Since Easter, we as District Church pastoral staff and leadership have been in discernment about the future of the church and specifically about the East Side community, which we launched last year and which I’ve been pastoring since its inception.
As we’ve been praying over the last few months, we’ve sensed that God is calling Matthew Watson to take over the leadership of the East Side community from me. As you may already know Matthew and his family (wife Lisa and kids Nathan, Elias, and Annelies) moved to DC from Memphis last summer to be our new church planting pastor.
September 7 is the date when my role as East Side pastor will officially come to an end and Matthew’s tenure will begin, and during our service that Sunday we’ll have a special time of prayer and commissioning for Matthew and his family. (If you’re in or around the DC area, you’re welcome to come! 5pm at Miner Elementary School.)
Having had the opportunity to work with Matthew over this last year, and to get to know Lisa and the kids as well, let me just say: I’m so excited to see how God will work in and with and through the Watsons to help The District Church and the East Side parish mature in Christ and in love. God has already used them to grow our community and I have no doubt he’ll continue to do so.
As for me, this frees me up to step into a slightly different role but one which, I think, fits my gifts and passions a little better — I’ll be serving in a church-wide pastoral role focusing on teaching and spiritual formation. We’re still finalizing the exact details, but again, I’m excited for what God is going to bring in this new chapter of The District Church’s life.
There’s more news to come, but I’ll leave it there for now! Please be praying for me and for the Watsons and for the church as we turn another fun page.