Letters to My Congregation

Last Letter

Each week (usually Wednesday afternoon), I send out a letter to the congregation at West Franklin. It’s a tiny way I hope to shepherd them during the week. Perhaps it might encourage, help, or challenge you as well.

Photo by Nedim T. on Unsplash

West Franklin Family,

Eleven years ago at this time, I was pastoring in El Dorado, Arkansas. El Dorado was the third church I was given the honor being a Senior Pastor. It was late Spring/early Summer of 2014 when I was informed of a church in Franklin, TN that had just merged with Brentwood Baptist. They were looking for a Campus and Teaching Pastor to lead them through the transition and into the future. There were lots of things that intrigued me about the opportunity, but one thing stood out: the existing church, West Franklin Baptist Church, willingly died. The 75 or 80 who were here at the time realized they weren’t being the church in the ways they believe God intended. Instead of trying to figure it out themselves, they surrendered. They died. Like a seed that falls into the ground and is buried.

That grabbed my heart. Jesus said unless a grain of wheat is buried, it remains only a seed. But if it goes into the ground and dies, resurrection. Life. Growth. Vitality. God can do fascinating and beautiful things with death. So when I heard a group of people willingly died to itself, I wanted in on it.

By God’s grace, for 10 and a half years, I have had the honor and joy and privilege and blessing of being called the Campus and Teaching Pastor here at the Church at West Franklin. You have helped Katie and I raise our once children, then middle schoolers, then high schoolers, and now college kids to know, love, and follow Jesus. And by His grace, we have seen God resurrect dead things. We have seen God cause this church to come alive with kingdom life and energy. We have experienced the Tri-une God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – do far more than we could ever ask, imagine, or think. The past 10 and a half years have been the greatest of my life. God really does bring life from death.

One of my aims as your pastor has been to point you to God and follow Him in obedience. His ways are good and perfect and loving and pure. If God leads you to something, the right and good thing to do, the best thing to do for you and others, is obey. In recent months, the Father has been stirring in me a call back to being a Senior Pastor. I have wrestled with it for several years now, but the stirring has been more intense as of late. Early last month, God made it painstakingly plain that He is leading and calling me to be the next Senior Pastor at Clearview Baptist Church here in Franklin.

The clarity from the Father has come amidst much and intense wrestling with God. When we were approached, it started with a firm “No way!” and moved to a “This does not make any sense at all!” to “I can’t believe we are even considering this!” to “Okay, Father, we will obey You and follow Your leading.” I would be a hypocritical pastor to challenge you to obey God while I turned a deaf ear to His direction.

My last Sunday will be next Sunday, August 10^th, where I will share more and lead us in a time of communion together. I also plan to share a bit this Wednesday at our meal and gathering. To say “thank you” feels trite and shallow. But that truly is the expression of my heart. Thank you, West Franklin, for giving me the honor to be your campus and teaching pastor – but more than anything, thank you for allowing me to seek after and experience the magnificent reality of God with you.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Matt