Pastor’s Report from the 2025 Annual Report (December 2025)

 

It has been a wonderful 2025 serving you as your pastor, not to mention the past seven years. For this past year, we studied the great book of Romans. It was wonderful digging into the Gospel and all of it’s amazing applications, and diving into Romans 8 was particularly amazing as there was so many applications to the Christian life.

 

We also had the wonderful opportunity of hiring an amazing young man, Brandon Northup, as our new child/youth minister. We were able to see a successful back-to-school bash, Harvest Festival, Sunday School, and Kid’s Quest that met on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month.

 

Now, this is the sad and difficult part to write. As most of you know, I have been having medical issues lately, especially with chest pains, so it was determined during the last session meeting that after January 18th, I would be taking a medical leave from the church as the pastor. I had originally told the session that I would stay for 5 months (after I first started having medical problems), but with my continued chest pains, we all agreed that it would be wise if I were to take a medical leave early. The session is generous to us in that if need be, the church will be compensating us and have use of the manse until that 5-month period is over.

 

From the very start of my medical problems, I could tell that every member of the session was very concerned about my health. They were insistent that my health came first. Like always, I felt their love for me and my family. I personally want to thank Rob, Alden, Sandy, and Chris for their love, prayers, and wisdom during this time, as well as their generosity.

 

I also want to thank you, as a church family, for your prayers and concerns for me during this time. As always, Marty and I and our children felt your love and prayers from day one of this, and we know we will be in your prayers as we leave.

 

So, sadly, 2026 will look different than what I anticipated it would be. We will be serving in the next call that God has for us, and as a church, you will be underneath a transitional pastor. I have heard of many churches who have been tremendously blessed by transitional pastors. It helps them to continue to develop their mission as a church. I am sure you will be under capable hands throughout this process, and I will be praying for you.

 

I have shared with people how difficult this is, but goodbyes are not supposed to be easy, especially within churches. We develop bonds within church families that will be eternal, and we love and care for each other very deeply, but we know that God is watching over all of us as we go separate ways.

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Pastor Brandt Hammack