The Pastor’s Desk-April Newsletter

We say it every Sunday, but it never gets old, and it’s never untrue. “God IS good! ALL the time!” The past six months have definitely been an unusual time in the life of our church. As we began discussions early last fall concerning disaffiliation, I think we wondered where it would all lead. These past months have had some ups and downs as we struggled mightily with trying to follow our hearts and, most importantly, the Spirit’s leading. Now, here we are, just one step away from becoming an independent Methodist church. The upcoming special called meeting of the Tennessee Western Kentucky Conference in May will make the final decision. Our two churches, Homestead and Dorton, and many others across middle Tennessee, west Tennessee, and western Kentucky will finally know the result of all the praying, discerning, and wrestling with the decision to disaffiliate. District Superintendent Donna Parramore, when asked the possibility of the conference not allowing these churches to disaffiliate, replied, “no chance of that happening.”

And, speaking of our wonderful district superintendent, she will conclude six wonderful years of service to the Caney Fork District this coming summer. While I cannot speak for everyone else, I can say that she has been totally supportive of our ministry. Matter of fact, I think I can safely say that, if not for her, we would not be at Homestead and Dorton. While she has not shared what her future plans are, I’m absolutely sure that God is not finished with her and He has a plan for her future, just like he does for each of us.

Finally, AWESOME APRIL is upon us! We have big events scheduled for each Sunday in the month. I believe this coming month will be an exciting time for our church. There is a fresh excitement in the air! Seeing some old faces return to our church, and welcoming new faces (including welcoming back our former pianist Maggie Burnett) has created a wonderful sense that God has big things in store for us in the future. Our March attendance average was the highest since before the “Big C” struck in March 2020. I believe it’s “onward and upward” from here. How about let’s all be inviting our friends, family, and neighbors to come out to Homestead and experience the excitement?