FUMCPP FORWARD: Celebrating our past, building our future
93.5% Vote in favor of moving forward with Atlantic Pacific

On April 26th, we gathered for a Church Conference  (led by District Superintendent Rev. Emily Hotho) that marked an important step in our shared journey. With a vote of 43 to 3,  church members approved moving forward in working with Atlantic Pacific Communities to begin negotiating terms for a possible sales contract. This decision reflects both the seriousness of our current realities and the hope that we might discover new ways to sustain and strengthen our missions and ministries.

At this stage, no final decisions have been made. We are still in a process of discernment and exploration. We continue to be mindful stewards, cutting expenses where we can and working together to sustain the life of the church. As conversations progress around a potential site plan and contract, please know this clearly: before any contract is signed, there will be time for discussion, questions, and another Church Conference where a vote will take place.

This is not just a time of decision-making—it is a time of spiritual discernment. We are invited to reflect deeply on what it means to be the church, drawing inspiration from Acts 2. The early believers shared what they had, cared for one another, and kept their focus not only on their own needs but on the needs of the community around them. They broke bread together, prayed together, and worshipped with glad and sincere hearts.

That same calling is before us now as we seek to build affordable housing as part of our plan. In the midst of uncertainty, we must continue to lean into the practices that shape us: gathering at the table, lifting one another in prayer, and remaining rooted in worship. These are not just traditions, they are the very heartbeat of who we are. 

Friends, we are on a path that requires trust: trust in God, trust in one another, and trust that even in seasons of change, God is at work. Let us continue to be a people who share life together, who remain open to the Spirit’s leading, and who seek not only our own well-being, but the flourishing of our neighbors.

With hope and gratitude,

Pastor Brittany Leclair