|
March 27, 2025
Good afternoon, Belin Memorial UMC, and thank you for checking in with the Inlet View. We’ve been having a busy Lenten season, and at the bottom of this newsletter, you can read more about how that will continue over the next few weeks.
This past Sunday, we shared the announcement in worship that I am projected to serve as the senior pastor at Fair Lawn UMC in the Columbia District, effective the end of June. In the United Methodist Church, Full Elders serve through an itinerant system, which means that we move regularly under the guidance and direction of those who are appointed to serve on the Bishop’s cabinet. That said, while the news of this move is new to us, it was never unexpected. Kate and I are beginning the process of making plans to adjust to life in Columbia next year, and we know that Belin Memorial will quickly adjust to this next step for the church as well. Due to the fact that we already have two other very excellent pastors appointed at Belin Memorial, Rev. Will Malambri and Rev. Dr. Sandra Steven Poirel, not to mention an extremely capable and helpful pastoral cabinet, it has been decided that the position that I will be leaving will not be filled in the immediate future. I know that with the help of your current leadership, lay, and staff, Belin Memorial will continue to do excellent ministry, and I look forward to hearing about it from down the road.
Change is never easy, and Kate, Margaret, and I will miss this wonderful church family as we adjust to our new beginning at Fair Lawn. We will always be extremely grateful for the grace and kindness that you have shown us and for all of the many things that you all have taught us about life, church, and Christian love. I’ll especially miss the many opportunities for all kinds of fellowship that this church regularly offers, and the excellent worship that happens here on a regular basis. That being said, I trust there will also be great opportunities at Fair Lawn. This itinerant system, although challenging at times, can be of great benefit to both local churches and pastors. By sorting through pastoral changes from time to time, United Methodist local congregations are put into a position in which they are challenged to build their own identities apart from the leadership of any one pastor. Over the course of years, this strengthens a congregation's ability to adapt to change and stay true to itself in the midst of a world that is always changing around us. Pastors and their families, on the other hand, benefit from this system because it forces us to slow down, to look beyond the conversations that are happening in any one local church, and to consider the vastness of God’s work, which is always happening in congregations across the world and in the lives of all sorts of different people. While an itinerant life of movement is not easy, it protects us from the temptation to start believing or preaching that God’s love is available in only one place and not another.
I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude for all the time that we’ve shared, but whether here or there, the special moments we’ve shared will always be cherished deep in my heart. In times of change I often reflect on the words in the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verse 8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The passage surrounding this verse encourages readers to remain faithful, trusting that even in the midst of change, Jesus Christ, and the ministry he does, stays the same. Just as Christ has worked among us during the days I’ve shared with you all over these past five years, Christ will be doing the same kinds of good and joyous works in days to come.
It’s also good that we don’t have to say goodbye immediately. We’ve still got lots of good ministry days to share between now and the time of my move, and I hope we will all be able to make the most of them. Check out some of the ways we can be intentional about doing just that in the near future below:
Upcoming:
1. The deadline for Easter Candy donations is this Sunday, March 30.
2. The deadline for Easter Lilies orders is this Monday, March 31.
3. The United Methodist Men will meet this Monday, March 31, at 6 PM in the Family Life Center. Please contact Gordon Myers (gordonmyers.belinummpresident@gmail.com, 843.344.4256) to make a reservation.
4. Reverend Dr. Ann Kovan will be our guest preacher at this week's Lenten Worship Service this Wednesday, April 2, at 12 Noon.
5. The Belin Memorial Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, April 5, from 10 AM to 12 Noon.
6. MEN’S PICKUP BASKETBALL: Join the men on Monday and Thursday nights from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM for fun, fellowship, and exercise in the Family Life Center. For more information, contact William Hewitt (843.318.2432).
Mark these dates on your calendar:
April 3, 7, 10, 14, 24, 28
May 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 22, 29
J.T. Brown
| 
