Michael Schulte Farewell

/by

Friends,

Sunday, May 15 will be my last day serving as the Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Church. It has been a joy to serve this church the past three years, and I will always be thankful for the relationships we have built and the ways in which this church has supported my development as a congregational leader. I will be a better pastor to future congregations because of you.

Together we have navigated a global pandemic by implementing online worship. We have increased participation in our youth ministry program and hosted a speaker series which brought religious scholars to Lebanon to discuss pressing issues in the field.

Beginning June 1, I will undertake a year-long internship at the Dwelling in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Dwelling is a congregational partnership between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Moravian Church. The Dwelling is unique because it is a congregation composed of people experiencing homelessness.

After my year-long stint at the Dwelling, I will appear before the Candidacy Committee seeking to be approved for ordained ministry in the ELCA. If approved, I will be allowed to enter the first-call process and begin interviewing with churches. Once I receive a call from a congregation, I will be ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA. Because I am a member of Faith Lutheran Church, it is possible that my ordination service will take place right here in Lebanon. Regardless, I will be sure to provide First Presbyterian with updates concerning my ordination.

In the meantime, I would appreciate your continued prayers as I transition to North Carolina and continue to discern God’s call for my life.

In closing, like Paul in Philippians, I thank [God] every time I remember you. In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that [God] who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Thank you for your partnership in ministry. I pray that you will always remember that God’s grace is for you!

Michael