To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Yes, I agree with “The Teacher” of Ecclesiastes; there absolutely are seasons in our lives, and times for every purpose under heaven. Or, as one translation phrases the idea, “For everything there is an appointed time…”

I have felt this very profoundly over the past year, as both my parents have transitioned from this life into eternity. This is why Rebekah and I took our deliberate long pause at the end of October, exiting chronos for a while, and exploring a couple of weeks of kairos time on a cruise, ungoverned by any sense of fixed schedule.

But now, with the wide-open opportunity to engage with whatever presents itself, and without any obligation or necessity other than to heed God’s calling within us, we have committed to a new adventure in a new place with some good people who have asked Rebekah to walk with them through the next chapter of their journey as a church.

Tarboro, NC:

And so… drumroll, please…. we are (temporarily) relocating “Maul-Hall” sixty-five miles east to Tarboro, beginning the week after Thanksgiving. We plan to spend Advent, Christmas, and then 2024 with the worshipping community at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church as Rebekah helps them move into their future as a vibrant, faithful, purposeful witness to the Good News of Jesus!

Rebekah has been talking with the search team for a few weeks now, and they have proved to be enthusiastic and persuasive advocates for getting her on board!

This past Sunday HMPC made the official announcement, we had lunch with some of the church leaders, and we gave two thumbs up to the house we will be calling home for the coming year.

We will not be mothballing Maul-Hall, as we do plan to be in and out of Wake Forest to keep on top of things. But – and this is deeply important – both of us believe effective ministry is exponentially more likely when a preacher both lives in and actively loves the community where he or she serves.

Look for more on our new town once we get over there, but it looks to be a really cool community, full with wonderful people.

My “2-cents” for preacher search teams:

My amazing mother-in-law, Nell Alexander, told me I would have the best possible experience as a preacher’s spouse if I always remembered the following: “Love the Lord,” she said, “love the preacher, and love the church (the people).” Today, after 44 years of experience, I would definitely add the following: “Love the community.”

I honestly don’t know how we could even begin to do all that if Rebekah was commuting. And I don’t know how Rebekah could do what she does if I didn’t love the church she served too.

So please pray for us on our new adventure. And pray for the church, too, that the good people of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church continue to grow in the love and the light and the grace and the knowledge and the purposes of God.

In love, and because of love – DEREK