This Sunday in the Sanctuary at 9:30 and 11:00 am we will celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in the life of First United Methodist Church — and an appointment that is part of a succession plan that has been in progress for some time. This plan began to evolve several years ago with a conversation Dr. Tim Bruster initiated with Bishop Mike Lowry about succession and the future clergy leadership of the church.
It is important to emphasize here that Dr. Bruster does not plan to retire for several years.
“While I want to assure everyone that I have no immediate plans to retire — after all, I’m only turning 60 next month — I care very much about this church’s long-term vitality,” says Dr. Tim Bruster. “This is a thoughtful succession plan that prepares and equips a very capable, talented, and enthusiastic new leader to take this church into its future. I am grateful for Bishop Lowry, our Staff Parish Relations Committee, and the district superintendents who have been a part of this process.”
Early in Bishop Lowry’s tenure, Dr. Bruster met with Bishop Lowry and shared that he’d like to find a young, energetic pastor with vision and drive to start a new worshipping community aimed at reaching the unchurched. It was several years before that dream for the church would become a reality.
Fast forward a few years to two new realities.
First, Bishop Lowry had by then become known for making visionary leadership decisions to meet a local Church’s specific needs, aptitudes, and growth opportunities and to help these churches provide for a smooth and stable transition that ensures the future of each church. The burgeoning success of these appointments — including those at First United Methodist Churches of Hurst, Mansfield, and Georgetown, as well as White’s Chapel United Methodist Church — revealed and bore out the wisdom and success of this kind of forward thinking. This well-established track record of successful creative appointments seemed to be accomplishing exactly what Bishop Lowry and these Senior Pastors and Church leaders dreamed, envisioned, and hoped for together.
“I believe the Holy Spirit is moving in our midst to make appointments in a new and creative way,” says Bishop Mike Lowry. “Together with the District Superintendents & Cabinet, Pastor-Parish Relations Committees, and Sr. Pastors we are working to set place pastoral transition into a new vital future. After a number of years working with District Superintendents, Dr. Bruster and the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee of First United Methodist Church, I am excited to see a future of faithful leadership unfold for First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth in making disciples of Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord is at work!”
Second, an energetic, highly likable, and smart young pastor had indeed emerged in the form of Rev. Lance Marshall — first appointed to our church in 2013 by Bishop Lowry to start a satellite campus that would be aimed at reaching largely unchurched young adults. This new FUMCFW worshipping community was initially called First 7th. But, then, with the Holy Spirit doing what the Holy Spirit tends to do when we leave the doors open for such work, one thing led to another — and the wildly popular contemporary-yet-traditional worshipping and teaching service known as The Gathering emerged and flourished under Rev. Lance Marshall’s leadership.
Meanwhile, the young Rev. Marshall began attending Brite Divinity School to put the formal education of a Master of Divinity degree beneath his natural talent, desire, and gifts for leading a congregation. He graduated from Brite at the top of his class in May 2017 and continued to pour his boundless energy into learning and growing and building upon each experience. The Gathering outgrew two services and three overflow areas and changed the lives and experiences of church for a whole new group of worshippers under FUMCFW’s “big tent” that now has multiple worshipping communities, in addition to The Gathering: Sanctuary Worship, the non-traditional eleven:eleven, the social justice and service-driven DiscipleChurch, and the quiet contemplative Chapel communion service — all held each Sunday morning at First Church.
Bishop Lowry, Dr. Bruster, Allison Barley, and our District Superintendents (first, Rev. Mike Ramsdell, then Rev. Travis Franklin, and now Rev. Louis Carr) met with Rev. Marshall and worked out a learning covenant that has been preparing him for this new role as co-pastor. The Staff Parish Relations Committee subsequently became involved in the conversation and approved this succession plan unanimously.
“We are so blessed that Bishop Lowry and Dr. Bruster had the wisdom and creativity to initiate this plan, and we are further blessed by the tremendous gifts and talents of Rev. Marshall,” adds Allison Barley, Chair of Staff Parish Relations Committee, “I have had the privilege of working with them and our District Superintendents along the way to ensure we are doing what is best for our church, and have every confidence that this plan brings the stability of a thoughtful transition while setting us up to realize the dreams and potential for our church in the future. God has been working through all of them during this process and I speak for the entire Staff Parish Relations Committee in expressing gratitude and support for this opportunity.”
Now we come to this moment of putting this succession into place
The timing is important because Bishop Lowry will retire at the end of August next year, and the church will benefit by putting a succession plan in place under his leadership. During the next several years, Dr. Bruster and Rev. Marshall will continue the mentoring process that will position Rev. Lance Marshall well for a seamless transition into the role FUMCFW Senior Pastor upon Dr. Tim Bruster’s eventual retirement.
“Again, I want to reiterate that I am not retiring anytime soon,” adds Dr. Bruster. “This dual appointment represents a great deal of work, prayer, and gratitude for a solid, well-thought-out, and road-tested succession plan that we can now put into place. I express my deepest gratitude for all who have been part of this visioning we’ve done together for our church — and to Bishop Lowry for his willingness and support for creative appointments like this that will do so much to alleviate the typical stress and worry that can happen with any impending transition of leadership.”
“With all of this now settled, we can all put our full focus on the work we have before us now,” Dr. Bruster continues. “For my part, I am also extremely committed to seeing our Next90 building program through and look forward to continuing to work with Lance in this new role. We have many opportunities and challenges before us, and I could not be more optimistic and excited about the future of this great church as we move into our next 90 years. Together, we will continue to lead our church as we negotiate the twists and turns of our current denominational challenges and above all, to continue the missions and ministries of our Church with all the passion, commitment, and vision for which we are so well known. With all that is left for me to do here, I cannot begin to express the comfort it brings to know that there is someone already here, already preparing for the next chapter — and someone who will be fully ready to assume the leadership of this great church when the time does come for my retirement.”
So, in practical terms, what does this look like? What will change? What will stay the same?
During this Sunday’s Service of Celebration of Appointment, Bishop Mike Lowry will appoint Rev. Lance Marshall as Co-Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth along with Dr. Tim Bruster as Senior Pastor. Under this shared leadership, Rev. Marshall as Co-Pastor will continue to work toward this succession with all the benefits of being mentored, brought along through leadership decisions and issues large and small, and exposed over time to the opportunities and experiences that develop a well-rounded, multifaceted Senior Pastor.
“I can’t express enough what a great honor and privilege it is to be appointed Co-Pastor at this wonderful church,” says Rev. Lance Marshall. “Serving this church has immeasurably blessed me and my family, and Elizabeth and I are so excited for what the future has in store. Living and serving in Fort Worth is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to see what God will continue to do in and through this community.”
Rev. Marshall, who up until now has served as Senior Associate Pastor, will still lead The Gathering and continue to explore all the growth potential this worship community continues to build, while becoming more increasingly involved in the overall church leadership through conversations and decisions, roles and responsibilities, and exposure to the day-to-day realities of pastoring a large and diverse downtown church. All of this will happen right alongside the dynamic Next90 Building Program now on the immediate First Church horizon, ensuring Rev. Marshall’s readiness, involvement, and leadership experience to step into his role as Senior Pastor when the time comes.
“I share Dr. Bruster’s and Bishop Lowry’s conviction that appointing Rev. Marshall as Co-Pastor will be a huge blessing for First Church,” says Rev. Louis Carr, District Superintendent. “We fully believe that Rev. Marshall has the leadership capacity to step into this new role. Both First and Rev. Marshall will be greatly blessed by this appointment. His continued leadership in this new role will help First church more effectively and fruitfully carry out its mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
So, it is with grateful hearts on this Sunday before Thanksgiving 2019 that we welcome Rev. Lance Marshall as our First Church co-pastor, acknowledge and thank Dr. Tim Bruster for his enthusiastic willingness to mentor and guide this extended succession plan, and of course, Bishop Mike Lowry for being making this creative appointment in this very significant chapter in our church’s history.
We stand together now, joining hearts and hands, to acknowledge and embrace the coming together of all of these significant factors and circumstances that place us at a new threshold of our Church’s future — and ever-increasing growth, vitality, and opportunity to Love God, Serve People, and Transform Lives for generations to come.
