This past weekend we had a big celebration at the Falls Church Anglican. My husband, John stepped aside as the Senior Pastor of the church after 40 years. Family and friends came from all over the country to celebrate with us, including our 21 grandchildren and our 5 kids and their spouses. We are so thankful for these wonderful years here but most of all — above all — for the faithfulness of God during these years.
We were forty years younger — and dripping with children!
Over these years we’ve seen God’s hand in the way He has:
- Brought many into a personal relationship with Himself.
- Sent numerous people out to the mission field.
- Taught us how to be his ministers in the marketplace.
- Built up ministries:
- a significant youth ministry and ministry to families
- fellows ministry (post-college internship),
- Timothy program (training young church planters),
- a healing center where many come for healing prayer.
- Led us through a painful separation from our denomination and the loss of all of our property.
- Enabled us to build a new sanctuary in a diverse neighborhood which will enable us to broaden our outreach to internationals.
We simply cannot count the number of ways He has been faithful.
One of the biggest blessings for us has been the people that God has brought to our church. We have raised our kids together, cried together, laughed together, grown up together. We have been taught, challenged, pushed, forgiven, and stretched by these wonderful friends who have “filled in our gaps.”
Here are some photos from this weekend. Many friends and family came from far places to celebrate with us.
Now we are looking forward to a sabbatical — time to rest and time to hang out with our kids. After a while we will be back at church to be involved as is appropriate.
In the future we hope to focus on training up young pastors.
Today, we are simply overwhelmed with gratefulness to God for giving us the privilege to serve, learn and grow with these amazing people, our family.
It’s a great hand-off, John Yates to Sam Ferguson!
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John and Susan,
Wow! What a wonderful ride!!! I am so proud and thankful for you both as well as your incredible ministry. I wish I could have been there.
Enjoy your sabbatical and perhaps God will provide a way to reunite with y’all in the near future.
My love always!!!!
Vicki
Beautiful-well done good and faithful servants of the Lord!
Love you~
My heart is just full looking at these wonderful family pictures, and remembering our times with you! Blessings, and God’s grace be with you wherever He leads you. Come see us in Charleston!
Claudia, thank you so much for writing! We do miss ya’ll and we may show up on your door step one day!
Congratulations from Lloyd and me. You guys have been mentors to us from afar and we have learned a lot about family life from you both. Thank you for your willingness to share!
Dear Linda,
Thanks so much for writing! It means a lot. We are thankful for you and Lloyd! Blessings, Susan
Susan – this post brings all the beauty and tenderness… so glad to hear your voice on this a bit. My Instagram post on this said (sorry if this is long), “We welcomed the AMAZING Sam Ferguson as our new pastor and we are so excited about what God will do in this new season. So it’s sending off a pastor we have loved as he enjoys a well-earned retirement, and welcoming a pastor we also love. It’s just a crazy privilege to be joined into this ‘body’ and a witness to healthy, Godly leadership in action. It’s all the feels…Reverent. Celebratory. Bittersweet. Exciting. It’s…Holy.”
We love you both, Susan. Thanks for your prayers and leadership – in my fam’s case for 17 years. ENJOY the sabbatical. We will miss you!
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you so much for loving us well all these years and for welcoming Sam. We truly do believe the best is yet to dome!!!Blessings, on you and your family! Love, Susan
I was following the celebratory weekend with interest from across the Pond. So wonderful to have these celebrations for God’s mercy and love through your service over the years. I’ll be ever grateful for how John prayed for the release of a husband for me! Here I am in England 20+ years later!
Enjoy the rest and reliving of the fun celebration. Thanks for modeling the spiritual discipline of celebration to us!
Thanks so much Amy! We think of you often and are proud of your family’s good work in the UK. Have a wonderful week with Tara and the girls! Love, Susan