Till We Meet Again

Administering communion to shut-ins is an
important, often unappreciated, responsibility.

There were many reasons for going to Hawaii this week--to be with older relatives for the Lunar New Year, prepare Mom's tax return, get warm--but none was more important than saying goodbye to Pastor Diane Martinson, who has been rector of my home parish, St. Peter's Episcopal, since 2013.

Being the rector of a church is nearly impossible to do well. One must be an excellent multi-tasker, a "boss" leader when direction is called for, an empathetic listener, an inspirational public speaker to a multi-generational audience, an organizer of volunteers who often can't be relied upon, a regular minister to shut-ins (a duty not widely appreciated), and an upbeat fund-raiser.

One of the few agreed-upon measures of "success" in a religious organization is growth in membership, and while attendance was tentative when she started, growth has accelerated in the past three years. She is leaving us just as she is hitting her stride, but the principal reason is understandable. She is returning to the freezing Midwest to take care of infirm relatives.

I waited in line to talk to her after the service and thanked her for her ministry to my parents and to the church. She said her decision to leave was agonizing but one that she had to make. All one can do at that point in the conversation is to set aside the effect on ourselves and offer her support and best wishes.

Later I spoke to a second cousin who has been on several rector searches. He is not relishing the prospect of trying to replace Pastor Diane. Speaking from experience, I agreed.