Dear People of St. Margaret’s,

As I sit down to write these words, I find myself filled with more gratitude than I know how to express.

Nearly ten years ago, I arrived at St. Margaret’s wondering what God had in store for us. I could never have imagined all that we would share—or how deeply this congregation would become part of my life.

Over these years, we have shared so much of life together. I have stood with you at baptisms, confirmations, weddings, blessings, funerals, and Sunday after Sunday at the altar. We have welcomed new people, tried new things, made it through some hard seasons, laughed a great deal, cried together, and seen God at work in ways none of us could have planned on our own.

You have allowed me to walk beside you through some of the happiest, hardest, and holiest moments of your lives. Serving as your rector has been one of the greatest privileges and deepest joys of my life.

This Sunday, July 26, will be our final Sunday together. We will celebrate a simple Eucharist at 8:00 a.m. and gather for a potluck brunch at 9:00 a.m., bringing together those who ordinarily worship at both services. My final service as your rector will be a Solemn Holy Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. During that service, we will share in the Ending of a Pastoral Relationship, giving thanks for the ministry God has entrusted to us and formally releasing one another into the new chapters that lie ahead. I hope you will join us.

After the 10:00 a.m. service, I will begin my journey to Poughkeepsie, New York, where I have been called to serve as Interim Rector of Christ Church. Even as I prepare to leave, I know that I am not making this journey alone. I am being sent forward surrounded by your prayers, encouragement, generosity, and love.

I also want you to know how I have used the extraordinarily generous farewell gifts you gave me. One gift card paid for some long-overdue maintenance on my truck, helping prepare it for the drive north. The other paid almost entirely for the cleaning and repair of the Oriental rug my parents gave me, allowing a treasured piece of my family and my home to travel with me to the rectory at Christ Church. And the additional $100 will become my ticket to Dollywood on Monday—a little joy and adventure along the way that probably will not surprise many of you!

I will think of St. Margaret’s often as I make the drive north. I will think of you when I see my parents’ rug in the rectory—and, no doubt, while I am having a wonderful time at Dollywood. You have helped make this move easier, more meaningful, and a lot more fun. Thank you for sending me on my way with such generosity and love.

As Sunday comes to an end, however, something important will change: I will no longer be your rector.

Those words are difficult for me to write because I value the relationships we have formed and the love we share. That affection will not disappear, nor will the memories of these years. But one of the healthiest and holiest things we can do is allow one pastoral relationship to end fully so that a new pastoral relationship can begin.

After Sunday, I will no longer be able to function as your priest or pastor. It will not be my role to officiate at baptisms, weddings, funerals, or other pastoral occasions for members of St. Margaret’s. I will also withdraw from parish activities, congregation-related social gatherings, and St. Margaret’s social media.

This is not because I love you less or no longer value the relationships we have formed. It is because I love this parish enough to give you the space and freedom to move forward.

In keeping with the guidance of our bishop, I will remain absent from the life of St. Margaret’s for at least one year after Mother Lynn begins her ministry. After that time, I may return only at her invitation, and I would return not as your priest, but as your former rector.

I know this separation may be difficult for some of us. Yet healthy endings make healthy beginnings possible. Stepping away is one of the final pastoral gifts I can offer this congregation.

For my part, I will pray for you faithfully from a distance. I will give thanks for the years we shared and trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead you into a future filled with life, service, welcome, healing, and joy.

The Church has never belonged to any one priest. It belongs to Jesus Christ.

Christ was present at St. Margaret’s long before I arrived. Christ has been present throughout our years together. And Christ will remain here long after I leave.

That truth allows me to depart with sadness, certainly, but also with deep hope.

I leave with hope because I believe in you. I believe in your vestry and lay leaders. Most of all, I believe in the God who has been faithful to St. Margaret’s through every season of its life and who will remain faithful in all the years ahead.

Thank you for welcoming me and trusting me with so much of your lives. Thank you for your patience, your prayers, your laughter, and your forgiveness along the way. Being your priest has changed me. St. Margaret’s was never just the church where I worked. It became my home, and you helped shape the priest and the person I am today.

You have changed my life, and I will always be grateful.

Now, with love and gratitude, I release you into God’s future, and I ask you to release me into mine.

May God bless you and keep you. May Christ continue to be known in this place. May the Holy Spirit surprise you with joy. And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God.

With profound gratitude and abiding love,

The Rev Tommy Dillon
Rector, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church