‘The Storm is Passing Over’
thegavoice.comWhen I was in seminary, I worked at my home church, the same church where I grew up. One spring Sunday, our young, dynamic, community-focused pastor shared that she would be departing from our church – and entering the business world as an entrepreneur.
It was a shock, but we are United Methodist, and from time to time, pastors move. But this pastor was particularly beloved, incredibly gifted, talented, and creative.
So our hearts were heavy that day as we pondered life without her in our church. The choir sang a gospel standard as she finished her message: “The Storm is Passing Over.” For me, there was a squall of grief, tears, and then, following some deep breaths, a sense of acceptance.
I learned later that our pastor was leaving our congregation but not entirely leaving the ministry. She was leaving The United Methodist Church to start a coffee shop and also to plant a new church in that coffee shop that would be connected to another denomination where she could be more open about her sexuality.
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