Where is Antioch, You Ask?

The Antioch Seventh-day Adventist Church will be our new parish starting in January, and our new home when ever our house in Redding sells, and we can locate there. Hopefully certainly by June of 2009.

It is in Contra Costa County and is a city nestled along the Southern edge of the Sacramento River Delta. (See, I'm not moving far...I'm just moving down river!) It is next door to the cities of Pittsburg, Oakley and Brentwood. And has nice views of Mt. Diablo.

Here's a map, showing it in relation to Oakland and Walnut Creek (The Conference Office Area) [Click on the map to make it bigger]



Timothy is excited that it is 15 min from the BART station in Pittsburg, and will make transport to San Francisco and SFO airport very easy and convenient.

Like Abraham of old...we are a pilgrim people

Reassignment

This last week at our board meeting, it was announced that I have accepted reassignment with the Northern California Conference. There is a need to reduce 6 pastoral budgets in the current budget year, and there is also a need for change.

The conference executive committee has voted to suspend the normal process of church interviews, and as a result, churches and pastors are not being given as much freedom of choice in their selections as has been the case in the recent 20 years or so.

Don't worry, we are not alone. There are about 30-40 of my pastoral compatriots also planning a relocation move.

Don’t worry, we are not upset. We see the hand of God in all this and are content with knowing God has our best interests at heart. We were praying about a move in location after our daughter graduates from High School in June 2009 anyway, so for God to move us 4 months early, I think that’s a pretty providential answer to our prayers. We’d been praying that God would move us at a time when it would have the most positive and least negative impact on our children, and God has certainly heard those prayers too.

Are there many people in Redding we will miss? Absolutely. One can’t be in a community for 9 years and not forge lasting, deep and meaningful friendships. We will miss you.

Now for the details. We are moving to Antioch, California and Pastor Ron and Marylin Cook are leaving from Antioch to Redding. It is a direct pastoral switch. Ron loves Pastoral Ministry and Adventist Christian Education and will be a good fit for the Redding Church. Our family wishes him all the best as he locates here. We will benefit from all his leadership at Antioch, not the least of which is a new school and a nearly completed church sanctuary campus. The transition will take place in January 2009.



That’s all for now. Please keep us in your prayers as we, like Abraham of old, depart for a location we know very little about. Remember we are all pilgrims, and heaven is our ultimate home. Please pray for our house to sell in a timely manner and at a fair price, and that God will iron out all the nagging details of not only our move, but the moves of my brother pastors in this part of God’s earth.

Love Forever,


Pastor O. Kris Widmer