As many of you may know our family’s life will be taking a major change in the coming months. Yesterday, we resigned our current ministry position at Devon Alliance Church (effective mid-September) with the plan to attend school full-time in September (for 8months) in order to complete my Master of Divinity degree from Taylor Seminary. This is a decision that took months of careful discerning as we pursue God’s calling in our lives in the direction of Lead (Senior) Pastor after I graduate in April ’08. I thought I would include the letter I read in church on Sunday to explain why and what we are doing.

Devon Alliance Church Family,

It has been my sincere privilege to serve on staff at Devon Alliance Church. It is a rare experience to serve at one’s home church and I have been honoured with the opportunity. You have welcomed me with open arms and supported my ministry and family in so many ways.

Hence, it is with mixed emotions that I inform you of God’s leading in our lives. We believe that God is leading us into a new chapter in our journey. We have not come to this decision easily or lightly but with months of reflection, counsel and prayer. This new chapter revolves around God moving in my heart, gifts and passions to the area of Lead Pastor. God has been moving in my heart for a while but it has surged to the point where we feel we need to pursue this new calling with all our attention and energy. Many of you have known that I have been going to school part-time for several years working slowly on my Master of Divinity at Taylor Seminary. In preparation for this new direction, I will be attending school full-time in September to complete my Master’s degree (I should graduate in April). My hope is that during my studies I will be able to do some preaching in area churches as well as job search for a Lead Pastor’s position for employment after completion of my degree.

I want to make clear that we are not leaving for any reason other than trying to authentically and completely follow God’s leading in our lives with passion and obedience. Thank you for your support over the last several years and I look forward to sharing with you how and where God is leading us into our future.

Thank-you for your thoughts and prayers as our family takes this step into our future and I promise to keep you apprised of how and where God leads us in our future.