Dear Church Family and Friends,

It is with an overwhelming sea of emotions that I am writing to let you know that my pastoral relationship with Grace First Presbyterian Church is facing a major change. Our Presbytery of Los Ranchos has been diligently searching for a new Executive Presbyter. The Executive Presbyter Nominating Committee has selected me as their nominee. After much prayer and pondering, I have accepted their nomination. Anticipating a successful election at a special presbytery meeting on Thursday, January 23, I plan to submit soon my formal letter of resignation as Co-Pastor of Grace First Presbyterian Church.

While this is a major shift of my responsibility and time, I and my family still want to be involved at Grace. Pastor Steve Wirth and I hope that my involvement can shift to a volunteer pastoral role as Parish Associate, pending session, congregational and presbytery approval.

The Executive Presbyter is the chief administrator of our Presbytery of Los Ranchos, overseeing the work and cooperative mission of our presbytery’s 60 congregations. In that role, I anticipate that about half of all Sundays I will be visiting in the other 59 congregations of our presbytery.

It has been the most difficult decision of all the 22 years of my ministry to decide to leave the pastorate of our precious congregation, now named Grace First Presbyterian Church. For many years, and particularly in this past year, I have received inquiries from numerous churches wondering if I would consider being their pastor. This is not altogether surprising as it is unusual these days for any pastor to stay in one parish as long as I have (now 14 ½ years). My consistent answer has been, "NO! I am not open to a change because I am part of the most exciting, promising congregation I know." I have clearly NOT been open to any other pastoral position in any other congregation. I have been so eager to be a pastor of our new church.

Then came this strange and surprising request from the Executive Presbyter Nominating Committee (EPNC). It was not a request to another congregation, but a request to another kind of ministry. When they asked me to submit my name, my first response was to laugh at the thought. But many leaders in the presbytery encouraged me to allow my name to be considered and eventually I did put my name in the pool. It seemed highly unlikely to me that I would be called because I know what fine Executive Presbyters we have had in Dave Tomlinson and John Chandler, and I knew that I could never be like them.

As it turned out, the EPNC was interested in me because they felt that the presbytery now wanted a new kind of Executive Presbyter and that I could do what they were hoping for. They recognized (as do I) that Chandler and Tomlinson were so outstanding and exactly what we needed in their respective eras. But in this changing, multicultural, theologically broad world into which our presbytery must move, the EPNC felt that I was particularly suited to the call.

I have resisted this call. I offered every excuse to avoid it. I endorsed other candidates for the position. I encouraged the EPNC to look elsewhere because I wanted to be a pastor at this new church which we were helping to create. But their persistence converged with many other voices and finally became the call of God on my life. In fact, when I finally started to listen to this call to the EP role, it felt strangely familiar. Fifteen years ago I answered God’s call to come to Grace. It was an irresistible call to a small and struggling Long Beach church exiled in Paramount. There were other things I wanted to do. There were other churches with more resources. There was the offer of a very desirable teaching job at Princeton Seminary. But then there was God’s call to Grace in Paramount, and God’s call is more important than my desire. In fact, through prayer and discernment, the call of God can actually become our desire.

When God called me to Grace I had a clear sense of the rightness of the call because the needs of Grace uniquely called upon all of the gifts and experiences God had given me up to that point in my life. Today I feel the same way about the ministry of Executive Presbyter. It uniquely calls upon all of the gifts, experiences, and passions God has given me over the years.

Grace has changed and grown through the years. The church with its urgent needs that I was called to in 1988 is no longer in desperate straits. It is no longer on the presbytery’s "Redevelopment" list. Today the presbytery looks to Grace First as a model for the future hope of the Presbyterian Church. Grace First is a strong church. You are a remarkable gathering of mighty prayers, able spiritual leaders, and dedicated ministers – and I mean YOU, the lay ministers. You also have the finest pastoral staff around. There is none finer than the team of Steve Wirth, Gerald Arata, Marion Park, and Sang Eui Kim. It is almost an embarrassment of riches.

I love this church, Grace First Presbyterian. I believe in it absolutely. I have served it faithfully to the best of my ability. Especially during the Grace Paramount years, I sacrificed for it and defended it when others did not believe in us. And so do you love this church, and so have you been devoted to this church. I am grateful for all of the challenging ministry experience you afforded me. I am thankful for your affection and your gratitude. I will never forget you.

In fact, I will be your greatest advocate as your new Executive Presbyter. We remember how John Chandler and Dave Tomlinson (and as interim, Jane Odell) have all been so good to us at Grace Paramount and Grace First. But I know I can say with confidence that there has never been an Executive Presbyter with deeper affection for this church than I would have as your next Executive Presbyter.

The Presbytery of Los Ranchos will hold an Adjourned Meeting (i.e. a continuation of the Stated Meeting that will begin this Saturday, January 18) for the purpose of electing the new Executive Presbyter. It will be at Orange First Presbyterian Church on Thursday, January 23, at 7:00 p.m. The EPNC will present me as their nominee. You are welcome to attend (this and every presbytery meeting) as a guest, although only the official delegates from the congregation will be allowed to vote. If I am elected at that time, a date will be set for an installation service in the near future.

My last day of service in the pulpit as your Co-Pastor would be Sunday, February 16.

I have tried to convey to you in this letter both the depth of my love for you and the depth of my struggle in considering this new call. I welcome any further questions or communications you may have for me in the next month or even beyond. You will always be able to find me.

God bless you as you enter into this exciting new era as the most exciting new congregation I am aware of in the country. You will always have my love, gratitude, and the full support of my and my family’s continuing prayers, financial tithe, and involvement in ministry.

Warmly in the Love of Christ,

Steven Toshio Yamaguchi
Co-Pastor