the Rev. Beth Rohn-Habhegger

WORD FROM THE PASTOR - February 2026

​Let me start with a confession, I struggle with Church Council meetings. I have attended or chaired too many that have turned into shouting matches where siblings in Christ verbally tear each other down in an effort to make a point or convince others that their point is the only and right one. I have sat through councils that have decided to eliminate my position, that have used the Bible as weapon, that have lasted up to three hours or more. I know these meetings are needed to conduct the “business” of the church, but that has become all they are – business meetings.
            The thing with which I struggle the most, is that the church was never meant to be a business. Jesus didn’t call CEOs, he called leaders. Jesus wasn’t trying to sell something; he was offering a relationship. The first disciples didn’t see their role as creating an organization to which people would belong, they were creating a community of love and care for all. The priority was spiritual connection, not rules and regulations.
            Now, before you say to me, “But Beth, the church is a business.” I will concede that there are aspects of the church that need to be handled with clarity. However, I would argue that the church is a family. Just as families have budgets and have to be mindful of their income and how it is managed to pay bills and keep the household running, so too, the church has a budget and needs to be mindful of our income and how to manage what we have to meet our obligation. AND, like a family, it is the relationships within that guide those decisions.
            We have made these decisions for our family of faith for the coming year. Thank you to those who participated in this “business meeting”. Thank you to those who have served us faithfully in roles of leadership over the past several years. Thank you to those who willingly put their name on the ballot to step into a role of leadership. Thank you to all those who pray for the congregation and its leaders. May God bless us as we seek to faithfully live out our calling and God’s guidance throughout this year.