Not a good month for goodbyes.

[shirenomad]

We've already had the recent layoffs at the company (for those who didn't get the news, I survived them). Now I've had to follow them up with two more unfortunate departures.

The first is Mark Roberts, senior pastor of my church for the past 16 years. Early this year he started getting divine nudges, as it were, in the direction of a ministry in Texas, and after some serious prayer and much discussion with staff and family, he's announced his decision to depart at the end of September. We'll have a transitionary period with one or more interim pastors while we find a more permanent replacement; Presbyterian rules prevent "promoting" from within, to keep things from getting insular, so it'll be a complete newcomer. In the meantime, Mark's been focusing his sermons on appropriate topics to prepare us. He'll be missed around here.

The second is one of my old bosses, Sunny Ching. Yes, this boss. As mentioned in that post (and in other posts with the same tag), I hated his management style but still considered him a friend, and some part of me wanted him to succeed at his dream despite everything. ...That's not going to happen now. He recently had a stroke and never recovered. Rest in peace.

Comments

[surgo.livejournal.com]

I hadn't realized you were Presbyterian...

The minister family of the Presbyterian church that my family belongs to are two of the people I respect most in life.

[shirenomad]

Actually, I'm non-denominational (with low church leanings). I picked a Presbyterian church here not because it was Presbyterian but because I felt most comfortable among the members of that church in particular; before I moved, I attended a Baptist church.

[chubbypanda.livejournal.com]

Poor guy. That really sucks.