Next month, my family and I will embark on a new chapter as the Cabinet of the New Mexico Annual Conference has entrusted me with the role of pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Las Cruces. As I write this, I am in a period of rest and renewal, preparing my heart and mind for the transition. Throughout May, I plan to share my thoughts and feelings about leaving one beloved community to join another. I will express my joys and concerns as I navigate this emotional journey. My intention is not to offend any parish but to convey the profound challenge of embracing a new adventure.

I will not lie. Picking up and heading to another part of the state is not one of my favorite things to do. My family moved from the southern part of the state to the northern area approximately thirteen years ago. I love the feel of a cool morning before the heat takes over. I gather strength from the mountains that surround me. Their majestic heights offer me protection from the world.

The land is a far cry from Houston, Texas. My family immigrated from Houston in 2006 for a job opportunity in a much smaller community called Deming. The thriving “metropolis” lies approximately 60 miles from Las Cruces. One of my favorite things to do was to sit outside on my front porch, tucked between a state park and another canyon, and watch the beauty of the sunset. 

I realized that my soul needed two things: mountains and stars. The longer I lived in New Mexico, particularly in Deming, the more my understanding of community grew as we discovered new ways of being in the world. In small towns, church life offered a sense of worship and an invitation into a new family. Even though I moved from an extremely large town, I knew nothing about the meaning of living in a community. I moved to the desert to discover the riches of small-town living. 

As I continue my rest and renewal time, I hope to share the emotional and spiritual bonds that bloom between pastors and their congregations. As I struggle to say goodbye to a wonderful parish, I transition to welcoming another loving congregation to have a space in my heart. My job is to say farewell and hello within a very short time. May my thoughts reflect a pastor’s struggles when picking up stakes and entering a new adventure.