April 22, 2019
Dear Friends,
As you know, this is a significant year in the life of the Oregon Synod. At our Annual Synod Assembly, which will be held in Eugene during the weekend of May 10-12th, we will elect a Bishop and a Vice President.
Recently, Pastor David shared with your Council that his name has been lifted up for consideration as a possible nominee for Bishop. While the Council is excited for and supports Pastor David in this consideration, there is a level of recognition that this development could impact our community. Hence, the reason I am writing to you.
Below is an excerpt from a letter Pastor David recently sent to me. As is Pastor David’s way, his words demonstrate courage, authenticity and a deep faithfulness in God’s purpose and plan for each of us.
If, after you have read through the excerpt, you have any concerns or questions, I ask that you please contact Pastor David directly. He is more than happy to sit down with anyone who is interested in talking further about these things.
My hope, with this writing, is for us to follow Pastor David’s lead, pray for God’s guidance and boldly trust in God’s plans for him and our community, no matter the outcome.
With warmest regards,
Denise DeMarre
Council President
Community of ChristChurch
Excerpt of letter from Pastor David (shared with his permission).
“While the office of Bishop is not something I have sought out, when I received the call from one of my colleagues in the Synod asking if it was okay with me if he lifted up my name, I gave pause and thought carefully before replying.
It would be very easy for me to simply say thank you, but no thank you.
I am not prepared to say that my work here at ChristChurch is finished…I feel strongly that we are embarking on an exciting new path that the Spirit has prepared for us.
But therein lies the rub…the work of the Spirit is mysterious and almost always beyond our comprehension, and she blows when and where she will. So, I did not say no thank you. I received this invitation the way I have received every potential pastoral call presented to me: with a willingness to pray, to discern, and to see where the Spirit decides I need to be.
Also, the process for calling a Bishop in this Synod allows for other voices, articulating alternative visions for the Synod to be heard in the Assembly, regardless of the outcome. I am humbled to think that I may have the opportunity to add my voice to that conversation.
As with many such invitations I have received in the past, it may be revealed that this potential call is not yet where the Spirit would like me to be. In that case, I will joyfully continue fulfilling the call entrusted to me as your pastor in this place and time. I am writing this letter because, no matter how things turn out, it is important to me that you know beforehand that this possibility exists.
So in the meantime, I ask for your prayers… not so much for me, but for this congregation and the Oregon Synod, that the love of the Christ might continue to be revealed in our communities as God’s Spirit sends us out into the world.
God’s peace,
Pastor David
pastordavid@comchristchurch.org 503-617-9526 ext. 3”
