Leadership Thought: A Rescinded Letter of Resignation I Wrote to a Church Three Decades Ago.

Dear Friends

One of the challenges of producing a daily “Leadership Thought” is sometimes you wake up and you are just not sure of a subject or topic to share. This morning was one of those mornings. I  sat at my computer wondering what to write, and then suddenly out of nowhere the word endurance came to mind.

Endurance has played a key part in my life whether in teaching, coaching, or pastoring, and yes, even in marriage. I went to my file cabinet and pulled out a folder with articles I had saved on the subject. Among those articles was something that I had written to a church in 1990- July 22^nd to be exact. As I began to read the letter, I was overcome with feelings of love and gratitude for the people to whom I wrote this letter.

I share this letter for anyone who, like I was and who might be going through a rough patch in your life, and who might need to find the hope and endurance needed to “keep on keeping on.” I share my letter

 Dear Friends and Members,  

"On my wall hangs a portrait of a runner, approaching a long and steady incline that would pose a challenge for any runner. The caption reads, “The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running.”

"The ministry is more like a marathon than a 100-yard dash. Most everyone can run 100 yards, (some a lot faster than others) but not everyone can run a marathon. The key to running a successful marathon, is more dependent on endurance than on speed. This analogy surfaced in my mind before I walked into our special session meeting last Monday night."

"As most of you know, I had left for vacation, having submitted my resignation. I have since learned why it is an unwritten rule that no pastor should ever suddenly resign on a Monday, after a staff or session meeting or before a vacation."

"I was tired and discouraged.  For two months, I seriously questioned whether I had the creative energy, enthusiasm, and endurance to lead this church. These qualities, along with vision, have always been characteristic traits of my ministry. They were gone. I was empty and I couldn’t seem to catch my second wind, The hills stretched out before me were steeper and more daunting. I was spent and I couldn’t catch my second wind. I had become a passive leader, and I knew that a passive leader was not what the church needed or deserved."

"In retrospect, I realized I had viewed my ministry as more of 100-yard dash that a marathon. I hadn’t paced myself, and quite frankly, I didn’t feel I had enough within to finish the race. However, a short vacation provided me with a new perspective. I spent two days by myself at a spiritual retreat center, and I read a book by Tim Hansel, You ‘Gotta’ Keep ‘Dancin, and this book and the 13 pages of legal pad notes that I recorded from my reading provided me with a fresh perspective on my ministry That weekend provided a time of spiritual restoration, something that I so desperately needed."

"The multitude of cards, letters, and phone calls I received over the course of the last five weeks, as well as the petition, signed by so many of you urging me to reconsider my decision, provided the most encouraging affirmation I have ever experienced in  20+ years of ministry. Your encouragement and affirmation were like a runner’s tailwind, adding strength to my weary legs, and oxygen to my gasping lungs. Knowing that so many of you were meeting, both formally and informally to pray regarding my decision, provided a piece that was clearly supernatural in nature."

"After returning from my retreat, I had the following impression clearly imprinted on my mind- ‘If I am convinced that God has called me to this church, and I am, and if I have not been clearly convinced that God is leading me away from this church, then could that not be a sign that He desires me to remain."

"At last Monday night’s session meeting, I shared my intention to use the next six months to determine if I might experience the kind of restoration and renewal I needed and that were a necessary requisite for effective leadership. After a wonderful time of sharing our thoughts and perspectives on ministry together, the session affirmed my decision to continue as your pastor."

"In closing, let me thank you for your tremendous support an affirmation during these last few weeks. You’re many letters and expressions of love, and concern have meant more to me than you could ever imagine. They provided the physical and spiritual energy that would be on the necessary requisites for effective leadership. After a wonderful time of sharing our thoughts and perspectives on ministry together, the session affirmed my decision to continue as your pastor."

"In closing, let me thank you for your tremendous support and affirmation during these last few weeks. Your many letters and expressions of love, support and encouragement meant more to me than you could ever imagine. They helped provide me a second wind. They lengthened my stride and quickened my spirit."

"May we continue to pray for one another and may each one of us be reminded that the race is not always to the swift, but to the one who keeps on running. And above all, “Let each of us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (and let us) not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 12:2–3 NIV)."

Yours in ministry,

Pastor Tom

P.S. A few years ago I came across Tim Hansel’s book and rediscovered inside the book the 13 pages of hand written notes I had taken while on my retreat 32 years ago, and today they remain as a constant reminder that it is not always the most fleet of foot that wins the race, but the one who is the prodder, who endures and refuses to quit because he knows that “slow and steady wins the race.”