As a result we resigned our church in Davenport , Iowa
Upon arriving in Des Moines ,
we lived in my mom’s basement while Sarah worked at Urbandale High School
While staining Richard Arrowood’s deck, he was my
Superintendent at the time, he asked if I would do fill-in at Altoona Assembly
of God. I said, “I didn’t know we had a
church in Altoona ?” And he said, “Most people don’t” with a
smile. I said yes and the rest is
history.
Somewhere around 2003 I was officially installed as the bi-vocational
pastor of this little church. We
purchased a home a few blocks away. We
finished my moms house repairs and helped her to get it sold and her moved into
a new townhome.
At that point I dove into the work of being a pastor and a
full-time tradesman (a full life to say the least).
God was good to us. I
had plenty of work and the church seemed to be doing okay. Time passed and as churches often do, we went
through a life cycle or bell curve of change.
New faces, new vision, many projects and actually souls saved and a few
filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
But time, modest income, and the extremes of a 7 day work
week for 8 years took its toll on my life and family.
Each of you members and adherents of the REMEDY church are
so very special to me and my family. We
have grown in the Lord, we have fought battles with the enemy, and we are still
standing to testify of God’s goodness and constant victory.
As many of you know, the last few years have been
exceedingly taxing on my personal life.
Sometimes the result was a loss to the church life and ministry. For that I take full responsibility and am
deeply sorry and repentant.
I am currently in the deepest valley of my life. And the pain of this valley has touched too
many lives to mention. As a result of
this present suffering, and the probability of catastrophic life and family
changes (not withstanding a miracle from God).
I will no longer be able to lead this church as pastor.
It is with deep regret that I resign my position as your
pastor. I love you guys like family;
because you are.
I have met with and received godly counsel from my district
officers and close ministry friends.
That would include one of the most influential spiritual mentors and
friends of my life, Pastor Larry Low.
All of the above mentioned are dear spiritual leaders, whom
I submit to and trust implicitly. Much
time, prayer, counsel and weeping have been mixed into this entire journey and
decision. Therefore, today will be my
very last day as your pastor.
Please pray for such a measure of grace, peace, provision,
and true love to overshadow myself, Sarah, Andrew and Anna, as we together go
through this deep valley of change.
Thank you Father God, thank you Jesus my Lord and Savior,
and thank you Holy Spirit for being my sustaining power and only hope.
I love Sarah, Andrew my son in whom I am well pleased, and
my dear daughter Anna, whose sweet spirit and wit have kept me assured she is
indeed cut from the same fabric as I. The
four of you have been my life inspiration.
Thank you from the bottom of my soul.
And love to the REMEDY church family and the Iowa Ministry
Network of the Assemblies of God. Also, I
would like to thank my friend and Superintendent Tom Jacobs, whose grace,
wisdom and vision have shown me what true leadership is all about. And I deeply thank the Iowa District for
being my ministry home for the past 22 years.
In the days ahead please keep the entire Kinney family in
your prayers. When we see each other,
don’t feel awkward, I won’t. Just stop
and chat. We’ll be around.
May God bless each of us as we endeavor to follow Him all
the way Home!
Pastor Russell A. Kinney
Sunday, October 21, 2012
