Dear UCC Seneca Valley Community,
It is with a mixture of emotions, including both love and grief, that I share with you the news that I be resigning as your Pastor as of April 30th, 2025.
For eight and a half years I have had the amazing privilege of being your Pastor, of collaborating with you on all sorts of projects and possibilities, and of walking with you through life’s journeys. You called me to ordained ministry and took a chance on me in the hope that I would grow into the leader this church needed. I gave everything I had to that effort. I have thought of you all and prayed for you more than you will ever know, and you will each be permanently etched in my heart. I am beyond grateful that God called me to serve this fantastic community.
And yet, sometimes God places new calls on our lives. Even when we love and deeply cherish the community we are a part of, God can put new paths in front of us. God can shine a metaphorical bright star in the sky that we cannot help but follow. And just like those Magi we’re talking about in worship this month, I am being called to go on a new adventure to seek and serve Jesus.
It is my joy to share with you that I have been selected to be the next Associate Conference Minister of the Central Atlantic Conference. I will be tasked with supporting all of the congregations of the Potomac and Chesapeake Associations and I will be the voice of the Justice and Witness ministries for the whole conference. Some of you may remember that the Rev. Marvin Silver filled this position until this past June. Now I am honored to be following in his footsteps and to put my own creativity and passion into building a wider church ministry with our UCC sibling congregations in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
Please know that it has not been an easy decision to follow this call, even as prestigious and expansive as it is. It is difficult to leave UCCSV. Our ministry together has been deep, and wide, and full. You have invited me to welcome and baptize your children and grandchildren. I have walked with you through life’s difficulties and celebrated with you in times of joy. I have grieved with you, prayed beside hospital beds, and presided over memorial services. It will always be one of the highlights of my ministry career to have been able to reaffirm the baptisms and affirm the names of some of the transgender members of our congregation. Together we’ve hosted community festivals and events, held a Black Lives Matter Community Art Share, gone to protests, hosted a gun buyback, started a Little Free Personal Care Pantry, celebrated Pride, held our first Drag Sunday, educated ourselves about all manner of justice issues and theological musings, worked extensively to encourage voting, eaten more meals together then I can count, gone on retreats, met in small groups, and so much more. We survived over 20 months of online worship through the pandemic and emerged with a commitment to hybrid worship that has resulted in excellence with our zoom worship experiences. And I’m beyond proud of our most recent community outreach efforts in hosting and volunteering for the Let’s Read tutoring program giving several local students the gift of a safe and encouraging space to learn how to read so that they can succeed in school.
This church has been and will continue to be a vital part of the upcounty area. I know that the ministry of UCCSV is transformative for those who need to hear that they are made in God’s image and are beloved of God. That’s why I’ve been so proud to be your Pastor and that’s why I will continue to be proud of you in the years to come as your Associate Conference Minister. The strategic plan that we have been working on for the last year and a half can be a road map to you as you look to begin to chart a course beyond my pastorate. This work does not depend on me. It is the work of the whole church, and I have every confidence that you can do that work with God’s help. It is my deepest hope that in the months to come you will lean in and deepen your commitment to this beloved community through strong attendance, leadership, financial support, and prayer. What we have built together is too good, too needed in this world, to let anything diminish it. UCCSV’s mission to include all, to deepen connections, to express yourselves, to advocate for justice and to serve our community is bigger than any one of us and it essential in these difficult times.
I know that many of you may be surprised and possibly disappointed or upset because of this announcement. I expect that my leaving will bring up all manner of emotional reactions. My hope is that over the next three months we’ll have time to meet one on one and in small groups to work through many of these emotions, to celebrate the ministry we have done together, and to say goodbye. And I look forward to one more season of Lent with you and celebrating one more Easter Sunday together. (It’s likely that my final Sunday will be the Sunday after Easter, April 27th.) I cannot emphasize enough that it is my desire to be fully present with you for as long as I am here-- for pastoral care, for support and guidance, to lead you in worship, and to pray with you.
In May I will begin as your Associate Conference Minister which means our relationship will change. I will no longer be your Pastor. You will need to make room in your heart for whoever gets the privilege of leading you into the future. However, you will still see me at Association and Conference events and through our work together on justice and witness efforts. This will be a delicate transition and I appreciate your willingness to help me hold boundaries around our changed relationship. More information about my transition and about how UCCSV will more forward after I leave will be shared with you over the next several weeks.
I know that change is never easy, but regardless of how our paths are about to diverge, this is the good news: that God goes before us, whether we are gathered or scattered. That Jesus Christ walks beside us no matter where our journeys lead us. And that the Holy Spirit always swirls in and around us, making way for new life to flourish. Know that I will continue to pray for you, always, as I hope you will continue to pray for me.
In Peace and Love,
Pastor Holly
