“You simply
MUST apply for this position!” The e-mail from Nancy wasn’t a complete
surprise, since Southern Methodist University had recently announced that a
sizeable contingent of staff persons could expect to be laid off within the
next six months.
The
information trickled out from SMU last fall with little detail, and all I could
piece together was the likelihood that the number of staff positions to be cut
University-wide would exceed 150. The number of staff persons to be laid off from
Perkins School of Theology in particular was not disclosed. A terse
communication from SMU administration only indicated that most of the persons
whose jobs were to be terminated would be notified sometime during or after the
month of February 2015 – an agonizing wait of four or five months and, more to
the point, a very late date for clergy serving under appointment to indicate to
our bishop that we might be seeking an appointment elsewhere.
Thus I found
myself notifying my supervisor at Perkins, and my district superintendent in
the North Texas Conference, that I would be considering alternative avenues of
ministry. And thus my beloved Nancy came to discover that Crossroads Ministry
of Estes Park was seeking an Executive Director.
Largely at
Nancy’s urging, I prepared a letter of interest as part of the application
process, which I duly submitted along with my résumé. I applied for one other position
as well, also out of state.
To my
surprise, I soon received expressions of interest from both of the places I had
contacted, and a series of events led to detailed interviews with each.
At this
point, I must confess that I had some misgivings. Most of these misgivings
centered, ironically, around how much I love Estes Park, Colorado.
Almost every
summer for about 10 or 12 years starting around the mid-1990s, I traveled to
Estes Park for recreation and rejuvenation in the form of primitive camping. I
journeyed into town from my campsite on the side of Twin Sisters Peak every few
days, for supplies and such. The wilderness and the town itself – nestled in
the Estes Valley between magnificent snow-capped mountains, was beautiful beyond
belief. I never tired of it, and eventually managed a successful climb to the
summit of Long’s Peak – which, at more than 14,200 feet, is the tallest mountain
in the area. After one memorable vacation experience, I even quipped to a few
church members – in Dallas, no less – that God actually lived in the mountains
of Colorado but came down to Texas on Sunday mornings for worship!
Why the
misgivings, then?
First, I was
determined that I would not allow my love of that beautiful setting to blind me
to the reality that my gifts – and my heart – needed to be appropriately
aligned with the needs and responsibilities of any ministry to which I might be
called. On reflection, it seems silly that I might interpret my deep affinity
for the location as an impediment rather than an affirmation of God’s good
will. But silly or not, I felt compelled to proceed with caution.
Second, there
were some concrete obstacles to be overcome. Nancy and I bought a house in
Dallas just last July. While home prices in the Metroplex continue to rise
dramatically each month, it was unlikely
that we would have enough equity to cover realtor fees and closing costs – even
if we could sell the house on short notice.
Moreover, for
a variety of reasons – including the devastating floods in Colorado in
September 2013, mid-range housing for rent or lease is virtually non-existent
in the Estes Valley these days.
Even if the
housing complications on both ends could somehow be overcome, there was Nancy’s
education and ministry to consider. She was just starting to apply for
residency positions in Dallas-area hospitals to continue her chaplaincy
training. Would she have to remain in Dallas for a year to complete her
training? How would we manage both our current house note and the cost of housing
in Estes Park? In any event, I am not keen on being apart from her for such a
long period.
In
the meantime, a long-awaited announcement finally came. Four staff positions –
held by colleagues dear to all of us – were eliminated at Perkins School of Theology.
Others were assigned different responsibilities as a new organizational chart
was implemented. My position, however, was retained. I no longer needed a
position elsewhere in order to ensure gainful employment in ministry.
In the face
of those developments – and a few other obstacles not detailed here – I nevertheless
accepted an invitation to at least visit Crossroads Ministry of Estes Park for
a personal interview with their search team.
And to my delighted surprise, I simply
fell in love with the people there, and with the remarkable ministry they have
built over the years by the grace of God.
Crossroads
Ministry is an ecumenical Christian service organization providing short-term assistance
to low income clients, ongoing services to clients on low fixed incomes, and encouraging
self-sufficiency of clients through educational opportunities.
It
began with one local church's establishment of a food pantry in 1982, a ministry
which – due to overwhelming need – quickly expanded to include 14 other partner congregations,
with additional support from a variety of other organizations and agencies. Estes
Valley Interfaith Council sponsored Crossroads Ministry's application for tax
exempt status, which was received from the State of Colorado in 1985, and from
the IRS in 1987.
I
was astonished to discover that Crossroads
Ministry currently serves one in 10 residents
of the Estes Valley.
The
ministry has been blessed with dedicated support from a wide range of volunteers
and donors, as well as the community at large. It has benefitted from
compassionate and competent leadership, along with a supportive and highly
capable Board of Directors, comprising representatives from the founding
congregations.
The
morning after my interview with the Crossroads Ministry search team, I received
an invitation: they were prepared to recommend me to the Crossroads Board of
Directors for the position of Executive Director. I had 72 hours to accept.
Two
days later, in a letter to my bishop, I wrote the following about my desire to
be appointed to Crossroads Ministry:
I make this request after deep
soul-searching, counsel with trusted friends and colleagues, and prayerful
discernment. I can think of no ministry more worthwhile or compatible with my gifts,
graces, and experiences, as well as my own present spiritual and theological
orientation.
In a word, I believe I have been blessed to
be called by God for this work, and am thankful to have received the invitation
to serve. I also am appreciative of the unwavering support I have received in
this endeavor from my supervisor at Perkins School of Theology, Rev. Connie Nelson.
In addition
to writing Dallas Area Bishop Mike McKee, I sent a letter withdrawing myself
from further consideration for the other position I had originally applied for.
About three
weeks afterward, on Monday, March 30, the Board of Directors of Crossroads
Ministry of Estes Park unanimously affirmed my call to serve with them as
Executive Director.
Thanks to the
kindness and efforts of Crossroads Board members and their acquaintances, Nancy
and I secured a one-year lease on a beautiful little home in Estes Park that
same weekend. (Yes, it has a guest bedroom. And yes, we look forward to
welcoming family and friends as our guests!)
Within a few
hours of signing the lease in Estes Park, Nancy and I received a text message
from a dear colleague and friend, indicating a commitment to lease our house in
Dallas.
Nancy is excited
about pursuing opportunities for continued chaplaincy training in Colorado, and
we are trusting that our needs will be met in this regard, even as so many
other obstacles have seemed to melt away.
My last day
on staff at Perkins School of Theology is May 15. I selected this date, in
part, because of my commitment to the Connections band, which has its final
concert of the season that evening, in support of our mission to raise funds for
health needs in Africa.
Fortuitously,
Nancy completes her current unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) May 18.
We expect to move that week, and I plan to begin my duties as Executive
Director of Crossroads Ministry on May 26.
As I’ve
reflected on these developments, it occurs to me how serving in this capacity
hearkens back to my earliest experiences with The United Methodist Church. I
became a United Methodist in large part because of the impact Grace United
Methodist Church had on the poor, as it united with other churches in the East
Dallas Cooperative Parish to meet the needs of the community by providing a food
bank, clothing bank, medical clinic, legal clinic, and more.
I went on to
pursue ordination in the Methodist tradition because I so deeply value John
Wesley’s now-famous dictum in his sermon, “On a Catholic Spirit”: “Though we
cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though
we are not of one opinion? Without doubt, we may.”
The
mission of Crossroads Ministry is to demonstrate Christian love by providing
basic human services to Estes Valley residents in need.
This new
journey offers a profound opportunity for meaningful ministries of compassion
in my later years, as the inscrutable and ineffable Holy One writes a new
chapter, page by page and word by Word.
Thanks be to
God.
