One Year as Your Pastor
Today marks one year since RCC welcomed me to serve as her pastor. Of course, I am no stranger here. This was my home church until the age of 12. At age 21, I returned, welcomed by Pastor Scott Aiken and RCC as a Summer intern for my pastoral studies. The following Winter I was brought on staff as assistant pastor, later becoming associate pastor, and then serving in an interim capacity after Pastor Scott’s retirement – a period covering about eight years from intern to interim.
Even so, the past twelve months have been different than everything that has preceded. Now speaking to you directly, my precious church family, I thought I might share some reflections on my experience this past year as your pastor:
I am struck with profound gratitude for the way in which you have embodied peace. So much of ministry training is filled with anecdotes of church conflicts that pastors need to prepare themselves for. You have defied so many of my fears! I see so much of Jesus Christ in you as you carry yourselves with his love and grace. I’m likewise grateful for Pastor Scott’s ministry and how God used him to help shape the culture of our community into a place of such peace.
I have learned all the more that I would be half the man I am, and half the pastor I am, without Sara’s love, support, and giftings. It makes me so glad to see the way in which you all love and support her, not taking advantage of her as my wife. Along the same lines, your love for my son brings me the same gladness (it’s not easy being a PK!).
Before stepping into this role, I didn’t bear the central responsibility in shepherding you all. It’s a weight that can feel heavy at times – wrestling when I should act and when I shouldn’t act, when I should speak and when I shouldn’t speak. It breaks my heart when I see one of us wandering away from the faith. It makes me wonder if I came up short in some way. When I act, when I speak, I want you to know, more than anything, that I come to you as your servant in Christ, not as your judge or boss. I come to offer guidance to the Way of Christ, if you will follow.
I have known for awhile that I need to hold strategies and plans loosely, but knowing and embracing that reality are two very different things. God has helped me to embrace this reality and to acknowledge that he is working in all things, even in the imperfections. Given my perfectionist tendencies, this has been a massive step!
God has shown me that it is better to empower others, rather than trying to do everything myself. The church is stronger when everyone is exercising their gifts and it’d be pastoral malpractice for me to get in the way of that. Along these lines, God has been teaching me to let go and let others handle as much as they are able.
I have realized that the person I need to be working on the most is me. There are a couple truths that have helped me recognize this. First, I’m really very limited in my ability to change others. We all are. This is all the more true as it concerns following Jesus – for that, we all need the Holy Spirit to perform his daily heart surgery on us. I’m the person most responsible and best positioned to work on changes in my life. The second truth which follows is that there is work to be done! I now see more areas in which I need growth. Jesus and Paul make it clear through their examples that Christian leadership is simply that – leading by example. I hope by growing into the man and pastor I am supposed to be I’ll give you an example worth following.
The course of this year has brought some sorrows, but I have no complaints. I’m honored to be where I am, to participate in advancing the Gospel in Scituate in this time and place. I praise God for his goodness and blessing me with a church family like you!
Rev. Tom Loghry
Tom Loghry is the senior pastor of Rockland Community Church in North, Scituate, RI. He is a graduate of the Berkshire Institute for Christian Studies, Toccoa Falls College (B.S. Pastoral Ministry), and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.A. Theology). He is continuing his graduate studies in the area of “Ethics & Society” at GCTS.
Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.