Hello MERCYhouse,
I wanted to take some time to say thank you. I’m incredibly appreciative, humbled and honored to have this opportunity to serve as the Director of Teaching and Ministry at MERCYhouse. My wife Kaitlyn and I are both aware of the gravity of this moment, and could not be more excited to have this opportunity to invest our resources, time and energy to serve our church family. The vote passed on the evening of our seventh wedding anniversary-- a fitting occasion to mark this next chapter of our lives which will undoubtedly call upon the strength of nerve and heart of not just myself but of our marriage which God has spent these past years forging in the crucible of ministry.
The Pain and Hurt
It has become increasingly evident that there are many members and attenders of our church who have experienced pain and hurt in recent years at MERCYhouse. While specific instances of hurt and offense are varied, it is apparent that this hurt has resulted in significant distrust-- both in those serving as leaders and those who are lay members.
This reality deeply grieves me and it’s clear that we cannot move forward as a church with any semblance of health without these hurts and grievances addressed. It is my heart’s desire that this next season of church life will prioritize healing and reconciliation while remaining steadfast to the mission of MERCYhouse.
Trust will have to be rebuilt. Our church as an organization must mature. I see my role in these coming years having a focus to facilitate and motivate these things to happen, with a sobering understanding that this will not be achieved overnight, nor will it be easy.
The Church’s Role
What is your role in these next two years, MERCYhouse? My request is for you to take up two responsibilities.
One: continue to pray. There is no single person in this church (or outside of it, for that matter) who knows exactly how to navigate this season of healing and transition. We continue to rely on the wisdom and guidance of our wise God to lead us in the right direction. Pray with us and for us, for our only hope is in the One who hears and responds.
Two: be the church. Continue engaging as committed, active members of this local body of Christ in this next season despite the difficulty and challenges that lay ahead. Consider that the church does not exist just to serve you-- that we, as a community, look to one another to fulfill his or her calling as covenant community members to the benefit of the collective body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The areas of healing and growth which we hope, pray and long for in this next season depends on the willingness of our church members to be church members.
The Transition
And so we arrive at the first step of our transition to finding a new Lead Pastor for our church. My hope is to see our church reach a level of health and trust to be able to work together during this search process and exemplify unity in accomplishing this difficult task. I urge you to continue having patience and grace with one another as the process and details are laid out-- this is something that we’ve never done before! Assume good will in one another, hope and pray for the best outcome, and lovingly correct with grace and gentleness if it should come to that.
To be completely transparent: at this time, I do not see myself as the long term solution for MERCYhouse. While Kaitlyn and I feel incredibly called to this transitional season, God will have to further clarify His calling on our lives if and when the time comes to extend our time here. This is not to say that we have ruled it out, for who are we to stand in the way of God’s will? But we believe that it is critical for the church to spend these next two years focusing on repairing relationships and furthering the mission, and not on the vetting of me as the lead pastor. My focus then, for my time serving in the interim, is not to position myself for the long term role of lead pastor; it’s to help our church grow toward a healthy place where we can make decisions together as one body for the future of our church.
Final Thoughts
Church will never be finished until Jesus returns. We will never be “done working on” or growing as a church family until Christ returns to complete His work in us. Additionally, there are no “problem people” or challenging individuals that must be “dealt with”-- as a leader and shepherd in the church, our job is to tend to and take care of the flock. We lay our lives down, like Christ, in service to the spiritual wellbeing of the members of this church. “Messiness” is the entirety of our ministry, and to be in a messy church is to be in The Church.
If you are hurt… please know that we (as leaders) want to hear from you. We want to acknowledge your pain, and to whatever degree is possible, take ownership as leaders in the church for ways that you’ve been hurt or wronged. While we understand that complete reconciliation is going to be between the offended and offender, we hope that in whatever part possible, we (as leaders) can contribute to the healing process for you.
Ultimately, I have great hope that God will show his incredible jealousy for His Bride, the Church which will result in fruitful sanctification and healing in this next season. Our greatest hope is that Christ is both the cornerstone and the builder of our church. May His grace and mercy continue to hold this household together.
I may not know each of you but I look forward to meeting you, hearing from you, and doing life with you.
1 John 3:16
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
In the Gentleness and Humility of Christ,
Tommy Moore
Director of Teaching and Ministry
tommy@mercyhouse365.org
