A letter to my LTSS friends (and enemies! lol)

A post to my friends at LTSS.

Greetings all to whom I have made freinds, aquaintences and enemies while I was at LTSS.  I have been remiss about an explanation of my exodus from this seminary.  First of all, I have made many friends at LTSS that I hope to keep in touch with as our paths go in different directions and we get scattered all over the world and I look forward to seeing and hearing about your journeys to do Gods work.

Some of you know that I have struggled with my call after packing what was left of my life into a truck and moving to Columbia, SC to begin this ELCA call process.  I have always felt that this move was correct and God has plans for me to do something........but what I couldn't figure out.  I had struggled with my class load as I am a hands on/visual learner and the teachers do not offer that type of education at LTSS.  I was struggling with NOT being active in a church to do what God has called me to do, not what the class required me to do.  I struggle with being apart from my wife after having worked side by side for the last 17 years or so.  I struggled with an ELCA organization that had lost its way in so many different directions that I am working on a post to address those issues seperatly.

So I prayed and I listened, and prayed and listened and one day during that semester a door was opened and I stepped through it.  The opportunity to serve in a congregation while taking online course work was a path that could work for me.  Instructors that teach, knowing you are either a leader of a congregation or active in others ways, put things into context for you to use as you are learning them.  This seemed to be a good path........but what about a congregation?  Well an opportunity presented itself in a round about way to serve a congregation about 120 miles away in Easley SC.  A small group of people who are on the move from an ELCA congregation that they were unhappy with.  After a few meetings and a couple of times preaching I felt a real calling to this group of people and they also felt called to me which puts me to where I am now.  I truly wonder and am awed by the path that God sets before me, you just never know where you will end up.

Judy and I are still in Columbia and will be until the next step presents itself.  Either a move or a different call.  The future is unclear.  I continue to pray and listen. 

I wanted to post this for you so that you know where I stand on my reasons for leaving LTSS.  I have no idea what rumors may be (or if there are any) and don't really care.  I only pray for the seminary and its students in this difficult time as many are struggling as I did but don't know which direction they should go.

In His name,

Greg