Transitions and change are always hard. When I was a child, I used to get really emotional if I came home from school and my mom had rearranged the living room furniture. As time has gone on, my husband has learned to give me a heads up if he moves furniture around while I’m not at home. It’s silly to get emotional about these things, but there’s a sense of stability and comfort in things as simple as the way furniture is arranged. So, with that, this past Sunday, April 27th, it was announced that my family and I are going to be in a slow transition in the coming year ahead. My husband Ryan and I are both being reappointed to Trinity United Methodist Church in Waverly, IA starting January 1st where we will serve as co-pastors together. I’ll be the lead pastor, and my husband will be the pastor of discipleship. This delayed start gives us the time and space we need to transition to a family of four, another major transition happening in our lives!
As a lifelong Methodist and a UMC Pastor’s Kid, these pastoral transitions are never easy, both on the family and the church. Saying, “yes” to this opportunity was not an easy decision for us. We love our communities, and we have so many friends and support system here. However, we have juggled a lot these last 5 years in the work that we are doing, and we’ve sacrificed so much time with our family, precious time and moments that we’re never going to get back. In reflecting on what our heart’s desires were, we realized we want to move at a slower pace and spend more time parenting and raising our young growing family. In speaking these words out loud to trusted spiritual directors, we knew what transitions needed to happen, despite the tears rolling down our faces. This also gives my husband and I the chance to work in the same organization and both get paid for it, rather than stretched thin among 3-4 different organizations.
While this appointment has been announced, we still have 8 months of ministry together and get to celebrate the birth of baby Philip in a few short months. While we will miss each of you dearly, we are excited about this transition for our family and moving just a little bit slower. With much love to all of you,
Pastor Kristina and Ryan Roth-Klinck