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CALL DECLINED FROM KRISTOPHER MORRIS
We received word from Pastor Morris that he is declining the Call to serve as Pastor at Word of Life. We ask that you would keep Word of Life in your prayers as we earnestly seek our next pastor. We will continue to wait on the Lord as he continues to provide for our congregation.
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Please see the note below from Pastor Morris.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Word of Life,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
First, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for the confidence you expressed by extending to me the Divine Call to serve as your pastor. To be considered by a congregation of God’s people is a profound honor—one that I have never taken lightly. Throughout this call process, my family and I have remembered you often in our prayers, asking our gracious Lord to guide both your congregation and our family according to His perfect will.
I would also like to offer a sincere apology for the length of time it has taken me to reach this decision. Ordinarily, I endeavor to complete the deliberation process more quickly. However, this season has been unique in that I was prayerfully considering six calls simultaneously. I felt a deep responsibility to give each congregation the careful attention, earnest prayer, and thoughtful consideration that a Divine Call deserves. Thank you for your patience, your graciousness, and your understanding throughout that process.
After much prayer, study of God’s Word, counsel from trusted brothers in the ministry, conversations with my family, and reflection upon the vocations God has entrusted to me as husband, father, son, and pastor, I have accepted a call to serve another congregation.
One of the most significant factors leading us to this decision is that the congregation is in the very same community where both mine and Sheri’s aging parents live, along with nearly all of our extended family. We have come to believe that the Lord is calling us into a season where my pastoral vocation and our familial vocations can be lived out together. The opportunity to care more intentionally for our parents while continuing to serve Christ’s Church is a gift we simply could not overlook. We believe this is where the Lord is leading us for this particular season of our lives.
The doctrine of the Divine Call has been a great comfort throughout this process. We confess that it is ultimately Christ Himself who calls under shepherds to care for His flock. Congregations extend calls, pastors deliberate, but behind it all stands the Good Shepherd, who promises never to abandon His Church. Because of that promise, I have complete confidence that the Lord who moved your congregation to seek a shepherd has already prepared the man whom He intends to place among you. His timing is never accidental. His wisdom is never lacking. His love for His Church is perfect.
Although I must respectfully decline your call, I do so with genuine affection for your congregation and with great optimism for your future. During this process, I have been encouraged by your faithfulness to God’s Word, your commitment to the Means of Grace, and your desire to carry out Christ’s mission in your community. Those things are not dependent upon one particular pastor but upon the abiding presence of Christ Himself, who continues to build His Church through the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments.
Please continue to pray confidently for the pastor whom the Lord has already chosen, even though his name may not yet be known to you. Pray also for your congregation during this season of waiting, trusting that the Holy Spirit is accomplishing His purposes in ways that are often hidden from our eyes but never outside His gracious care.
Know that my family and I will continue to remember you in our prayers. We ask the Lord to strengthen your congregation in faith, preserve you in the unity of His truth, bless your ministry abundantly, and soon provide you with the faithful shepherd He has prepared for you.
Thank you once again for the extraordinary privilege of being considered for this holy office among you. May the peace of Christ guard your hearts and minds, and may He continue to bless your congregation as you proclaim His saving Gospel until He comes again in glory.
In the Service of Christ and His Church,
Rev. Dr. Kristopher Morris |
