Farewell from Tom Pairan

July 18, 2007

Dear Members and Friends of Christ Lutheran Church,

At last night's Church Council meeting, I submitted my letter of resignation as Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministry at Christ Lutheran Church. I have planned Aug. 12 as my last Sunday and Sept. 2 as my last day.

As many of you know, Anne Benson and I will be getting married on October 6. Anne is the pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Cold Spring, Kentucky, near Northern Kentucky University and Cincinnati, Ohio. The congregation is building a new church building, a project that is exciting and stressful at the same time. Next week, Anne and I are closing on a home about a mile away from the site of the new church.

Yesterday I received a letter of acceptance from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, where my grandfather, the Rev. Luther Knauff, and two of my great-grandfathers, the Revs. George Martin Knauff and Jacob Emanuel Albrecht, attended. I will begin a Master of Divinity degree program in September, part of the process of becoming an ordained ELCA pastor. I will be commuting to and from campus twice a week and staying with my brother Scott while in Columbus.

These decisions have been difficult ones for Anne and me; we have been discussing and praying about our options for over a year now. I will greatly miss living in Louisville and serving at Christ Lutheran. The congregation has been good to me over the past 11 years, and—as a single person—has become like a family to me. I am grateful for the many opportunities to serve at the congregation, conference, community and churchwide levels. During my time here, I have grown in my understanding of myself, my faith, and our Lutheran heritage.

I appreciate the support given while I studied at the Baptist seminary and during the process of becoming an Associate in Ministry. I ask for your continued prayers and support as I begin the candidacy process again and as I return to school.

During the past school year, I have been working to prepare the Christian Education and Youth Ministry committees for my departure. In my remaining time at Christ Lutheran I will do everything possible to help provide a smooth transition for the congregation.

In Christ's service,

Tom Pairan