Herewith the letter David wrote to the parish he serves in Houston-KSH.
Dear Apostles Family,
I am writing to share that I have accepted the Lord’s call to be the next Rector of Holy Cross Anglican Church in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. We are so sad that our time at Apostles is coming to an end.
It has been an unexpected journey for us that began when we were contacted by Bishop Chip Edgar of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina who asked us to consider this call. We brought this ministry opportunity to the Lord and asked Him to reveal His will. In our process of discernment, the Lord has given us a deep peace and confirmed His call through his Word, wise counsel, and circumstances.
We love you, our Apostles family, and serving as your shepherd the past six years has been a joy and privilege. Leaving is heart-wrenching for us. We can’t begin to express how grateful we are for you. We have been through so much together — from Harvey to COVID, joyful celebrations and times of deep grief, growing in number and maturity in the Lord. We have witnessed and shared the love of Christ together.
Based on the counsel of our Bishop, we believe it would be most caring to Apostles for our departure to be within the month. I know this feels short, but we believe this will provide enough time for us to effectively hand-off responsibilities and say our goodbyes. It will also free Apostles to enter fully into an important time of transition and discernment. Therefore, my last day as Rector will be Sunday, November 5th.
I know there will be many questions as a result of this news. Bishop Lowenfield will help shepherd Apostles through this transition and work closely in support of our Leadership Council in the months ahead. Our Senior Lay Leader, Scott Phillips, and Junior Lay Leader, Mike Foderetti, will be sharing more information about the transition and I will be working with the staff team to help prepare them for this interim period.
Even as our time here ends, I take great comfort in knowing that Apostles will continue to thrive and bear witness to Jesus Christ, our True Shepherd. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” It has been a blessing to help water what others planted and God has grown. Apostles is blossoming into a beautiful, Gospel-centered, disciple-making community and we can’t wait to hear stories of God’s continued faithfulness.
Thank you for praying for our family and know that we are praying for you. Pray for one another and trust that God is faithful. He loves His church. All glory to Him.
Blessings in Christ,
(The Rev.) David Cumbie
Lead Pastor
Church of the Apostles
David Cumbie of Church of the Apostles, Houston, called to be new rector of Holy Cross, Sullivan's Island #SouthCarolina https://t.co/0ylo4poNBE #parishministry #lowcountrylife #anglican #religion #faith #transition #leadership #marriage #family #children #texas #acna pic.twitter.com/oAsFYduwBZ
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 18, 2023