This Sunday morning, June 7, 2015, I announced to the congregation I serve that I have decided to retire from ministry. This will not be an immediate action, in discussion with the leadership of Yakima Covenant Church, we have settled on a date in February of 2016 when this will take effect. But it is a definite decision - in February I will be stepping down as pastor of Yakima Covenant Church. It is time for a change.
It is a big change of course for me personally and professionally, it is full of all kinds of risks and unknowns, and it is also, for me, a necessary and needful change. Over the course of the next several posts, I will be explaining some of the background for this decision, explaining what has led us to this course, and some of my hopes for what lies ahead.
A transition like this begs a lot of questions. Why this? Why now? What next? I will spend some time in future posts trying to give answers to some of those questions, as well as I am able. But it is enough to say at this moment that it is a personal choice, one arrived at after much thought, after lots of discussion and dreaming with my wife, Shannon. The past six years at Yakima Covenant have been good ones, and it is a community that I am proud to hand over to the next iteration of pastor. But there has been growing in me over the course of the past several years a discontent of sorts, a gnawing awareness of the need for new direction. Those feelings have grown stronger over time, they have not dissipated upon reflection, they have not been dissuaded in counsel with friends or family. Rather, I reached a point when I knew that what had been sort of run-of-the-mill escape fantasies had morphed into legitimate longings for a new experience of life, family, time, and vocation.
We feel great hope and anticipation about what is ahead. I can't wait to tell you more about it, and I hope you'll come back to hear about what's ahead and some of the reasons that have led us in this new direction.
Whatever you do will be blessed and amazing I have no doubt - because you are blessed and amazing. I will love reading about your next. I'm of course hoping it is in the Bay Area and is something I can watch you do or even participate in along side. (Yes I am thinking vbs skits here). Then again it could be something involving animal carcasses. Or bees. Or beer, which I am very bad at. I don't drink well. It ends in disaster every time. I would sooner take my chance drinking bees. My love and support to you and that beautiful family of yours. The Endrrs are steadfastly Team Duncan! Make us proud and/or amused. ❤️
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