The bittersweet announcement

The news is out and most of you have heard. If this is the first time you are hearing or reading this, I pass along my sincerest apologies. I have tendered my resignation at the First Baptist Church of Norwich in order to accept the call to serve as the next pastor of the Central Baptist Church of Westerly, Rhode Island.

My last Sunday here will be on Communion Sunday, March 6, 2011. It will be a bittersweet moment for all of us. Yet I believe that God still has big plans for our church here in Norwich. Just as God led me here twenty five and a half years ago, God will bring new leadership with renewed vision and inspiration. You are a great congregation filled with wonderful people. We have accomplished so much in the last few years. You have a heart for mission and sharing the gospel. You have a heart for the city of Norwich and its people. I think that you will have several candidates lining up waiting for the opportunity to serve alongside you.

Some may say that our success has been due to my leadership. I would like to think that this is partly true. The reality is that you have made everything possible by your willingness to follow God's lead. From the sports ministries to our mission trips, the Sunday School programs and cantatas, it has been your faithfulness and hard work that have made it all happen. That same spirit will bless you and the next pastor as you write the next chapter in the history of our First Baptist Church.

There will never be another Cal Lord. The next Pastor will have their own gifts and skills. He or she will forge new relationships. The next pastor will be there with you to share those special moments. He or she will be there to pray for you and walk you through the sad and lonesome valleys. You will always be in my prayers, especially those of you who I have come to know and love, but it will be their job to minister to your needs. In time you will come to love him or her in the same way you have blessed me.

So I hope we can enjoy the next two months together. Let''s celebrate what God has done. Let's come together and praise the God who gave us life and blessed us as pastor and people. He's not done with us yet. There is still so much to come.

Thank you for blessing me.

Over the next two months I will be sprinkling in some of my favorite memories from our time together. Enjoy and let's thank God for what he has done. It has been wonderful.

Yours in Christ,

Cal