October 9, 2022
Dear Monterey Church family,
One of the wisest men who ever lived wrote, “To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Such is the case with the matter I bring before you on this Pastor’s Appreciation Day.
With prayerful consideration and after consultation with my family and physicians, we have concluded it is the season and time to retire from the full-time pastorate effective January 1, 2023.
As most know, I retired from law enforcement after 30 years of public service. 2022 will bring a close to 30 years of ministerial service. Even so, this decision has been hard very hard! It was not made lightly nor easily. Yet, Jackie and I made the decision that the time for this has indeed arrived.
God has certainly been gracious allowing Jackie and me to do ministry together, really since we first met in 1975 in Athens, Ohio. We could not have asked for more support, love, and care from the different congregations we have served in various capacities. Now we’re excited to see what God has in store for us in this next phase of our lives.
I want to share our appreciation to have walked with you through all the ministries here at Monterey. It has been an honor to journey with you through your many personal joys and sorrows throughout the years. Those memories will always be cherished.
Jackie and I will be remaining in Milford because it’s home. She will continue with her on-line classes at Southern Seminary in order to complete her Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling. We know God is already preparing us for new opportunities to continue to serve Him in the years to come. It will just be in a different capacity.
So, what are the next steps for Monterey? Already, your leadership team and I are taking the appropriate steps to provide stability and continuity as the search for a new pastor begins.
Please keep this entire transitional process in your prayers as we move forward, seeking God’s will for the future at Monterey Baptist Church.
In Christ and with much love,
Daryl L. Poe, D.Min
Pastor
