Congratulations once again to Bishop-Elect Julie Schneider-Thomas! I continue to hold her and her family, as well as our synod, in my prayers.
In When God Speaks through Change, my book on preaching and transition, I distinguish between change and transition. Change is situational; situations arise that change the congregation. Change is neutral. A change can either be good or bad and is often a bit of both. A congregation’s—or synod’s—success at responding to any change ultimately depends upon the congregation’s claiming a new identity and adapting new ways of being in response to the situation. Congregational transition is the process of reshaping the congregation’s faith foundation, identity, and ways of being in response to change that results from a new situation.
Making things overly simple, transitions include an ending, a liminal strand or in-between time, and a new beginning. Israel left Egypt, wandered in the wilderness, and entered Canaan. Jesus died on the cross, was in the tomb for three days, and rose to new life. Except members of a congregation are never all in the same place at the same time. So it is helpful to think of these phases as threads woven together to form a tapestry, not as chapters of a book. These phases do not occur separately; they often go on at the same time.
Change and transition cause people of faith to experience two types of crises: Crises of understanding occur when people question the existence, identity, and nature of God. Crises of decision arise when people do not know how to respond to a situation or issue with which they are unavoidably confronted because people do not have time to consider their response, when the way people want to respond conflicts with the way they know or are told they should respond, or when people are confronted with circumstances unlike anything they have previously experienced and there is no precedent to guide them. How we respond to change and transition reveals who we are as people of faith.
Pastoral transitions are always a blessing for some and a death for others. Most experts agree that pastoral transitions are more akin to divorce. Perhaps this is why pastors in the call process frequently report that they feel like they are “cheating on” or “being unfaithful to” their current congregation. Even when divorces are the right thing, the best option, amicable, there is inevitably brokenness and pain. The common thread that bound pastor and congregation together, unravels and stretches out in different directions as the congregation’s transition and the pastor’s transition are no longer the same journey.
In my last three Bishop’s Newsletter articles, I am going to reflect on the three phases of transition – ending, liminal strand, and new beginning – in the hope that when these things occur, they won’t catch us by surprise. As the common thread that bound my ministry as bishop and this synod together unravels and stretches out, I’ll also be writing about my own transition. Those articles will appear in a new monthly newsletter launching July 1. You can subscribe to it here: https://mailchi.mp/4248d9b60693/sign-up-for-emails-from-craig
Ending is the time for letting go of the old ways, the old relationships, and the old identity people had. The problem, of course, is that we don’t like endings. So this is the time when we need to deal with, and we need to help others deal with, grief. We do this by honestly naming what is ending.
My ministry as bishop ends August 31, 2025. In a way, my ministry as bishop ended at synod assembly in the same way pastors’ ministries end the day they announce they accepted a new call. I choose to relinquish this Office deliberately over the remaining 77 days rather than run full steam ahead and suddenly stop on September 1. Maintaining healthy and appropriate boundaries is an expectation for all rostered ministers, including former bishops. We are not to seek roles in the very ministries we relinquished, provide unsolicited critique and direction, and share outdated information to advance our own status at the expense of the called leader. Even when we may feel that our intentions are good, we are actually harming the ministry we loved and served.
I told the assembly that I will disappear for a time and exercise a ministry of absence from this synod. I am not dropping off the face of the Earth. Cathy and I will remain in Michigan; however I have asked Synod Council to place me on the “retired” roster so that I can transfer to the roster of another synod while maintaining our home here.
I do not know what else is ending in our synod. Even if I did, it is not my place to share. I know that things will not end as clearly as my ministry will end on September 1. Please, when endings come, understand they are an inevitable part of this journey of transition. If these endings cause you to grieve, please find safe and appropriate ways to express your grief. And cling to the promise that Jesus brings, is bringing, and will bring life out of death.
The peace of Christ be with you always!
The Rev. Craig Alan Satterlee, Ph.D., Bishop
While I reflect on the synod’s time of transition in these articles, I reflect on my personal time of transition in my Notes from the Doc(k) newsletter series. To receive those, join my email list!