Dear CHBC Family,


This letter is to inform you of a decision that I and Sara have made to transition from my role as Lead Pastor in our congregation. I have shared this decision with our elders and staff, and now I want to communicate it to you.

Over the nearly 5 years of being your Lead Pastor, I have been so blessed by you all. The call to come to CHBC was an important one for me, as God was giving me the chance to fulfill a calling that I had since I was 17 years old. I love what has happened here over the past few years. That is what makes this a difficult decision for myself and my family. I have had the privilege to be apart of training leaders, launching church planters, seeing the church grow and thrive, and watch the construction of a new facility that will benefit Bailey and CHBC for the next 20 years. It has given me deep personal joy to observe our trajectory toward becoming a more mission-focused congregation and it has given me great joy to get to know and work with some wonderful people in the process.

Over the past several months, Sara and I have been praying and reflecting on a variety of factors that would help answer the question, “What is next for CHBC?” We never thought that the answer to that question would not include our family.

Here are 2 key factors that have influenced my decision at this time:
1. God’s Timing

  • As I prayed for vision beyond the building in 2019, I never received any. I prayed and prayed and still nothing came.

  • As I continued praying, I felt a strong sense from the Lord that it was time for me to step aside as Lead Pastor and it was time for someone else to lead the ministry of CHBC going forward.

  • To be honest, Sara and I both struggled with this, but as we continued to pray, we found peace in the Lord that it was indeed time for a transition.

  • Scripture tells us, “His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.” In fact, His ways and thoughts are far higher than ours.

2. Completion of My Assignment
There are three specific assignments that I feel have been completed and signal the end of my tenure as Lead Pastor

  • The first is a renewed mission and vision for CHBC.

  • The second is to launch David and Victoria to Salt Lake to plant Neighborhood Church.

  • The third is to see a new facility built for CHBC.

I hope and pray that you understand that this has been a difficult decision and an emotional decision for me. I have loved being a shepherd in this flock and I am grateful for everyone who has served and given to the Lord’s ministry at CHBC. My hope is that CHBC continues to steward the mission God has given her into the future.

Most of all, I trust God’s wisdom and His timing as I believe I have been released from the call to be your Lead Pastor. I want you to know that I have received counsel and confirmation of this transition over many weeks from those that are mentors, and friends in conjunction with the wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

I will always cherish this season of my life at Crow Hill Bible Church and know of my deep
appreciation for the gift you have given me to be called your pastor.

Blessings,
PJ

Dear brothers and sisters,
 
It is with heavy hearts that we share with you that Pastor Joshua is relinquishing his position as Senior Pastor as he and Sara have been led to take on a new assignment and are relocating to South Carolina.
 
Like all of you, we are deeply saddened by Pastor Joshua's announcement.  Some might even be thinking “was it something that was said or done?” However, as Joshua has explained to us, he has clearly been called to another ministry.  He is truly a man of God and is seeking to be completely obedient to God's leading.
 
Our Lord can seem very mysterious on occasion as is this timing.  Many things are happening all around us such as the pandemic, David and Victoria being sent to plant a church in Utah, Jared and Allie moving to Arizona, and of course our new sanctuary opening.  Everything can seem crazy or surprising.  We know God was not surprised as He is all-knowing and sovereign over all.  He has the big picture in mind. He stands apart from space and time and therefore, His timing is exquisite and completely perfect.  
 
In Scripture we are reminded of how the Holy Spirit directed Philip to witness to the Ethiopian and whisked him away when he was done baptizing him (Acts 8:26-40), how Paul was directed not to speak the word in Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-15) but was given a vision to go to Macedonia where many conversions occurred, and when Peter was directed to go the Gentile believers (Acts 11:1-18). 
 
So, the Lord is the chess master and He is moving His pieces, His servants, around to where they must go. And sometimes He moves very fast. As C.S. Lewis famously said referring to Aslan, who is Christ in the allegory The Tales of Narnia, “He is not a tame lion!”
 
We trust that God will greatly use Joshua and Sara and their beautiful boys to glorify Himself.  We can imagine how hard this change is for Joshua and the family and we must help them and pray for them as we send them off.  We should be excited about what God has in store for them and what He also has planned for us in the wake of their departure. 
 
The Elder Board will soon be meeting with candidates and selecting an interim Pastor to serve at CHBC during the time it takes to identify our next full-time Pastor.  We are also in the process of selecting a search committee for this task.  We ask you to join us in prayer as we walk through this process to identify who God has in mind for us.  In the meantime, our vision remains unchanged.  We will continue to 1) build unity and maturity in the church family, 2) be a resource to the community, 3) spread the gospel, 4) raise up leaders and 5) plant churches.
 
Following Christ,
The Elder Board