April 15, 2026

Change is Hard.

We don’t like it and we usually have a knee-jerk reaction to it.

But life is full of changes. The challenge is to not only accept them but to see God’s work in them.

A month ago I was a retired pastor who worked part-time at Sojourns Fair Trade in Birmingham.

How time changes!

Today I am an interim pastor at my own church. I quit my job at Sojourns (this Friday is my last day). I have been assigned to serve Oxford First UMC for a year as an interim pastor beginning July 1.

Lots of changes!

And I have seen God at work in all of them and I fully expect to see more of God’s hand in the months to come.

Here are three changes that you will see happening in our church in the next few months:

1)    We are trying to make our office more productive for ministry and for our church community. So, every morning (Monday-Thursday) Traci will be unavailable from 9AM-Noon so that she can get her work done in a timely manner. You are welcome to stop by or call but expect to leave her a message. She will get back to you when she is next available or at noon. Our wonderful morning volunteers will be answering the phones, signing invoices, gathering information, calling church members to recruit volunteers for various church happenings, sending out communications to various church committees and groups, folding/ copying/ proofreading bulletins and providing a smiling face when you stop by. I know I am leaving out a lot of other things they do like water plants around the facility. Please be patient as we adjust to all of these changes.

2)    We are improving the way we communicate with one another and to the community. Our new communications task force will be working closely with Traci, our office volunteers and one another to get the word out about what we are up to at PCFUMC. You may notice a lot of social media posts, changes to our worship cover on our bulletins, and updates to our website among other things. All of these will help alert you to activities that are coming up as well as provide a way for you to reach out and invite others to this community of faith.

3)    We will all be working together to welcome our new pastor, Kanunu Emmanuel Busambwa. If you would like to know more about him, you can check out this article on our Conference website: https://www.umcna.org/postdetail/africa-university-shines-as-beacon-of-hope-for-north-alabama-pastor-19489643. Part of my task as your interim pastor is to help make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone. I know first hand how hard pastoral changes are for the church as well as for the pastors involved. You have to let go and grieve someone who has been our shepherd for several years, including through Covid and disaffiliation. You have to be a truly welcoming congregation and get to know your new pastor while sharing with him who we are as a community of Christ. In the meantime, he has to get to know a new church, a new home, as well as a new community.

Yes, these are a lot of changes. But I fully believe that God is active in each of them. Be willing to embrace these changes and be open to what blessings God has in store for all of us.

Blessings for your week,

Amelia