This week, as we gear up for our Annual Meeting we’ll be featuring some of the reports from our 2021 Annual Report. Click here to see our Annual Report.

By Mark Allen

2021 was a good year for our church. I did not say it was an easy year, but we proved that we could withstand an onslaught of tribulations. In fact, I think we are even getting pretty good at it. After being challenged with a worldwide pandemic, we survived -- thrived even. Despite hurt feelings and division over whether to stay the path with our then current pastor or not, we survived a disheartening and stressful voting process. Despite being forced outdoors to worship in our own back yard… we survived. We learned a bit more about one another as one after another of our members took to the podium to lead services week after week. Then, just in time for Easter, our first angel arrived -- the angel of our recent past -- Pastor Michael, who arrived with his wife Laurie and joined us to lead holy week. Then just a short time later our next angel came to us, all the way from Carlsbad, and viola! Pastor Nerice climbed aboard and led us through the continuing process of our healing, growing, and recovering. Her input was invaluable at a time when we needed it. She was able to step aside to allow room for a new permanence to begin, as Pastor Wes comes back to join us again… and this time he’s a grown up, so he gets the big office. The optimism is obvious. We are smiling again. We all deserve a generous portion of accolades for getting through the difficult times with only a small pittance of bickering and disagreement amongst ourselves, and very few stones being thrown at the leadership.

As you read the other reports of the boards and committees, please give some thought to the effort, time, and resources those groups expended to get us to where we are now. We cannot thank them enough for not quitting when we were facing some pretty daunting and sometimes overwhelming situations. Hopefully, after our climb this year, maybe this time next year we can find a few areas where we can coast downhill for a bit. As I write this report for my first and last time, I cannot help but be thankful once again for the three-plus years before me that Susan Bender gave her services as our Moderator… never giving up all the way to the end… and leaving us teed up for the success that we have recaptured over this past year. She is sincerely missed. Thank you for the opportunity you gave me to serve. Now let’s all go make 2022 even better.

Mark Allen has served as the Moderator of FCC Ramona throughout 2021. His even-handed and thoughtful leadership has carried the church through one of our most difficult times. In 2022, he will be serving as the Chair of our Staff and Pastoral Relations Board.