Dear Friends,
After careful reflection, I have decided not to continue as your Director of Religious Education at SUUS. I was hired temporarily—already five years ago! —to fill a staffing void. I believe my tenure has been mutually beneficial. It has provided stability to the Religious Education program (and indeed the entire church), and at the same time has allowed me some outlets to develop creatively in the service of SUUS, from music to writing to video to teaching, for which I am very grateful.
After investing five years in my role as director of religious education, I’ve accomplished what needed to be done to help stabilize the church during a period of significant transition. As we continue to grow, now one of the programs needing restructuring is mine, Religious Education. There is increasing responsibility to modernize the structures and processes that keep us positioned to accommodate new vision, and ultimately new members. It is going to take a lot of energy and effort, but at this point in my life (I turn fifty in October), I am increasingly yearning to focus my energy elsewhere. I love to write and compose music, and I want to selfishly spend more dedicated head space pursuing these interests in the service of me! before I get any older. I left the New London DRE job for the same reasons six years ago but put it all on hold to help SUUS.
This is an inflection point for us, a fitting moment for me to step down for you to find someone new to help the church and the Religious Education program progress to the fruitful future it deserves. If you are sad, don’t be. I am not going anywhere, nor is my family. I plan to teach in the RE program in the fall and beyond. Also, now I have an opportunity to become a member of SUUS. You will see me around, just in a different role now. Thank you for your support over the past five years and thank you for allowing me to minister to you in the ways that I have.
Warmly,