An Important Letter from Pastor Blair

Dear Congregation,

As our new blue yard signs say: We belong to each other. We are all connected by the Spirit, all held by the power of love and the promise of new life in Christ. This will always be true. No matter where we go or what we face in life, we are never alone and never without purpose: we are all part of the body of Christ.

One of the things that I love about being United Methodist is how we live out this tenant of our faith in how we are organized. We are a connectional church. We work together to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. Clergy are sent into the mission field based on the gifts they have to serve the needs of a community for a particular season.

This is also one of the most difficult things about being a United Methodist clergy because it means there are times of transition in which we have to say goodbye to the people and communities we have loved and served with our whole hearts. (And oh how I love you and love serving as your pastor!)

But now is a time of transition for us. I have been appointed by Bishop McKee to serve as the Director of Leadership Ministry for the Texas Methodist Foundation, effective July 1. I will be working with conferences, congregations, and clergy to address critical missional needs of the church, offering programs, resources, research, experiments, and strategic conversations to help communities discern and discover new ways to fulfil God’s purposes.

When I became your pastor four years ago, you welcomed me with such authentic openness—as you do for everyone who comes to Arapaho. What a gift of grace to be embraced so genuinely! You have created space for me to lead out of my true self and for that I am beyond grateful. My faith has deepened because of the Spirit I have experienced through this community.

What I have seen in Arapaho is a glimpse of the Beloved Community and that is something I will cherish and carry with me as I move into this new role to help other faith communities in our connection find their purpose and live it out fully.

You probably have more than a few questions—and so, as you know I like to do—I have created a FAQ section at the bottom of this email.

The bottom line is: we belong to each other and to a connectional church that pairs the needs of the congregation with the clergy best gifted to meet those needs and lead the church into a bright future. The Bishop and Cabinet are already prayerfully discerning who your next pastor will be and I have full confidence that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit and bring the right person to Arapaho for this new season of ministry—as happened when I was sent to you.

I am praying with you and for you and for this new season that is here for both of us—and I am doing a lot of giving thanks.

For the ways you have worked through our time together, O Lord, thank you. For the ways you will continue to work in all the days to come, thank you. For this community of faith that is so steadfast in sharing your love and embrace, thank you. For the love you show us through one another, thank you. For your grace, for the peace we have in you, for the love of your son Jesus.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will you be leaving?

I will continue to be your pastor until July 1, when the new pastor will officially begin. My last Sunday in the pulpit will be June 21 st but I will still be available for pastoral needs until July.

When will we know who our next pastor will be?

The Bishop and Cabinet are working on the appointment. We hope to know in the next few weeks. You will receive an email with the announcement.

Did you want to leave or are you being forced to leave? What’s the deal?!

Leaving is hard because I love being your pastor. I have given my whole heart to you these last four years, which means it is going to hurt a lot to leave. But if I had it to do over again I would still give you my all because what I have experienced at Arapaho is pure grace. No one is forcing me to go. I said yes to this next appointment because I have discerned it is the next right thing for me and for the vocation I feel God has called me to; what I have learned and experienced at Arapaho has prepared me for this position in which I will be helping churches, conferences, and clergy to fulfill the purposes God has for them.

How can we see you and have time to talk before you leave?

I hope we will be able to have some sort of in-person gathering before July 1 st but if not, we will find creative ways to connect through Zoom and drive-by opportunities. “Breakfast with Blair” the next three months (April 26, May 17, and June 7 from 10-10:30am) is open to all, not just visitors, and would also be a good place to connect and catch up. Reply to this email if you’d like to attend any of them and I will send you the Zoom link.

Why is this happening now in the midst of this coronavirus crisis? Shouldn’t we wait to have a new pastor?

Our new sermon series is “Braving the Wilderness.” We have braved the wilderness of this crisis since it began in March and we have done incredibly well, thanks in LARGE part to our amazing staff and volunteers who have made it possible for us to move our worship and ministries online. We have found our ‘new normal’ in online church. From the first day our new pastor begins, he or she will find a church that is ready to roll in-person and online. That’s Arapaho! We are adaptable, Spirit-led and faithful. Here’s something interesting: we are reaching more people online than we were before this crisis began. God has worked for the good through this difficult situation (as God does!). God is good all the time and will continue to work for the good through this pastoral transition.

What can we do?

Please pray for me and Adam, for our congregation, for the Bishop and Cabinet, for our next pastor, for our staff and leadership, may we all be guided by the Spirit to live faithfully through this transition into the next season God has in store for us. Thank you for all your support, dear friends.