Dan's Farewell Words to Doug and Kim Runyan on Sunday, January 31st

 On Sunday, January 31st, we honored the more than 23 years of "faithful and steady" service that Pastor Doug Runyan and his wonderful wife Kim had offered to our beloved New Bedford Presbyterian Church, as they move on to their new life adventure.  Dan had the privilege to give the farewell words to Doug and Kim, and I find it fitting for me to reproduce his heartfelt words in this space so they can linger and be revisited by those who are still coming to term with the new reality in our church...may the Lord show favor to us and bless us again with another faithful Pastor soon.  In the precious name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen!

I am honored and humbled to speak on behalf of the congregation of New Bedford Evangelical Presbyterian Church on this occasion when we praise God for His faithfulness to us for giving us Pastor Doug and Kim for the past 23 ½ years and thank them for their long, fruitful service.

As time passes, we all become more familiar with the idea of God in Job’s words giving and taking away. With time He gives us much – experience, wisdom, maturity, love, but also a few extra pounds, a wrinkle or dozen, crowns of glory in shades of gray and white.

He also takes – our sin, our rough edges, our loves, our pride, along with our hair, our eyesight, and in some cases our fingers – just checking though, Doug, you came in without a full set of those though, right?

Well, now God is taking away the blessing of having Doug as our preacher and Kim in her ministry, sending them off to their new mission stations, not retirement, of course… and it brings to us that uniquely Christian experience of joyful sadness. This oxymoron-to-the-world is a common reality for us as followers of Christ and all the more so on a day like today.

Doug, Kim, Erin, and Adam came to New Bedford in 1997. The timing in my life was ordained; they arrived just a couple years after my own father passed. Doug showed me how God’s story all comes together, really for the first time I really “got it.” And as a teacher at heart, Doug did what great teachers do – he taught us how to think. And he did what great preachers do – he showed us Christ.

But what kind of tribute to Pastor Doug would it be without a well-structured address of three to five lessons? I want to briefly mention three ways that Pastor Doug showed us Christ: 1) The Way, 2) The Truth, and 3) The Life.

First, Doug and Kim showed us the way, what’s possible. We have kept faith with traditional ministries but the Runyans showed us new ways to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a balance and a blessing. So much ministry and so many memories come to mind from the past two-plus decades. Mission trips to Mexico and Haiti, couple’s retreats, evangelical outreach, supporting missions and missionaries, the church bicentennial, moving to the EPC, commitment to youth -Awana, Breakfast in Bethlehem, youth groups, VBS, Easter Egg Hunts; music - Choir, Men’s Choir, Bell Choir, Cantatas, Dramas, Women’s Association, robust adult Sunday Schools and Circles, officer training, kitchen renovation, and a healthy financial sheet. The possible made real by the leadership of pastor Doug and Kim.

Second, Doug showed us the truth of God’s word, every Sunday from the pulpit. From the basic message of the gospel to the five solas and beyond, Doug preaches the word. We should all be aware of how rare that is. I was on the pulpit nominating committee as we called it in 1997, and there were shockingly few dossiers that came from Bible-believing, scripture-based pastors. Doug’s PIF stood out and he has represented the word of God and New Bedford Church well at Presbytery, in the community, on the board at Seneca Hills Bible Camp, and elsewhere. He stands for truth, which I know is the main reason our church has remained strong under his leadership in a time when other churches are struggling – it’s because we have remained true to God’s word that has been taught to us by Pastor Doug.

Finally, Doug and Kim showed us that the life of the Christian is to have joy in every situation. At a macro level, we’ve seen 9/11, wars, economic crises, and a pandemic. At a closer level, Doug helped us deal with the realities of life, helping us deal with our losses and challenges, while dealing with his own and those of his family, in a public way – the loss of parents, brothers, and grandchildren; the discovery of a new sister. Marriages of their children, Erin and Adam, and births of grandchildren and the growth of their family. Kim’s health scare in Spain. And so much more, not easy on anyone but especially on an introvert. But always the joy, sometimes the silliness and laughter, that puts things into eternal perspective. Kim’s authenticity and honesty has been so refreshing and encouraging to me.

We have lived our lives with Doug and Kim and their family... they have lived it with us for the past 23 years - experiencing the true joy of Christ in the crying and laughter.

Doug’s and Kim’s ministries have shown us the way to live as disciples of Christ. They showed us the truth of God’s word lived out in the world, they’ve shown us the joy of life lived in Jesus.

Today, we are in that state of joyful sadness. Every earthly thing is finite... it ends. Doug and Kim are leaving New Bedford, first to travel the country, then to enjoy a well-earned – new way of living (not retirement).

But what remains is what’s important – and that is their imprint on generations of people, many not yet born, who will benefit from a knowledge and faith in Christ that was preached and demonstrated first by Doug and Kim, Erin and Adam, during what was a blink in time compared to eternity, these lives are but a vapor that vanishes in the wind. But what an eternal impact and what joy they will experience when hearing from of our master, well done my good and faithful servants.

Thank you Doug and Kim – you will always be with us no matter where you go.

Godspeed!