So I went to church today with my Dad. We, as a family, have been visiting a baptist church here locally for a while now, but we are not members, just frequent visitors. I have enjoyed this church, but I am still praying about where God is leading me to make my new church home. This particular baptist church is part of one of the largest churches in the Houston area and is pretty prominent in its' reputation. I guess you could call this church "big business" which is one of the reason why I am hesitant to make it my permanent home.

But anyway, back to this Sunday's service. Church started normally, nothing seemed different. However, after the invitation (or altar call) at the end of the service, the preacher steps down from the pulpit where he is joined by his wife. He then states that this was going to be his last Sunday at the church and he was leaving to start a new church somewhere else. The congregation was shocked. Apparently, no one saw it coming.

This is not a church, like I said, that I am even a member of, but I was deeply upset by the pastor's departure. Why would he want to leave one of the biggest and best churches in Houston? I am trying to trust that he is leaving to follow God's will for his life, but I can't help but think that he is leaving just for the hope of bigger and better things. A pastor leaving a church can rock that church to its' core, and some churches never recover. I do not wish bad things on this church, and I hope they take their time and put the right man in as the new pastor of the church.

I will definitely need some prayer time to reconcile this in my head. Or this may just be a sign that God is leading me to another church or that God is leading me to stick with this church through their hard time.

Yikes, any advice?