Resignation Letter to Desperation Church

Dear Desperation Church Family,

“The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.” Every time I read this passage from Psalm 37:23 I’m reminded that my life is not my own. I belong to God. Kelli belongs to God. We’ve committed both our individual lives and our marriage to His calling and purpose. We’ve resolved to travel together down the path that He has set before us. We’ve entrusted our steps to Him.

It was God’s leading that brought us to Liberty, Missouri in July of 1995. It was His plan for us to assume the lead pastorship when it became available in June of 1997. He gave us a passion for this city and for more than a decade and a half we’ve developed a love for each and every one of you. The blessings of God have been abundant and you have made this journey so wonderful. I’m convinced that our days here have been ordained by the Lord.

That’s one of the reasons this weekend is so incredibly difficult. Through many months of prayer, and a constant stirring in our hearts, we are convinced that God is asking us to travel down a new path, a path that will lead us away from our Desperation Church family, away from Liberty, and away from full time pastoral ministry. This decision is the most difficult one we’ve had to make up to this point in our ministry and in our lives. The difficulty comes not in saying “yes” to the Lord, but in saying “goodbye” to all of you.

In our hearts we never thought this day would come. I guess that’s why God says in Proverbs 16:9. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” We’ve served here with the mindset that we would never leave. However, when we began our life of ministry together in 1990, it was as a team… and due to Kelli’s persistent sickness, we have not been that team for some time. At one time, Kelli’s fingerprint was all over this church; in the children’s ministry, the women’s ministry, and we’d often have people over for dinner or host Bible studies in our home. Her presence on the front row of each and every weekend service (even when there were three) and every extra class I ever taught, was something I took for granted. None of this has been possible for quite a while. I know that my wife’s absence has hurt our church. I also know that it has affected me personally, more than I can express. I believe this is because our ‘team’ hasn’t been able to be together in the ministry. Truthfully, the agony of Kelli’s physical issues, almost seem to pail in comparison to the hurt of not being able to minister side-by-side. We have prayed long and hard about what it is that we should do, and the Lord has been stirring our hearts that our time at Desperation Church has come to an end. With the counsel received in a recent doctor’s visit, we feel we’ve had this stirring confirmed. It simply is not physically viable for Kelli and I to continue as we are currently going.

This weekend, we are officially offering our 60 days notice of resignation as your pastors, with the full intent to provide transitional leadership according to our church’s Bylaws. During this transitional time we will be working alongside the wonderful leadership of Desperation Church to help things remain healthy and strong here in this wonderful place.

We will be putting our home up for sale soon, and after this time of transition Kelli and I will move to the Colorado Springs, Colorado area. We believe the altitude and the climate could benefit Kelli, and we have some family in the area that will allow us to camp out on their floors for a season. Truly, we have no clue what the future holds. We are truly stepping out in faith believing God to be our Guide and to place us in the center of His will and plan for our family.

Please hear these words from the bottom of our hearts. Though our relationship as your pastors will change, our love for all of you will not. That’s why this is so difficult. We’ve become family over the past 18 years and now we’re moving away from being your pastors. As hard as it is to say goodbye, the fact is we’re still family.

We believe that God directs our steps and promises not to leave us nor forsake us. I’m confident that God will be with my family, and I’m confident He will continue leading this church on to something wonderful. God will not take from one at the expense of another. If God is preparing to bless Kelli and I with something new, then He’s also preparing to bless all of you with an awesome new pastor, a pastor that will be able to take you into the future and strategically meet the challenges of reaching the next generation in this community for Jesus Christ. A pastor that will be even better equipped to lead Desperation Church into the center of God’s will. Kelli and I are hurting for sure, but we really believe that your best days are ahead, and though we will not always be your pastors, we pray that you’ll always think of us as your family.

My heart, and truly my life’s message, have always been to keep our eyes on Jesus singularly and to do everything with passion, especially live for Him. This will continue to be my prayer… for myself, my wife and children, and for all of you – our Desperation Church family.

Respectfully submitted with love for each of you,

Michael, Kelli, Conor, Kolten, Caleb, Michaela, and Merci Craft