waits for the real thing and resists that
which is close enough.
and me, prayed for us, and sent us out.
In May 2014, I started having
When I decided to leave the church conversations with people about
that I loved, I knew I was still a pastor. starting a church called Genesis. Our
I knew I wanted to lead and preach. stated vision was to join God’s work
I wanted to create the kind of culture of “cultivating new beginnings in all
in which people’s latent God-given
of us, everywhere.” Those first few
gifts could emerge and flourish. And
months were exhilarating, exhausting,
that is when the idea of planting a
and sometimes frightening. That
church slowly began to emerge, like
was two years ago. We are now a
a blazing and beautiful sunrise after a growing, intergenerational family
long, dark night.
of people who are seeing new
beginnings in ourselves and others.
After dozens of conversations
with Mary and close friends, after
Church planting can be a treach-
countless prayers of desperation and erous place for someone addicted
some excitement, I told Dave and
to approval and admiration. I’m
the board that I needed to leave to
learning to take myself less seriously
plant a church. I was forty-three years when attendance numbers drop. I’m
old. They were gracious and also quite learning to resolve conflict and stay
surprised. Though they affirmed my
engaged in a long obedience in the
sense of motivation and calling, it
same direction, rather than chasing
brought up lots of questions for them the next exciting thing. I’m learning
and some pain. It happened a lot
to explore my joy and also touch my
quicker than they thought it would.
limits. I’m learning that I really can’t
At the end of it all, they blessed Mary be a successful pastor.
Solutions 15