Thank you, Pastor Mark

I don’t know if you know this, but for the past five years, Pastor Mark and I have regularly played hooky from work. Every Tuesday the two of us would sneak out after lunch and meet over- what else- a fresh cup of coffee. There in that familiar restaurant we would talk about the coming week, or imagine the future of St. Mark, or talk about those aspects of ministry that I wanted to learn more about. On occasion, the conversation would drift to the latest iPhone or news about our families. More than once, I am fairly certain the volume of our laughter cleared out what remained of the lunch crowd. I hope you will forgive us for skipping out of the office so much. To be fair, we did talk about St. Mark at least 80% of the time.

Recently, Pastor Mark and I sat down for one last meeting, although our place of escape this time was the conference table at church. We left the confines of our houses in lockdown to sit on either side of that 12-foot long table, fresh coffee in hand. He asked me to come with any lingering questions about his role as Senior Pastor. Though I had a few, I was surprised that I wasn’t able to come up with an entire list of inquiries. It isn’t that I’m not curious; rather, it’s because we have talked openly for five years about our roles as your pastors, and almost every topic you can think of has been broached. I have been able to learn firsthand from him simply through the way we have worked together.

It has been an absolute dream to work alongside Pastor Mark for these five years. Even though he has been the one in charge, it has been a true partnership. I have always had a voice at the table. When I first arrived, I was asked to sit in on meetings for the capital campaign in 2016. Plans were well underway when I arrived. It would have been understandable if I had been asked to simply focus on all the new responsibilities I had as your new associate pastor. Instead, Pastor Mark invited me to be a part of that team in addition to my other work.

I could take you to the Common Grounds Café and brag about all the little details that were my idea, but that’s beside the point. The trust Pastor Mark gave me then, and in many other moments of decision since, was about far more than simply bouncing an idea off of one more person. It had to do with Pastor Mark’s understanding of leadership. It’s one of the reasons our staff works so well together. We truly have been a team, not simply a staff to support the vision of one person. The collaborative nature of our working relationship has cultivated in me a better sense of what it means to lead a congregation. I have learned so much from our time together, and I will miss the leadership and partnership that he and I have had.

Thank you, Pastor Mark, for the wonderful ministry you have had at St. Mark. The many years of dedication you have had in this place have left us all stronger, healthier, and more optimistic than ever before. I pray that we always remember the lessons you have taught us.

Peace, 

Pastor Chad McKenna