By The Rev. Susan Balfour

Beloved,

Greetings in Christ! I pray and give thanks for you each day. I answered the call to FCPC because I believe in you—my imminent departure doesn’t change that. I regret that I cannot continue to walk alongside you as I had planned, but I know that the path ahead is full of blessings for you, and you full of blessings for the community.

Six weeks into my tenure with you, my husband suffered an experience no one should undergo. It has severely hampered his ability to make Knoxville his home. Nonetheless, you have been the bright spot in an otherwise dark time. Your prayers have sustained us as we have grappled with the aftermath of that tragedy. Greg is grateful for the love you’ve shown him, and for the prayers you’ve offered on his behalf.

While trauma prevents Greg and me from a fulfilling life in Knoxville, we did come here with optimism. We saw wonderful potential in our life here, and in you. We both deeply regret the way one person’s weakest moment initiated a chain reaction that deprives us of peace of mind and you of a pastor mentally and emotionally able to meet your needs. 

You may have met my cousin Mary and her son William at my installation service. I have often teased Mary that she lives in my vacation home! Greg and I were married in her backyard on the banks of the Hillsborough River, and it is a place of peace and rejuvenation for both of us. Mary and I are close; we’ve traveled together extensively, and Greg and I have spent our vacations with her for many years. Her Tampa home is our second home, and she has offered her in-law suite as a landing pad for us while we sort out our next steps. Greg is familiar and comfortable with the area and has come to call it home. I grew up in South Florida, and the prospect of returning to tidal waters, ocean breezes, salt air, sawgrass plains, and mangrove forests brings Jimmy Buffet’s Changes in Latitudes to life.

Again, please know that I love FCPC and I believe in you. I know you have something to offer that other churches don’t. I know that you are a haven for people who have learned that not every “All Are Welcome” sign is sincere. I know you offer a theological counternarrative that fills unmet spiritual needs in the broader community. You are a beacon of hope for those who feel the church has no room for them.

I will always cherish the relationships I’ve forged here. And I will always lament the relationships that never came to fruition. I hold you all in my heart and prayers, and I entrust you to God’s guidance as you navigate the next phase of your life and journey together. I pray you remember me fondly, as I will always remember you.

With my deepest and most ardent prayers for you, I am yours in Christ.

Rev. Susan