A time to rest
Dear Hillspring Church family,
You may have heard it announced yesterday that, with a heavy heart, I am resigning from my pastoral staff position at our church. With the support of my wife, Shanette, I have come to this decision after months of prayer, fasting, conversations, and seeking the best for myself and our church. It has been an incredibly hard decision that has not come lightly or without a lot of struggle. What I do have, however, is a convicting peace that this is the right decision to make.
First, I want to clarify what factors did not make this decision. No great sin, moral failing, or illegal activity in my life or the life of anyone on staff forced this decision. There is no infidelity, sexual situations, addictions, theft, dishonor, murder, or any other "major" sin or behavior I am trying to keep from being revealed or revealed about anyone else. There are no theological, doctrinal, or faith discrepancies behind this. I stand completely united in the spirit, ideology, and practical faith of this church and its leadership.
The main factor behind this decision is far simpler: I am weary. The challenges and opportunities of the past four years have been numerous, and I have given my all in helping us navigate them. I have realized that I have done so to my detriment. Serving has been a gift, but it has also taken its toll. I am increasingly finding that the situations, disagreements, difficulties, and frustrations that come with paid staff ministry are weighing far too heavily on my heart. This year will mark fifteen years of me being in full-time pastoral ministry, and it is time for me to step back and reevaluate my spiritual and emotional well-being.
That said, one thing that makes this decision so difficult is that I am truly excited, encouraged, and inspired by how I see God at work through this group of people called Hillspring. More than almost any church I have been part of, I find camaraderie and fellowship in how we seek God and his kingdom in our world. And I see God here and at work among us.
Hillspring is a wonderful church, and I have been honored to serve as your pastor and friend. As my wife and I have journeyed with you over the past several years, seeing how our church has used God's values of live, love, and grow has been beautiful. You have helped me live those values personally, and I have been encouraged by how you have lived them alongside me. God is at work, and that journey is far from over!
Even though I need to step down from my pastoral position, Shanette and I intend for our fellowship to remain at Hillspring. Even though there will be a time of transition, we will continue to call this our church home, and we plan to continue worshipping and serving with you.
To that end, I will continue to serve and support our church in a volunteer position. My job as a Regional Coordinator for International Childcare Ministries will continue. I will continue helping facilitate our church families' connection with children sponsored at Saving Faith School in Liberia. I also look forward to providing our church with various international mission and service opportunities as the director for Mission Catalyst. And, of course, I am still very much looking forward to leading the trip to Israel and the Holy Lands this coming October (there is still some space available if you want to join us!). You never know, but you may even see me preaching from time to time, too.
God is at work in and through Hillspring, and we hope to continue to be part of that as much as possible. You will see us worshipping next to you on Sunday mornings and working alongside you in our community. The direction we as a church are headed as we seek to connect, develop, change, and become more like Jesus is one our community and world need. The journey isn't over in our pursuit of that together.
Thank you for the years of allowing me to serve and for being part of seeing what God is unfolding through us. You are deeply appreciated and loved, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have served as a pastor here. I look forward to what the future holds for us together. And, of course, “If you ever want to talk, I’ll buy you coffee!”
Offering and standing in grace and peace,
Trevor Owen
