Called!

Dear Friends in Christ,

I cannot tell you how excited I am—and how excited my wife and children were—to experience worship with you on August 17th, and to continue in my ability to remain “called” as your pastor. My role has now shifted from Transitional Pastor to Stated Supply Pastor.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) defines a Stated Supply Pastor as a temporary position within a congregation. However, the rules recently changed to allow a congregation to call a Stated Supply Pastor for up to three years at a time. Sneads Ferry Presbyterian Church and I have entered into such a position through a three-year contract, which will expire on December 31, 2028. At the end of that contract, discernment can be made as to whether or not to renew the contract for another stated period of up to three years. There are no denominational limits as to how many times this contract can be renewed, though it must always be reviewed and approved by the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina East Commission on Ministry.

I want to emphasize that churches do not “hire” pastors. Pastors—and staff—are called to serve God and congregations in a variety of roles. A valid call must be trifold in nature: personal discernment, corporate discernment, and leadership discernment.

• I needed to discern God’s call for me to serve this congregation.

• The leadership of the church needed to discern that I was called.

• Finally, the congregation needed to discern and validate that I am called to serve God and you faithfully.

If any of these three parts of the call are not positive, then the call does not work.

I want to return to something I first shared with you when I was called to be your Transitional Pastor in August 2022. Back in the spring of 1997, God revealed to me a vision and mission statement for my ministry—one that continues to guide me today.

My vision is: Listening, Learning, and Linking to God and Neighbor.

This is the short version of God’s mission statement for me, which exists so that I can fulfill The Great Commission, undergirded by The Great Commandment. I am committed to first listening to God, then learning and discerning what God is up to, and finally linking myself accordingly so that I can join God in the kingdom work going on in and around me—loving people into relationship with Christ Jesus.

If I do this well, I will be making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey the word and way of Jesus Christ (The Great Commission — Matthew 28:18–20). But I can only fulfill the Great Commission rightly if it is undergirded by The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36–40): to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. In other words, it is all about agape—love.

I covet your prayers and long for our teamwork to grow as we Move in the Rhythm of Christ. We are healthy when we worship and work together. No one enters the kingdom of God alone—we enter only through Christ, who is made known through the body of believers.

May God richly bless us all, and may others be blessed through us, as we Move in the Rhythm of Christ and Grow in the Rhythm as well.

In Christ,

Your Pastor,

Rev. Dr. Steve Fitzgerald