A Letter from Rev. Katie Miller

To First Central:

Around 6.5 years ago, I arrived at First Central to be your Associate Minister for Student and Family Life.  I wasn’t fully sure what to expect of the place and of myself: my father had just died, I had just finished grad school and moved across states, etc, but I immediately knew for sure that I had been spirit-led to the right place and time.  The welcome was warm and the support of the community was tight, and that has never wavered once.

We’ve been through a lot together, you and I.  There’ve been a few contentious elections, a global pandemic, and also divorces and marriages, births and deaths, budgets and shortfalls, Advent plays and quarantine Sunday school videos.  I’ve been blessed to be a part of your lives and for you to be a part of mine, watching children grow up, friendships grow out, events succeed and fall flat.  And I’ve been lucky to be able to do this alongside you all as well as a staff that now feels far more like family than coworkers.  For 6.5 years, I have been blessed to be a part of a church community that truly understands what that means:  care and compassion, love and support, community and togetherness enacting the kindom of God here on earth in all that we do.

… you can perhaps see where this letter is headed.  It is unbelievably difficult to imagine leaving this place that has become home.  And yet, the annoying thing about having pledged to listen to the call of the Spirit as minister is that moving on and forward is occasionally an inevitable part of that call.

This past weekend, I was called to be the new settled solo pastor at Vermillion UCC in Vermillion, South Dakota.  I believe it to be a wonderful and spirit filled place, much like First Central is, and I was honored and excited to accept their call.  I do not know an official transition date yet, as those details can take some time to work out, but I’d imagine it to be sometime between May-June.  In speaking with Scott and Marian, we thought it important to at least have this knowledge in the community prior to the Annual Meeting this coming Sunday.

I confess that I’m not always good at goodbyes, particularly with people and places that I deeply love.  And I know this may be difficult information for the kids of First Central to receive, so if any of you or them would like to talk about it in the next few weeks, please know my door is always open for that.  A bright side of this timing is that the volunteer teachers and youth leaders of this congregation are truly remarkable at what they do, and I feel confident that whatever happens next for the leadership of the church, the young people at First Central will be in wonderful hands.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about things or would like to chat.

With love and gratitude to you all,

Pastor Katie Miller