

One of the strange things I’ve noticed about times of transition is that when one thing changes, others happen. Shift happens. About a year ago, Dr. Rob Lowry left Fondren Presbyterian as pastor to accept another call.

Over the past couple of months we have had several other personnel changes. Our financial administrator, Christel Howell, has retired, as has our director of music, Nell Adams. Organist Jeff Hardy will be leaving at the end of February for a position closer to his home.

When there is one change in an organization, it often seems that others follow. I’ve learned this is called the butterfly effect. One thing does not cause another, yet there are connections between many things so that whatever happens is part of a complex system.

In moments when people leave a church staff  there is often anxiety, uncertainty, and urgency.

Let me offer three thoughts to help us all work our way through this:

• Transition and change happen all the time. As a young pastor one of the wise older church members took me aside and told me: “The only thing that will never change is change itself.”

• All the changes at Fondren are in the normal order of things—circumstances change. People make decisions to encounter opportunities and challenges in their own lives.

• We will find our way through this together.

The Session, the governing council of the church, has responded to the transitions. 

They contracted with me to serve as your interim pastor. They have engaged a bookkeeping service to manage financial reports and are seeking additional office assistance for in house financial management. And they have called an interim director of music and in short order will search for a new organist.

Last year, you elected your pastor nominating committee (PNC). They have been at work and have just completed the ministry information form (MIF). It will be available on the Church Leadership Connection (CLC) Opportunity Search at pcusa.org. 

Shift happens. There is anxiety, uncertainty, and urgency. This means there is a challenge. And the proper response for a challenge is to seek out the opportunity that is present. That is what is happening at Fondren Presbyterian Church.

When change comes to you in church or any other place, may you find it possible to acknowledge the change, assess where that change is in the order of things, and find your way to move through the change.