Dear Friends and Members of First Congregational Church, 

By now you have probably received the bittersweet news regarding Pastor Craig’s resignation.  We are extremely grateful for his dedication to our church over the past six years and I’m sure we will continue to see echoes of that dedication continue for years to come.

Moving forward, the Council and Personnel Committee have put a plan in place.  Pastor Craig’s last Sunday with us will be May 31st.  Rev. Kathy Lawes, our Illinois Conference Association Minister, will be with us in worship that day to conduct a service of parting.  Our Associate Pastor, Michael Swartz, has agreed to see us through the immediate future as we seek to discern our next steps.  We will be establishing a Transition Team for near term planning. We are fortunate to have him take on this position as he is already familiar with the inner workings of our church.  This move will also provide our church with some much needed stability during this difficult time.

The process of finding a new senior pastor will begin soon.  Continue to look for more communications from Wes Llewellyn and myself over the upcoming months as we embark on this endeavor.

Blessings, Audra Bailey
FCC Co-Moderator