Spring Scene 2026

10 Years

This Sunday will mark my 10th anniversary as Salem’s pastor. I remember it well, my first worship service as your pastor was the third Sunday in May, a joint SpringHouse service, when the youth and children led worship. The welcome was enthusiastic, genuine, and grace filled and I immediately felt like a member of this faithful family called Salem.

True confession—I was so scared to jump into this venture with you all. As an associate pastor for my entire career, I felt wholly inadequate to take on a solo pastor role. Honestly, it would be a few years before I stopped asking questions like, “Who writes the Christmas letter?” 

Don’t get me wrong, I knew I had gifts for ministry, but in the calls I had previously, some of the muscles I would need in top form here had never been stretched before...like preaching every week and guiding a budget process.
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The beautiful thing is that you accepted me as my authentic self and when I didn’t know how to do things, you guided me and showed me grace. Sometimes we learned things together and always we walked alongside each other as we did the work of the church...
 
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