A Moment With Pastor Fred

1 Chron 12:32, Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. In ancient Israel there were some noble men who made a difference. They took risks and had discernment. They understood what was happening and acted divisively on it.

Today is a wonderful moment in the history of HBC. Anthony Lange is our candidate to be our next pastor. Most often when there’s such a transition the former pastor has left. The church ploughs through months if not years of uncertainty. Our leadership has been strategic (like the men of Issachar) about such a transition. We believe it best to bring in someone to share ministry with me for a time before assuming my role. If called, Anthony would begin his ministry in January 2026, as he and I would share pastoral responsibilities for 15 months until my semi-retirement in April 2027.  

Our model in this transition is biblical. Paul passed the baton to Timothy and to a new generation (however, I’m not planning to be martyred!). Anthony will answer questions next Sunday from 9-10:15 am. Note time difference. He will preach again next Sunday at 10:30am. Following next week’s service, we will conduct a special business meeting to vote on Anthony. That meeting will begin with a time for questions. The rationale behind next Sunday is we believe most of our membership will be present to hear him. We need a quorum to have this meeting. Leadership feels postponing another week might jeopardize reaching a quorum with summer vacations beginning.

This is an exciting time for our congregation. Continue to pray for the Langes too during this time. Again, if you have questions feel free to speak to Anthony or one of the pulpit committee members.