Dear Church,
I hope this message finds you well, and I hope you are finding some peace and connection in the midst of a busy season.
I’m writing to let you know that I’ve accepted a call as the new pastor of Everett United Church of Christ. I’m resigning my position at First Congregational Church of Bellingham, and my last day here will be February 13. I’m very excited about my new position, but I’m also very sad to be leaving First Congregational and all our wonderful members and friends.
A few words about process: I spoke with Council last night and let them know about this change. They will be ready to hear from you, to answer questions, and to share in both grief and celebration. Pastor Sharon is also ready to hear from folks. I’m on vacation this week, but I’ll be at Blue Christmas tomorrow evening, and worship on Sunday. I’ll also be glad to hear from you with questions, concerns, or whatever else you’d like to share.
When I finish my time at First Congregational in mid-February, I’ll also be winding down my pastoral relationships with each of you. I hope we’ll have lots of time to share appreciation, memories, and blessings. After I leave First Congregational, I’ll say farewell to those special connections. I won’t participate in special rituals like funerals and weddings, and though I’m not much on social media, I’ll disconnect from those connections as well. My family and I will continue to live in Bellingham, and no need to adopt spy protocols when you run into me at the Co-op or the Comics Place- I’ll be glad to say hello and chat, but I’ll invite you not share church news with me.
For some, this ministry of clear good-bye’s can be hard. It’s okay if that feels stark or even unfriendly. But I know just how powerful it is to have a pastor, and I know that a complicated relationship with a former pastor can be a barrier to one’s relationship with their current pastor, and that’s one of the many reasons I’ll honor this part of my covenant. If there are particular parts of what has been my ministry at First Congregational that the Spirit needs, I deeply believe she will raise them up in others of God’s beloved children.
There’ll be time to talk more about details as our remaining time together unfolds. I want to take a moment to name a few things about my time with First Congregational.
My decision to look for work elsewhere wasn’t an easy one, and quite honestly it grew out of discernment about financial stability. As you know, my position was reduced mid-2024, and it’s possible that the congregation would have needed to reduce it further. Because of my family’s financial needs, and because I love pastoral ministry so much that I like to do it full-time, I looked for other positions. That’s all to say that I’m not leaving this congregation because I don’t love it. This congregation has been a wonderful space for me in which to live and grow and work and pray.
Math isn’t my strong suit, but I did some arithmetic, and I think I’ve been working for First Congregational more than a fifth of my life, not quite a quarter. We’ve been through some wild and sacred times together, among them building The Ground Floor, a major health crisis of mine, the birth of both my children, some difficult staff transitions, my coming out season around gender identity, and, oh yeah, a global pandemic. Through it all this church has been a place of wonder and inspiration, a place of challenge and care, and a place where the Spirit keeps showing up, stubborn and fierce and relentlessly beautiful.
One of my favorite lines from Paul is from 1st Corinthians 16. Paul is recounting his ministry in a particular town, and says something like “I don’t know if I baptized anyone else.” I know that so many of you have blessed me in ways that were maybe casual, were maybe profound, but you’ve since forgotten. (2015 was a long time ago, y’all!) And I know that’s true for me too: some word I spoke, some presence I brought, some act of care meant something to you. And I forgot it since or maybe didn’t even notice at the time. But one of the profound things about church, about how the Spirit shapes our care for one another is that it actually doesn’t matter if we remember. Because it shapes our hearts, our bodies, and maybe our souls. Because of your care and wisdom, because of your wit and grace, because of your generosity and courage, I am a wiser, braver, and kinder person. For myself, for the communities I will serve in the future, and for the people I love most dearly, I am grateful.
Ever and always: Go team.
Love,
Davi
