As you may know, Bill Bagwell has announced his intention to retire in June. What a blessing he and Sue have been to Pittman Park!  As we get closer to the summer, there will be opportunities to express our love for them and our appreciation for their service at Pittman Park these past nine years.

Because of Bill’s retirement plans, the Staff Parish Committee and Church Council re-examined pastoral staffing last fall. Few churches our size have two appointed elders as we have now, and we believed it was very unlikely for the bishop to appoint two going forward. After discussion and prayer, the groups voted unanimously to request only one appointment in 2022. This decision will allow more flexibility in staffing and budget to live into our mission of making faithful followers of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Making this decision also gives us time to plan. The Council voted separately to encourage broad discussion about what this change will mean for Pittman Park. Some decisions may unfold over a period of several months or years, but one that we will need to make soon concerns the timing of worship services. One pastor will mean that we cannot have two services running at the same time. I ask you to prayerfully consider what this change will mean and to participate in discussions that the Council will host in February.

The first meeting of the 2022 Church Council will be Monday, January 24 at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will not be making a decision about the timing of services at this meeting, but will finalize the process for seeking feedback from the Pittman Park community. Like every meeting of the Church Council, all are welcome. Please join us if you would like to have input even in this preliminary stage.

I look forward to what God will continue to do at Pittman Park!

Yours in Christ,

Chris Caplinger, chair
2022 Church Council