All of us know what it is to grieve the loss of someone or something we love. Think of those who have seen loved ones swept away in the flood, or a house destroyed by a mudslide--with all the precious memories and cherished mementos buried under the rubble. Consider a business wiped out and the financial loss. It is a great grief. Living in a broken world means such heartbreaking moments will come.
What about when a relationship in church ends? A beloved pastor is called to another congregation and we grieve. A faithful deacon dies and the church wonders who can fill that void. A fellow church member walks away because they disagree with a church decision or cannot be reconciled with someone who hurt them. It is grievous.
It is a grief to your Associational Mission Strategist when a relationship with a Haywood Baptist Church ends. I have seen it happen during these four years of serving here. Two congregations have officially "died." Another willingly separated from us. It grieves me.
Next Tuesday evening, we will meet for our annual meeting of Haywood Baptist Association at Crabtree Baptist Church at 7 PM. We regret that we will not have our typical fellowship meal preceding, but Crabtree (as have many of our churches) has been doing so much disaster relief ministry that we did not feel right asking them to feed us, when they are helping feed their community. We will celebrate what God is doing through our churches--but we will also grieve.
There will be a motion to remove First Baptist Church of Waynesville from the Association. It is not a hasty decision. The church's leadership have said the church will not adhere to our doctrinal statement, has not given to the Association since 2022, and has not filled in the Annual Church Profile--all requirements for Associational membership. It will require 3/4ths of the church representatives present to take this action. Our churches are reminded that the pastor and two members of the church may attend and vote.
It is grievous, but we believe necessary. Our prayer is that there will be a future time when repentance will be expressed and reconciliation will be experienced.
Until then, there is grief in goodbye.
Faithfully Yours,
Dennis Thurman, AMS
Comments