The Times They Are A-Changing

I am involved in professional or vocational transitions. At the beginning of this past academic year, I retired as an Adjunct Professor with The Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. From their beginning in 2002, I have taught Spiritual Formation courses; Pastoral Care and Counseling courses; and developed and taught the Contextual Ministry or practice of ministry courses. I was honored by being invited to be the Graduation speaker in May. I have had all of this year’s graduates in my classes and I am committed to their well-being and ministry I have been with the Interfaith Counseling Center from its beginning in 1995. As of July 1st, I will become the Co-Clinical Director of the Interfaith Counseling Center. I will share the responsibilities for quality therapy with a co-worker whom I trust and have worked with for many years. I am also training a young lady who will take over the administration aspects of the Counseling Center. These two moves are the result of a growing awareness that some transitions need to be made at the Counseling Center. I will continue to see clients and spiritual directees at the Center. I am, however, beginning the process of releasing some of the responsibilities at the Center to younger folks who have their own hopes and goals for themselves as well as for our Counseling Center. Any transition has both joy and grief. I will grieve or miss being the Director of the Counseling Center. I confess that I like to be in charge. My Enneagram is clearly a 2 but with a strong 1 and 3 wings. 2’s are the care-givers; 1’s like to make reforms or make things better (according to their ideas of what is better) and 3’s are achievers, they like to be in charge. “Yes,” those of you who know the Enneagram, I test strongly with both wings--I don’t easily fit into categories. My new task is to learn how to “let go.” Letting go means that I will need to adjust to new ideas, patterns, decisions, etc. that are not my ideas, patterns or decisions. I will always care about but no longer have the responsibility to care for the Center. Whatever else is involved in letting go, learning the difference between “caring about” and “caring “for” is significant. There is also joy in this transition because these new folks bring new energy and ideas. How or where they will lead the Center into the future is unknown to me. I trust them and acknowledge that things will change. They will have their own dreams and ideas. Will we move to a larger facility? Will we add additional Therapists? If so who will we add--one of the young persons is focused on neuroscience—how significant will that become? Another has been doing webinars-- will the Center offer webinars? During this COVID pandemic we have had to do virtual therapy. Our client load, via virtual therapy, has grown about a third this past year and expanded to surrounding states. It is going to be an exciting adjustment as well as a joy to see these new persons discern and guide the Interfaith Counseling Center into new ways of ministry.