Beloved Resurrection,
From Bishop Stewart:
As we enter 2016, I want to let you know about some significant next steps for Resurrection staff in the new year. Before you read on, make sure that you mark your calendars for a Parish Vision Meeting on Sunday, January 31 from 2–4pm. That meeting will provide a personal format for you to give feedback and hear more directly from us about these next steps.
First, Deacon Karen Miller has decided to move into a part-time leadership coaching role on staff. That means that after almost 13 years of incredible service, she will no longer be our Executive Pastor.
Karen has been a cornerstone of Resurrection. There is no doubt that she has significantly influenced our identity as a church. Her commitment to developing strong leaders, including female leaders, has been essential to our growth. She has been an invaluable ministry partner to me over the past two decades, and I have been profoundly blessed by her partnership and friendship. I am deeply grateful that her influence on our staff and throughout the diocese will continue as she coaches our leaders in her new role.
I’ve asked Karen to share a little bit below about what’s next for her:
From Deacon Karen:
I have loved being second chair to Stewart and being an Executive Pastor for almost 13 years. As you know, over the last year, Father Kevin and I have been in a time of transition as we have been discerning our next season of ministry with the Lord.
As Kevin and Stewart got clear on their next seasons, I was also seeking the Lord and talking with Stewart about my next season of ministry. My life vision is to “Strengthen the church by strengthening her leaders.” God has called me to coach leaders. On the staff, I have helped develop Steve Williamson, Amy Patton, and others to grow in their leadership. I felt that they needed more space to lead.
Also, for the past year or more, I have talked with Stewart about how I could do less “executive pastor work,” which has involved administration, untying ministry challenges, and overseeing personnel issues for our 29-person staff.
What I feel called to in this next season of my ministry is to do more leadership coaching. Stewart said it well: “You don’t want to keep untying the knots; you want to help other people untie the knots.” I would like to coach others how to do this. The result of all those conversations was that we decided I would go part-time, doing leadership coaching of staff and key lay leaders, while also coaching rectors throughout the diocese. In addition, for the past year, I’ve had a small private practice doing leadership coaching, and I hope to grow that.
If you want to read more about my time at Resurrection and what lies ahead for me, I have written a more in-depth post on our website, which you can find here. I will be sharing with everyone during this Sunday’s service, and I will be present at our Parish Vision Meeting on January 31 to respond to questions.
I would be happy to talk with any of you personally about this next step. You can contact me at karenmiller@churchrez.org.
From Bishop Stewart:
As Karen will no longer be serving in her full capacity as Executive Pastor, we have adjusted staff roles accordingly. Karen has been working toward this next step for the last few years in accordance with her own coaching on staff. She has trained and readied people to step into her place as she reduces her hours.
First, Whitney Burns, who was our Office Manager for four years, has been promoted to Personnel Director. She will be taking on the responsibility of Human Resources, which was previously part of Karen’s job description.
Secondly, Steve Williamson will be expanding his role as the new Executive Pastor of Staff and Worship. He will be assuming Karen’s responsibility of overseeing and managing our 29-person staff. Steve has shown great leadership strength and acumen in his work as Worship Pastor, and I am confident he is ready for the next challenge. Steve will continue to provide oversight of worship at Resurrection, but Deacon Brett Crull will be coming alongside Steve to help lead our Music Team. Brett’s full-time role as Curate will bridge Worship and Formation as he helps lead our Music Team, serves as one of our regular preachers, and works with RezGroups.
The second major next step is that Lane Young has decided to conclude his role as Youth Pastor on June 1. This process has been handled carefully and professionally by Lane, and I am grateful for the way he and I have been able to talk through this significant transition.
We were thrilled that Lane’s service built up our youth program, and as we initiate a search for a new Youth Pastor this winter, we are excited to see how the Lord will build upon the work that Lane has done.
I have asked Lane to share as well about his next step:
From Lane Young:
After serving our incredible Resurrection youth for the last three years as the first full-time youth pastor, I feel that the Lord is calling me to conclude my time on Resurrection staff. Through months of prayer and consideration, I have discerned that the role of Youth Pastor is not what the Lord has for me right now. I am incredibly grateful for my time working at Resurrection; I have grown so much while serving on staff, and count these co-workers as my good friends.
I initiated conversation with Bishop Stewart this past summer, and our leadership team spent a lot of time in discussion and prayer. We all feel that it is time for Resurrection to take the next step with its youth program in the 2016-2017 ministry year, and I am excited to hand off this ministry to a new Youth Pastor this summer. As I will be finishing the current ministry year with our youth, we will be able to initiate a search for a new Youth Pastor with plenty of time.
For those of you who want to learn more about next steps for youth and give feedback, we will hold two meetings on the evening of Wednesday, 1/20 in the St. Gregory Room during our normal youth time:
- First, we will have general adult meeting from 6:30-8pm. Anyone is invited to attend that meeting.
- Second, we will hold a special meeting just for the youth from 8-9pm.
- Stewart, Amy, and I (Lane) will be at both of these meetings.
If you would like to talk with me personally about this next step, I would be happy to meet with you. You can email me at lane@churchrez.org.
From Bishop Stewart:
I can imagine that many of you may feel similar to me as you begin to process this news. It is so bittersweet. I will miss my daily work with a friend and colleague so dear as Karen. She has been an uncommon ministry partner. And I have greatly enjoyed these years with Lane, one of my oldest friends and a remarkably delightful person. And yet, I am excited to see younger leaders stepping into new leadership roles. I am so engaged in our new vision and am anticipating the way in which the Holy Spirit will move among us in this next season of transformation work.
If you want to learn more about how staff organization will work in the coming season, I encourage you to attend our meeting on January 31. We will be presenting our new staff organization and inviting your questions and feedback in this new year.
Thank you for your continued prayers and partnership in equipping everyone for transformation. I am grateful to be serving alongside all of you.
With love,
Bishop Stewart
Deacon Karen
Pastor Lane
