Dear Antioch Family,
The day that you received the announcement that both Andy and Matt were leaving, I’m sure there were a range of feelings and emotions that hit you. Finding out that a member of the church is departing is hard, it’s like losing a family member. Of course it hits even harder when it is two beloved pastors. This may have already caused stress and grief in you. It may also hit harder when they are actually no longer serving on staff at Antioch.
We as a congregation will need to move ahead with the vision and mission of Antioch as we prepare for the day when Andy and Matt are no longer serving as pastors of Antioch. But what should we do in the meantime to process this loss, as the pastors we know and love get ready to follow their new callings?
The following are steps I encourage us to be taking in anticipation of upcoming season of having an Interim Pastor, and eventually in searching for a new Lead Pastor:
1. Give grace to those “filling the gap”
The leaders in charge of maintaining the church will be handling multiple tasks during this time of transition. Keep in mind, most are volunteering their time while working jobs and caring for their families. Many may not have the years of experience or education Andy and Matt have worked hard to achieve, but each will have unique life experiences, gifts, and talents that God has used to shaped them. So I encourage you to give leaders respect, grace, and many prayers, resisting the urge to make unhelpful comparisons. Pray that they may lead with joy. (Hebrews 13:17-18)
Soon we will have an interim pastor whose job will be to give clear leadership, care for the church, and help prepare us for the future lead pastor. Eventually, the new pastor will have his own gifting and ways in which God has called him to fill his role at Antioch. We must strive to acknowledge differences, while allowing both the current “gap fillers” and new staff to lead as they are directed by God during this transition.
2. Be Patient
This process of moving forward and getting a new lead pastor is just that—a process which takes time. In order to do it correctly, utilizing the North Central District staff and listening to the Lord, we must be patient and not rush decisions (Proverbs 15:22). We do not just want someone to simply fill a pulpit, but rather someone whom God has called to lead us in carrying out our vision and mission. Be patient, just as the disciples waited patiently for the Holy Spirit to fall upon them—which changed the world as we know it and bound them together. This is not a time to be rash, but to patiently devote ourselves to prayer, God’s Word, and to one another as we wait for the Lord’s direction on our future leadership.
Be patient, wait on the Lord, and watch him do something marvelous before our eyes! (Psalm 27:13, 14; 118:23-25; Acts 2:1-4,14,41-46)
3. Don’t Spread Dissension
If you have a major concern with something in the church, please pray about it then voice it in person to that person or a leader. Do not sow seeds of gossip. If not resolved, muster the strength to try one more time. If sin is involved, obey the Scriptural example laid out in Matthew 18:15-16. If you have voiced your concern and a leader cannot address it, please speak to the elders (elders@antiochcommunity.org) or our future Interim Pastor. Please give everyone grace, especially as leaders and elders as we will be taking on a lot of responsibility during this season and may not be able to address or act upon all potential grievances or concerns immediately. After following all previous steps, if there is still a major concern when the new pastor arrives, voice it to him and let him deal with it the way he feels is best. This way you are doing what is wise and biblical, addressing the issue in the best way possible (Romans 12:3).
4. Stay in the Word feeding yourself the Bread of Life
We have been fortunate enough to have had pastors and elders that have delivered weekly sermons full of the biblical truth and practical application. In addition, our leaders have helped to equip the body with the skills necessary to minister to each other through the use of our gifts. So be sure to stay in the Word, feeding your soul, and fellowshipping with other believers, so you can be used effectively when needed. All of Antioch’s past sermons are available on our website to hear the Word, in addition to reading it on our own. Pray for the pastors, leaders, and the congregation as a whole. Fast if you can. Ask the Lord to reveal the next lead pastor in His timing and for us to wait patiently in the interim. Help to keep the ministries active by regularly volunteering. Help to shepherd those newer in the faith by studying the Word together and helping them discover and use their gifts. Let us be a spiritually healthy congregation during and after this transition (1 Corinthians 1:10).
5. Do what is normal and don’t forget your first love
In Revelation 2, John urges the church to “do the things you did at first” to reclaim your first love (Revelation 2:4-5). Andy and Matt may have played a key part in your growth and development as you strive to be more like Christ, but you are ultimately where you are because of the Grace of God and your love of Him. So cling to your love for God during this transition. We cannot survive if we are not connected to the Vine (John 15:5). Feel the pain, but let us do our best to compensate for the part that will be missing and hurting. Be the healthy part of the body so that you can help those that are hurting.
6. Grieve Well
We are losing two people who are dear to us—mentors and brothers in Christ. Don’t stuff your feelings. Jesus calls us to bring everything to Him (Matt 11:28 ESV). If Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, then as His followers and the children of God, we must be honest in every area of our lives—that includes acknowledging loss. Jesus knew sorrow as well, but continued to carry out the Father‘s will (Matthew 26:38 ESV). We must do the work needed to grieve through our loss of Andy and Matt together, uplifting one another (Galatians 6:2 ESV). Let us grieve this transition so that we can look forward to the future with hope, both as a family and as individuals.
7. Stay Focused
In spite of the upcoming loss we will be facing, we must keep our eyes on the most important person—Jesus. Even though Andy and Matt are key parts of Antioch, they are just members of the body; Antioch is Christ’s church. We must keep our eyes focused on Jesus and resist the temptation to turn in a different direction than we are going as a church family. Resist the temptation to get distracted by fear, hurt, and anger; these can be unhealthy for individual spiritual growth and the health of our church (Hebrews 12:2). Remember, Jesus has called us to be a loving family inviting all people into the life-changing way of Jesus Christ, regardless of who our lead pastors are.
8. Trust Leadership
You have entrusted Nate, James, myself, Andy, and Matt to be your elders, don’t lose faith now. With the wisdom of the district and the guidance of the Spirit, we are doing our best to prayerfully make wise choices. This is a major task we have been given and we are working to keep in step with one another as much as possible. There can be a lot of stressors with a transition like this. In addition, we must make sure to Shepherd the church well, caring for members’ concerns. Please uphold us in your prayer life. Send notes of encouragement when you can, as we could use all the encouragement we can get! (Hebrews 13:17-18)
9. Don’t give Satan a foothold or underestimate his schemes
This is an optimal time for Satan to come in and place doubts, derision, and fears in our minds. Changes like pastoral transitions could tempt us to complain, sow seeds of dissension within our congregation, and may cause some to consider leaving the church. We must stay a united body, clinging to Christ and one another during this transition! Andy and Matt may have played a part in you attending or checking out Antioch, but you stayed because of the relationships you built with one another, enduring joys and sorrows together. So be aware of the devil’s schemes during this time and guard your heart (Ephesians 6:16 ESV).
10. Lean on the Community
Satan will want you to feel isolated during this time so he can break up our thriving church. We at Antioch have been blessed with great relationships, community groups, DNA groups, affinity groups, etc. The best way to combat this is to lean on our community. If you are having a rough time with the transition, talk to someone you trust. If it is hard to express your feelings without sadness or anger preventing you from having conversations, ask the Lord to reveal to you someone to whom you can talk to that would put your spirit at ease and point you to Christ. Never forget to always contact any of the elders and ask for information about where we are at in the process if it helps calm your nerves (Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV).
It is only going to benefit you and the church if we do things as a unified body. Engage in your community groups (or get connected to one), share meals with others in the church, and talk with each other so everyone is aware of each others’ feelings on this issue and support one another (Galatians 6:2 ESV).
We can acknowledge together the sad and difficult nature of these transitions, and work through it together, while not losing our way as a church family! Remember, the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) will sustain and build His Church (Matthew 16:18). May we depend upon the Lord for kingdom fruitfulness in this season of change.
Romans 12:9-14
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Blessings and Grace to you all,
Pastor Darrius