By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC
August 1st was my official 10-year mark serving as your superintendent! The time has truly flown by! This milestone invites me to reflect on this past decade. I want to share some of that here and extend this into next month’s article.
First and foremost, I am filled with abundant and far-reaching gratitude. I am thankful for the place this past decade holds among a rich conference legacy since our birth in 1890 as the Swedish Christian Mission Association of the West Coast. As I reflect on that history, I’ve grown increasingly thankful for those who paved the way. Though it is impossible to name everybody here, I would like to mention the two superintendents that came before me – Glenn Palmberg and Mark Novak. They served our region so faithfully and enthusiastically. It’s amazing to think that together we represent 30+ years of conference life; nearly 1/4 of our conference history. Their support and prayers have been a gift.
I also want to name and thank Tom and Donna Moline and for all the PacNWCers that built the rich and beautiful camping culture that is ours today. They set a solid foundation that helped us realize Cascades Camp and Conference Center. It continues to be one of the most impactful things we do together. So many have helped build the camps and have been so generous in praying for and supporting camping financially. I am grateful for Rob Mohrweis and the entire camp staff that leaned in during Covid and today lead this significant ministry with great love and skill. I’m so excited about all the recent announcements from the camp and some exciting news we are eager to share in the coming months.
I am grateful for our 73 churches and our 171 ministers. It’s been a joy to serve our people with previous conference team members (Don Robinson, Kurt Carlson, Krisann Jarvis Foss, Keith Tungseth, and all our contractors!) and our current staff. They have been such a joy and inspiration to work with.
There have been many beautiful and powerful movements of God in our midst this decade. We planted and adopted 19 churches together. We walked through a global pandemic and found new ways to serve our neighbors. We supported each other through transitions and crises. We enthusiastically joined together in our vision to become a mosaic of churches working interdependently together to transform lives and communities. There is so much to celebrate and recognize that I wish we could individually note here. God is good!
I also recognize the challenges of these past ten years. I want to honor the work these churches did prior to closing: Bridge (Salem), Crossroads (Burlington), Disciple (Bellevue), Dundee, Grace (Bremerton), Grace Harbor (Aberdeen), Kaleo (Beaverton), Martha Lake (Lynnwood), Minnehaha (Spokane), Navigate (Billings), Pathways (Boise) and Sunset (Portland). Included are the merger/closures of Bread and Wine (joined First Portland) and Evergreen (joined Encounter). The departures of Graham, Hope (First Everett), Quest (Seattle) and River Ridge (Lacey). I have been saddened to see some ministers leave the ECC and some leave ministry all together.
Our challenges to define and live within our affirmations and agreements have been significant. Even as we continue to lean into the tension, de-escalate emotions and clarify our path forward, I anticipate we will see more losses, despite our most well-meaning and earnest efforts. My hope is that in the losses there will be a mutual spirit of charity and missional clarity and that it would not devolve into divisiveness and anger.
So, as we look forward, what does it mean to be a healthy, disciple-making, kingdom-focused church today? A majority of our churches are still looking at decreased attendance and financial numbers after the pandemic. This is not necessarily a reflection on ministry fruitfulness, but there are certainly significant identified points of tension connected to these post-Covid realities. How do we move forward?
There are no easy answers, but some truths remain clear. I am grateful for God’s protection and for his promises. I am grateful that Jesus promises to build the church and prepare His bride. The Holy Spirit consistently fills the church, leads us forward and empowers us. We know that God is never okay with just leaving us stuck, but is always looking to grow and stretch us. And in this he promises to never leave us or forsake us. These scriptural truths are bedrock. Especially during tumultuous times of challenge and change, these truths are lifelines for us.
So as I reflect on the past 10 years and attempt to see what God might be showing us going forward, I want to introduce some of my observations and stirrings. I list them here for now and I’ll return to them to unpack in next month’s article (Stay tuned!). Here’s my working list:
Conference Family, may we feel the deep satisfaction of communing with and joining God in His renewing work throughout the last 10 years. May we be awash in God’s grace with all the tough stuff and our failures. May God sustain our inner beings with strength and peace for our journey ahead. May God bless the Pacific Northwest Conference as we continue to say “yes” to His invitations to life and mission together!
With a humble and hopeful heart, thank you Conference Family. It has been a joy and privilege to serve you this past decade!