Changes

Tim Foster preached his first sermon at IPC as an intern in the summer of 2006. The Johnson family was away on vacation, of course. When I returned to the church office, I was greeted in the hall with questions by Art Broadwick, who, as many of you will know, is not given to exaggeration. Our interaction went like this:
     “Have you listened to Tim’s sermon?”
“No.”
    “Extraordinary.”
“Extraordinary?”
    “Extraordinary!”
By any standard, especially that of an intern just graduated from seminary, it was an extraordinary sermon. For 15 years we have been treated to Tim Foster’s excellent sermons, and in my opinion, his even more excellent classroom teaching. Gifted with a million-dollar voice, a logical mind, and near perfect word choice, Tim could fill most any pulpit or lectern in all of Christendom.
Tim has received a call from the pulpit committee of Grace Church of the Islands. Confirmation of that call by the congregation should be a mere formality. As he, Caroline, and their children leave they will leave a gap that will be difficult to fill. Your session has asked Matthew Burt to assist with pastoral care, partially filling in the gap left first by Ron Parrish and the additional gap now anticipated as Tim leaves. He will take over the Primes Bible Study and shoulder the regular pastoral care of the elderly part of our congregation.
We have long known that Tim needs to be preaching every Sunday. His opportunity to do so finally has arrived. We pray weekly that the pulpits of the nearby PCA churches will be filled by men who philosophically are compatible with us. Grace Church of the Islands’ decision to call Tim Foster answers both needs: weekly preaching for Tim, and a fellow colleague in Savannah.