Dear Caldwell,
As you know, since January, Caldwell has addressed some pastoral responsibilities, specifically worship leadership and pastoral care, through the gifts and leadership of Liz Wagner and Phanta Lansden, both ministry students. After finishing her internship at Caldwell, Phanta has moved into an internship with the Salvation Army. Liz received her Master of Divinity degree last Saturday. After some upcoming travel and final steps with the Presbytery, she will turn her attention to listening for God’s call in ministry.
Given these developments, the Session has been assessing the best structure for our pastoral responsibilities. The Session concluded it was best to seek a 30-hour/week associate pastor, similar to the position held by Rev. Veronica Rogers.
Accordingly, on behalf of the Session, it gives me great joy to introduce our new Associate Pastor, the Rev. Everdith (Evie) Landrau. Evie, 28, will join our staff at Caldwell June 10. For the last 18 months, she has served as pastor of New Friendship Presbyterian Church, an African-American PCUSA church in Huntersville, NC. Evie holds a BA in Communication and Sociology from American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts (2005) and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, Durham, North Carolina (2010).
The Session and I share the firm conviction that God has called Evie here “for such a time as this” in the evolving life and ministry of Caldwell church. A daughter of an African-American father and a Puerto-Rican mother, Evie describes herself as “Afro-Latina.” She brings experience and passion for multicultural ministry, enormous energy and wisdom beyond her years. She feels compelled by what God and you are doing here at Caldwell and feels blessed to be a part of the emerging story of Caldwell’s ongoing resurrection. There is much to say about Evie but, for now, I will let her “speak” through these quotations from her Personal Information Form.
- I am called to serve a church or organization who seeks to be faithful to Jesus’ call to evangelism, outreach and discipleship. I feel called especially to a congregation that is progressive and seeks to understand and address the issues and challenges of young adults, children, women and the un-churched
- I am called to serve a congregation that seeks to reach out into the community and touch the lives of people from different backgrounds and ethnicities. More than just ethnic diversity, I look for a place that has a strong focus on the spiritual development of youth and young adults. I desire to capture this generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- The levels of overwhelming stress and anxiety seem to be on the rise everywhere we look. Many people in our churches and communities have lost employment and are dealing with other challenging issues of life. The economic dilemmas facing our nation and seen globally have given rise to feelings of powerlessness, anxiety, depression and have caused constant worry. Many young-adults work more than one job or find themselves under- employed. Many encounter discouragement and may feel the Church is irrelevant. However, more than ever the Church is in a position to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ! Even while the Church itself needs encouragement and deals with many changes; it has the gifts of the Holy Spirit, access to receive the peace of Jesus Christ and the assurance of trust in God.
The Presbytery of Charlotte’s Committee on Ministry has approved Evie’s move to Caldwell and final approval is scheduled for the Presbytery meeting on May 21. Technically, Evie joins us as Temporary Associate Pastor, a designation stipulated by the PCUSA Book of Order that allows for contractual positions. Abong Fankam, who just began as our latest intern, will be with us through July as planned.
Please join me and the Session in offering a prayer of jubilant gratitude to our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer for this and so many other abundant blessings of divine provision in the life of this church!
In Christ,
John