June 24, 2021
Dear Friends of CitySalt,
It is with deep love and conflicted emotions that I let you in on some upcoming changes relating to me that impact our shared-life as a church.
I want to take this time to share with you my decision to step aside as lead pastor in the weeks ahead. Though it has been rumbling in my heart for a couple of years, this decision has been wrestled out in prayer, processed through with loved ones, and has finally landed in my soul as God’s plan and way forward.
As you may know, I have had the privilege of being the lead pastor of CitySalt for the past 12 years. It has been a sweet and memorable journey that has marked my life for the good, and has taught me so much about God’s goodness and His presence among our community of believers. You may also be surprised to know that I have served in various full-time ministry roles as a Foursquare minister for 27 years. These years have been packed full of beautiful people and transforming experiences that have deepened my faith, seasoned my calling, and certainly influenced the person I am today.
I want to express my appreciation for the love, support and trust that you and others have given me (and of course, the grace when my immaturity may have been obvious ;). For me, this announcement is bittersweet—sad for the necessary ending, but exciting for the new beginning for CitySalt and for me. This change will allow me to explore new ways of contributing to our greater community and to be more intentional with how I spend time with my family. At first you might see this as unfortunate timing, given the impact of the pandemic. At moments, I thought that way too. But after much prayer and consideration, I believe it is actually perfect timing, as our church will need to come together with fresh purpose and vision around what God is doing in the days ahead. I will simply not be the one to lead it this time around.
As appropriate steps are taken to walk through this coming change, I have absolute confidence in our leaders. Pastors Mike and John have been close as I have processed this decision. They along with our ministry leaders and church council will be guided by our Foursquare District representative (David Eddy) who will come alongside us as we navigate this season together. My last Sunday will be August 29 and more information will soon follow. In the meantime, there is much to do. There will be tasks to undertake and conversations to be had. And there will be tears, hugs, laughter and tender words for sure. All of this is a necessary part of grieving, celebrating, and believing God for the new and good that will be around this corner.
As we move ahead, I would like to invite you to a couple of things: 1) Please be in prayer as we seek God together and prepare for the future. 2) I also invite you to join us this weekend for our Big Table Sunday on June 27, where I will take time to provide further details as we begin to walk through this together. It would mean a lot to me if you could be there to hear my heart, say some prayers, and partake in the Lord’s Table together. I love and appreciate you dearly and hope to see you this Sunday!
Gratefully yours,
Pastor Dusty (and Julia)
A physical copy of this special announcement has also been mailed and should be arriving soon (if we have your correct address.)