It is amazing how quickly a year has gone by; my first Sunday preaching at First, Conroe was September 10th, 2023. The length of our time together came as a surprise for all of us; you were anticipating the Rev. Dr. David Green would return from medical leave, and I would be the temporary pulpit preacher until the end of the year.
Not long before that first Sunday, however, Dr. Green announced he would retire from full-time ministry. I continue to give thanks to David for his work with the congregation. We are, to quote the Letter to the Hebrews, surrounded by a great “cloud of witnesses,” and in this case that means our extended spiritual community that continues to grace us with their work and bless us with their prayers. Please continue to keep David, Leigh, and the Green family in your prayers. To quote one of David’s favorite psalms, Psalm 16: The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
Over the past year, you, as a community, have done outstanding work in moving forward. You have continued to support the church budget. You have continued to gather Sundays for worship and study. You have supported your mission into the community with events like Serve Our Neighbor Day. You are revitalizing your elementary school classes. Presbyterian Day School is thriving. These are all good things. I think the best pastor/congregation relationships are just that: a partnership between pastor and congregation. It is exciting for a pastor to come to a congregation with momentum already in place.
After September 8th, I will continue with the work that I have been doing all along. I am now in the third year of the Ph.D. program in Religion at Rice Uni versity. This year my primary task is to prepare for my four comprehensive examinations that I will take in March 2025. Together, the comprehensive exams are designed to give me a broad and solid reading foundation that I can draw on for the rest of my career. I also continue to teach at the Post Oak High School.
Being with you this past year has been a win for me. After being away from full-time preaching since 2008, I have valued the opportunity to remember the joys of preaching and leading worship. You are also a warm and welcoming community, and FPC has reminded me about what’s special about church: it is the beloved community of memory and hope that binds people together not because of shared politics, not because your kids go to the same school, not because you live in the same neighborhood, but you are bound together in our common calling to love God, follow Christ, and serve His people.
I wish you all the best in the coming days! You can find me in my corner of the internet: www.revgregoryhan.com and greg@revgregoryhan.com. Blessings, Greg
