U Matters - 25 Oct 2018 | U Matters

U Matters - 25 Oct 2018

by Greg Anderson on October 25, 2018

"For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

To those of you who missed church last Sunday, this is the announcement I made:

"Today, I sadly announce that my season as Senior Pastor of Union Church is coming to an end. In consultation with the Joint Leaders, it has been decided that I will finish my time at Union on 31 December 2018. I am entering into a new season of life with some major family health challenges that make it difficult to give the sort of guidance and energy that Union needs.

Thank you, the congregation, for the honour and privilege of allowing Holly and me to serve Christ in the capacity for which we have found ourselves these last 11 plus years."

I cannot tell you how touched I was by your words to me following the announcement. Particularly poignant were the comments from the ten or twelve couples who mentioned I married them and reminded me that I baptised their children. The fact that several of you mentioned you came to faith during one of my sermons made me rejoice in the “foolishness of preaching.” We have a new location and soon you will have a new pastor, but we have the same Lord who will lead as faithfully into the future as he has in the past.

Gratefully,
Pastor Greg

With the announcement that Pastor Greg will be leaving at the end of this year, the Joint Leaders want to share our acknowledgement and appreciation of Greg’s service as Senior Pastor during the past 11 years of tremendous growth at Union Church. During the last 11 years with Pastor Greg, attendance at Union has sustainably increased year-on-year. Even the move from 22A to Sunlight Tower, which is one of the most ambitious endeavors in the church’s history, has been a great success. During this time, attendance, giving, mid-week activities, and small group participation all remained strong. So strong that we’re now bursting at the seams! We’ve also been able to grow our staff, including both ministry and support staff, allowing us to increase the church’s ministry reach and quality over the past 11 years.

As Pastor Greg brings to a close his 11 years as Senior Pastor, we also recognize the work that is still ahead for his replacement and the church staff and congregation. Over the coming few years, Union will be working through the complex and ambitious redevelopment of our Kennedy Road home and the move back to Kennedy Road from our temporary home in Sunlight Tower. We must also deal with ways to enable growth in Sunlight Tower even as we’re already pushing the limits of our sanctuary and classroom space. To do all this and more, we need to be investing this time into our search for the best possible replacement for Pastor Greg and into continuing to build up our staff and leaders to be the best possible people to help Union navigate these and other challenges. The search for a new Senior Pastor will be kicking off shortly and we’ll keep all of you informed about the progress.

As Pastor Greg’s time at Union comes to a close, we thank him and wish him the best of God’s spiritual gifts. Please join us over the next two months in times to celebrate Pastor Greg’s contribution to Union and his personal relationships. Please join us in praying for Greg and his family as they finish their time serving Union Church.

from
The Union Church Joint Leaders

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About the Author

Greg Anderson

Greg Anderson joined Union as Senior Pastor in January 2007. He has served churches in England and in the US and has taught at Wheaton College. He has degrees from Wheaton, Princeton Seminary, Yale University, and the University of Minnesota. Greg has been married to and besotted by Holly for 29 years. They have four children: Lindsey a chemical engineer in Boston, Andrew a banker in London, Jamie an actor in LA, and John a student at Hong Kong University. Greg has a passion for preaching, evangelism, teaching, church growth, and equipping people for ministry in the marketplace. He gets teased for quoting C S Lewis too often and having a staff so stunning that people wonder what there is left for him to do. He collects and even reads books, watches baseball on the internet, and thanks God daily for the opportunity to serve with such an amazing congregation.