Meet the Team: Lorrin Radzik

May 22

I didn’t go to seminary to close churches. And yet, God calls us to and equips us for ministry in mysterious ways.

I’m an ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church and have served in three Annual Conferences (New England, Wisconsin, and East Ohio.) In my 10 years of appointed ministry, I’ve served 8 churches in various configurations: ¼ time as a student pastor, ½ time while nannying for an amazing family, as an intentional interim for six months, and full time in single point and two-point charges.

In all of those churches, I’ve been the person charged with doing the hard work of truth-telling and helping congregations take off their rose-colored glasses to see what is right in front of them. I’ve been the one to sit in meetings saying things like: “Friends – I’ve done the math. At the rate you’re spending down your reserves, you have less than a year left before you run out of money.”.

I had the incredible privilege and the monumental challenge of walking with two congregations through the process of closing their doors. My ministry has been characterized by providing pastoral care to those who are grieving what their church once was and to those who are grappling with what the church looks like now..

My current appointment is no exception. As a full-time pastor of The United Methodist Church of Macedonia, we are in a process of strategic planning and reimagining their ministry for the future. After two plus years of living through the COVID-19 Pandemic (as we all have), ministry here does not look like what it has in the past.

And yet, the wonderful and beautiful thing is that God is with us in the midst of the messiness. Our story is a part of God’s story. It’s a resurrection story, even if we don’t know what the end looks like yet! I’m excited and hopeful about the process that we have begun here and looking forward to all the twists and turns that we will experience as we follow the Spirit’s lead.

Outside of my appointment in the local church, I coach people and congregations who are making tough decisions in their ministries, including those who are walking toward closure. I’m thrilled to be a part of the Good Friday Collaborative because I know how valuable it would have been to have others walk with me through the difficult days of church closure.

I’m passionate about providing good pastoral care in light of ministry endings, connecting people to new ministries, and helping us embrace the resurrection story as a part of our story too.

If we really believe what we preach, then resurrection is real, and we should embrace it! The closure of a congregation, the ending of a ministry, and the goodbyes that we say are not the end of our stories, but instead, new beginnings and opportunities to see God at work. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, but in my experience, it’s always been worth it.