Dear Pittsburgh Presbytery Family and Friends,
With great gratitude to God for thirteen wonderful years as General Minister of Pittsburgh Presbytery, I am announcing my plan to retire as of January 1, 2023. This call has given me a wonderful opportunity to live out my vocation of encouraging and equipping the church to demonstrate publicly the truth of God’s work of reconciliation in Christ. It has been an unsurpassed joy to walk this journey with you!
The decision to retire at this time comes entirely at my own initiative, without any external pressure. Tammy and I are both in good health, and my relationships with presbytery staff and elected leadership are all strong and positive. The decision to retire comes solely from a conviction that this is the right time to enter a new season of life.
Tammy and I recently moved to a new home in Washington County that we believe will serve us well in the season ahead. We look forward to continuing to live in the Pittsburgh region, even though we will be living outside the bounds of this presbytery. Tammy will continue to work for the National Council of Churches from her home office, and I look forward to discovering new ways of serving our Lord.
The presbytery’s Executive Committee, led by its Personnel Committee, is working on a transition plan for presbytery leadership while the search for your next General Minister is underway. Synod Executive Forrest Claassen is assisting them with this.
Over the coming months I will share with you my hopes and prayers for Pittsburgh Presbytery as it moves forward. Meanwhile, I look forward eagerly to the remainder of our time together, believing that God still has good things for us to do and to enjoy in each other’s company.
Yours faithfully,
