From Pastor to Member: Ron's Abiding Story
A dozen years ago while visiting his daughter and son-in-law in the area, Ron, an ELCA pastor, passed by Abiding Presence while out walking. He wasn’t intentionally looking for a church at the time, but attended a worship service. Seven years ago Ron made the official move to northern Virginia to be near his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.
During that time Ron took a call to serve as the interim pastor at a church that was in the process of closing its doors. “One member,” Ron recalls, “had been a member there since their teenage years and had been on council multiple times.” It takes a great deal of understanding and emotional support for a pastor to shepherd a congregation through that process. Ron said, “Part of the life cycle is an ending for every living thing and it ended as well as it could but it was still an ending.”
This year marks Ron’s 45th anniversary of his ordination. “Church has been part of my life my whole life,” Ron shared. Now that he’s not in a call and not doing what he’s always been doing, he’s looking for what’s next. “I had always been a single pastor or pastor to a multi-point parish of 2 to 3 congregations,” he said. “In that role I had to be my own pastor,” Ron recalls, “so one of the things I really enjoy about Abiding Presence is I just get to go to church and I have 2 pastors!” Ron said, “I really enjoy listening to Pastor Meredith and Pastor Kelsey preach and the insight they bring to the scripture each week.”
Ron has been working on getting to know more people at Abiding Presence by working with the food pantry, attending OWLs events, and the recent Rise Against Hunger meal packing event. “I appreciate getting to know people and putting names to faces,” he said. “Building community is important to me as these are going to be my friends and the people I turn to when I need them,” Ron shared. “I’ve seen that this church makes a real difference in the world and the gospel proclamation turns into a response as the pastors help us live out our faith,” he said. Ron shared, “I’ve been a pastor my whole life and now I’m finally experiencing what it means to be a member.”