...what has been going on for the last 5 weeks. The reason why we desperately needed a vacation and the reason for my silence and withdrawal from many arenas.
On August 20th our pastors informed my husband and I that we were removed from our job of Missions Coordinator. The reason given in that meeting was cited as "philosophical differences" which they did not expound on at the time.
So, this is the letter we e-mailed to everyone that after the announcement was made to the church on September 13th:
Beloved Friends and Family, I begin this letter by calling you all beloved because that is what you have been to us. All of you in some way have supported us over the last four or more years. You have fed us when we were hungry and housed us when we were homeless. Many of you have prayed for us earnestly. Some of you have helped us with monthly needs, and others have helped us travel to more than 10 countries (some of them numerous times). In one way or another, all of you have walked with us as we have sought help Hillside Community Church fulfill its vision by meeting the needs of the congregation at home and missionaries abroad. Through it all, you have provided us with an example of the body of Christ functioning with all of its different parts. For this, we are eternally grateful. While our gratitude will last forever, we have always known that our time at Hillside wouldn’t. I used to wonder what would take us away from our role at Hillside as it was the best job I could have imagined. There is nothing quite like getting paid to do what you love to do. Throughout all of my time at Hillside, I never wanted to be anywhere else. This is one reason why my heart aches as I write this letter. Our time of serving at Hillside in an official capacity has come to an end, yet I still cannot think of anywhere else I would rather be. While this decision was quite sudden and painful, we nonetheless keep our trust in the sovereign Lord who indeed knows for what it is that He draws us away. While we do not know what our future holds, we rest in Him and exult in His ever felt company. We realize that this letter provides you with very little information about our situation. We hope to communicate more with you in the future especially as we begin to turn the page and continue on to the next chapter in our life. In the meantime, please receive our sincere thank you and know that Christ is continuing to make our joy complete even in the most difficult of times. By
His Grace and for His Fame, Jason, Sara, Ruth, and Caedmon
If you've made it this far you may be wondering, "What are those perspectives and philosophical differences?"
Good question.
We are still committed to our church.
We are hurt and confused.
We ask for prayers of wisdom on our part and that we will continue to proclaim His glory until He comes.
Questions?
