By this point, most people already know the basic result of our trip to Swannsboro, but I had some time during my school day to give a little more detailed story for the legions of people who obsess over our lives but try not to show it.
Back in December, I responded to a post on the RTS job board for a senior/solo pastor job at a small church in Swannsboro, NC (coastal town near the Camp Lejuene Marine Base). Well, after many questions and 3 phone interviews, we were invited to come out for a candidate weekend March 19th-21st.
We knew going in this was not our ideal image, since I would've preferred an associate pastor's job and this small church has no budget to pay any pastor in the near term. Also, there were some secondary matters of doctrine (nothing different on the Gospel) where I thought we might differ. And having come out of a small church that has been struggling for a while, I'm very aware of some institutional problems that can crop up with tired people. Still,this was a church who was interested in us, in an area that has some appeal, with seemingly loads of opportunities; etc. So we figured the worst that could happen was God would use it for experience in the search/interview process. And what an experience it was!
I knew but didn't understand how draining these kind of trips are, and I'm so glad that our pastor recommended we specifically ask to be house in a motel. Being the "new puppy", even in love, is exhausting, but Ken was right that having private housing gave a chance to both rest and review throughout the time.
We had to leave straight from work at RTS Friday, so things did not begin particularly joyfully. Traffic leaving Charlotte was pretty much as slow and painful as you might expect, and near Rockingham, I missed a speed limit trap going from 70 to 55 which a highway patrol officer was generous enough to correct. Still, we got in just after 11 and were able to get plenty of rest.
Our motel overlooked the coastal waterway just at the edge of the island chain (Emerald Isle, Indian Beach; etc.) that makes up the southern end of the Outer Banks area. So we had a beautiful relaxing morning of staring at the sights of the sea. Then we met with the current pastor (retiring for health reasons) and elder and their wives. After some fun conversation, we had a whirlwind tour our the local area, including housing opportunities, and then we were back to the church to meet the committee and to the motel for a brief rest.
When we met with the search committee in the afternoon, we began to see more of the issues come to light. For one, they had very few questions, most of theirs having been answered in our phone interviews, but in what they asked and didn't, they reinforced the notion that they are tired... maybe even a bit desperate. As I began working through the list of questions I had prepared (thanks again to Ken's aid), it was clear that they didn't have answers for several points and hadn't really begun to explore them, even having the prepared list for almost 2 weeks in advance. I was glad to see a glimmer of clearer understanding, as they said one of things they needed most in a pastor is vision, but in their answers to what the church needed, they seemed circumstantially and internally focused (things like getting more people and better signage for visibility). Most importantly, we noticed some philosophy of ministry differences that I wholeheartedly agree with in principle (eg. worship is not about entertainment), but the practice of which we would disagree.
That evening, they hosted a church wide dinner in our honor, and if love and food alone made our decision for us, we'd be packing for Swannsboro now. While, being the center of so much attention may be tiring for us, I'm sure they pushed themselves to treat us well, and it showed. They were wholly welcoming and gave us plenty of time to meet everyone and taste everyone's cooking, and they can definitely cook! In all, they are a delightful bunch showing the spirit of love love that is a hallmark of the church.
Sunday, we enjoyed another beautiful morning and then headed over to take part in their morning worship. They had me teach their Sunday School hour, though normally they rotate the responsibility between a few men, and I also gave the Sunday sermon for their worship service. I kept things simple, using material I had prepared for other preaching/teaching opportunities. For the Sunday school hour, we went through the closing verses of Acts 2, looking at the basic principles of the early church (devotion to teaching, breaking bread, fellowship, and prayer) and their outgrowths (visible signs, joy, "communism", favor, new converts; etc.). In the main service, I preached from 2 Tim. 2:1-7 on the heart of pastoral and all Christian ministry. God was good that both were clear and succinct, with good reception from the people.
The worship style was different from what I am familiar but beautiful nonetheless. They use a more formal service, with structured meditation (creeds, church fathers; etc.) and Bible readings, as well as a morning devotional reminder from one of the men (an interesting way of mentoring all the men in teaching at some level). The songs were a mix of classic hymns, mostly familiar, and Psalms (mostly to unfamiliar tunes). I loved the inclusion of the Psalms. We don't do that enough. And as so often happens, the Holy Spirit was at work guiding the pastor's wife in preparing the order of worship so that it meshed perfectly with the message I was preaching.
In all, it was an excellent visit, but we quickly began to sense that God was moving us away from Swannsboro. The first day, after our meeting with the committee, I was getting uneasy about the issues and wondering if I was a good fit for what they needed. When I asked Chantelle's opinion, she said exactly what I was thinking... great area, people and opportunities, but there would be some major issues to fight through that they weren't facing, and it would be a battle... one she was convinced we were equipped to take in our first assignment. I was pretty confident right then that God was beginning to give us an answer. Sunday gave us more of the same, despite the good time with the people. It was even more painful to say it but more reassured, I'm not God's guy for them.
Once we got home, we gave it until Friday to make our decision. The church was ready to vote on me the following Sunday, and we wanted to have answer ready for them before then. Over the days, we didn't get anything different in prayer or counsel and 3 different sources gave me confirmation. So, that Friday, I called and asked to be removed from consideration.
I don't think either Chantelle or I would characterize the visit as anything but positive, despite the result. We ended things with Swannsboro Bible Church on very good terms, and we got better insight into questions we need to ask and answer and the type of ministry position God may be leading me into. Best of all for me, God spoke very clearly to us both in the same way, so we have great confidence that he's guiding wherever we end up.
I knew but didn't understand how draining these kind of trips are, and I'm so glad that our pastor recommended we specifically ask to be house in a motel. Being the "new puppy", even in love, is exhausting, but Ken was right that having private housing gave a chance to both rest and review throughout the time.
We had to leave straight from work at RTS Friday, so things did not begin particularly joyfully. Traffic leaving Charlotte was pretty much as slow and painful as you might expect, and near Rockingham, I missed a speed limit trap going from 70 to 55 which a highway patrol officer was generous enough to correct. Still, we got in just after 11 and were able to get plenty of rest.
Our motel overlooked the coastal waterway just at the edge of the island chain (Emerald Isle, Indian Beach; etc.) that makes up the southern end of the Outer Banks area. So we had a beautiful relaxing morning of staring at the sights of the sea. Then we met with the current pastor (retiring for health reasons) and elder and their wives. After some fun conversation, we had a whirlwind tour our the local area, including housing opportunities, and then we were back to the church to meet the committee and to the motel for a brief rest.
When we met with the search committee in the afternoon, we began to see more of the issues come to light. For one, they had very few questions, most of theirs having been answered in our phone interviews, but in what they asked and didn't, they reinforced the notion that they are tired... maybe even a bit desperate. As I began working through the list of questions I had prepared (thanks again to Ken's aid), it was clear that they didn't have answers for several points and hadn't really begun to explore them, even having the prepared list for almost 2 weeks in advance. I was glad to see a glimmer of clearer understanding, as they said one of things they needed most in a pastor is vision, but in their answers to what the church needed, they seemed circumstantially and internally focused (things like getting more people and better signage for visibility). Most importantly, we noticed some philosophy of ministry differences that I wholeheartedly agree with in principle (eg. worship is not about entertainment), but the practice of which we would disagree.
That evening, they hosted a church wide dinner in our honor, and if love and food alone made our decision for us, we'd be packing for Swannsboro now. While, being the center of so much attention may be tiring for us, I'm sure they pushed themselves to treat us well, and it showed. They were wholly welcoming and gave us plenty of time to meet everyone and taste everyone's cooking, and they can definitely cook! In all, they are a delightful bunch showing the spirit of love love that is a hallmark of the church.
Sunday, we enjoyed another beautiful morning and then headed over to take part in their morning worship. They had me teach their Sunday School hour, though normally they rotate the responsibility between a few men, and I also gave the Sunday sermon for their worship service. I kept things simple, using material I had prepared for other preaching/teaching opportunities. For the Sunday school hour, we went through the closing verses of Acts 2, looking at the basic principles of the early church (devotion to teaching, breaking bread, fellowship, and prayer) and their outgrowths (visible signs, joy, "communism", favor, new converts; etc.). In the main service, I preached from 2 Tim. 2:1-7 on the heart of pastoral and all Christian ministry. God was good that both were clear and succinct, with good reception from the people.
The worship style was different from what I am familiar but beautiful nonetheless. They use a more formal service, with structured meditation (creeds, church fathers; etc.) and Bible readings, as well as a morning devotional reminder from one of the men (an interesting way of mentoring all the men in teaching at some level). The songs were a mix of classic hymns, mostly familiar, and Psalms (mostly to unfamiliar tunes). I loved the inclusion of the Psalms. We don't do that enough. And as so often happens, the Holy Spirit was at work guiding the pastor's wife in preparing the order of worship so that it meshed perfectly with the message I was preaching.
In all, it was an excellent visit, but we quickly began to sense that God was moving us away from Swannsboro. The first day, after our meeting with the committee, I was getting uneasy about the issues and wondering if I was a good fit for what they needed. When I asked Chantelle's opinion, she said exactly what I was thinking... great area, people and opportunities, but there would be some major issues to fight through that they weren't facing, and it would be a battle... one she was convinced we were equipped to take in our first assignment. I was pretty confident right then that God was beginning to give us an answer. Sunday gave us more of the same, despite the good time with the people. It was even more painful to say it but more reassured, I'm not God's guy for them.
Once we got home, we gave it until Friday to make our decision. The church was ready to vote on me the following Sunday, and we wanted to have answer ready for them before then. Over the days, we didn't get anything different in prayer or counsel and 3 different sources gave me confirmation. So, that Friday, I called and asked to be removed from consideration.
I don't think either Chantelle or I would characterize the visit as anything but positive, despite the result. We ended things with Swannsboro Bible Church on very good terms, and we got better insight into questions we need to ask and answer and the type of ministry position God may be leading me into. Best of all for me, God spoke very clearly to us both in the same way, so we have great confidence that he's guiding wherever we end up.
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