If you were not able to attend the congregational meeting on May 14th, I read the following to address the future ministry of Centre Presbyterian Church. It is my hope and prayer that you will join the rest of the congregation to be united in this time of prayer and discernment.

“I’ve asked the Elders to call this congregational meeting to inform you, that after a long period of reflection and prayer, Cyndie and I are believing that God is making it abundantly clear to us that our time at Centre is drawing to a close. I have informed the Elders that I will be stepping down as a pastor of Centre Presbyterian Church on December 31, 2023. Cyndie and I have not made this decision lightly, nor have we been influenced by anyone on the Session or among the members of the congregation or staff. We have been grateful to God for our time in serving you these last three decades and we love each of you dearly! 

The planning of this announcement began five years ago when the Session started to discuss issues regarding the future of the Church’s ministry. Our congregation is facing rapid change in the demographics of our community. Those changes have introduced new challenges to the congregation’s ministry. When I accepted the call to become pastor in August 1994, Centre was a rural congregation with little idea of the growth and changes we have seen and experienced as a congregation. As the Session prayed and considered these dynamics, your Elders felt led by God to begin a search for an Associate to help the congregation in transitioning to accommodate the opportunities we are experiencing. I am so very grateful to you for supporting that leadership decision and extending a call to Logan Keck three years ago.

When this congregation called Logan as our Associate Pastor, it was the Session's hope, as well as mine, that Logan would be my successor as Pastor.  My time working with Logan has only confirmed my conviction that he is a faithful steward of God’s Word in preaching. He also has a tender pastor’s heart for you as God’s people. It remains my hope and the hope of your Elders, that Logan will be your next pastor. Logan has expressed a desire to fill that role of Pastor as well. However, this decision cannot be made by me, as your pastor, or the Elders of this Congregation. This decision must be made by you as a congregation collectively. 

There is a constitutional process each Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation must follow to call a Pastor, even one who serves presently as an Associate Pastor. The Book of Order requires that the Congregation select a Pastor Search Committee, even when there is the expectation that an Associate Pastor would succeed the present Pastor.  So, the Elders are calling another congregational meeting in two (2) weeks on May 28th. The purpose of the called meeting is to fulfill the requirement of the Congregation to form the Search Committee. This Search Committee will be charged to work with the Ministerial Committee of the Presbytery of Central Carolinas in extending a call to the new Pastor. It is time to be united in prayer asking God to guide and lead all of you as members of his body – the Church. I will now call on Jim Toole who serves as your Clerk of the Session to explain this process and answer any of your questions.”

If you do have any questions, you are welcome to talk with Jim Toole to further explain the next steps in this transition for your ministry as members of Centre Presbyterian Church. With a full heart of love and devotion to you Cyndie and I will be available to talk and pray with you over these next months.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Howard, Pastor

Centre Presbyterian Church