Free in a Fortnight

Well I did it….I marched into work on Saturday and gave my two weeks notice.
Not quite as dramatic as outright quitting, but just as effective in the long run.
I only have to work one day this week and my manager-from-hell is on vacation next week (at least that’s still her plan) so my contact with her will be limited.

I told her that I’m going to spend the summer doing pulpit fill-ins (which is true) and I want to take some time off before I start school in the fall. She gave me the “you’re-such-a-wonderful-worker- I’m-sorry-to-see-you-go” speech and surprisingly didn’t try and talk me into staying until the end of the month, when her vacation and Steve’s potential transfer would all be settled. I did tell her a few weeks ago that I may be leaving as early as the end of May (instead of the end of July, as I told her when I was hired) and thankfully she’s such a poor listener all she heard was ‘I’m leaving in May’ so my two-weeks notice didn’t come completely out of left field.

So, in two weeks I will be free!

I already have two pulpit-fill in dates lined up for June, and there may be more to follow.
A member of my church has a friend who belongs to a Disciples of Christ congregation in town that’s losing its minister at the end of May. She recommended me (thanks E.!), gave them a sample sermon and they asked me to preach two Sundays in June and possibly more in July/August.
It’s a small congregation with mostly older members, its not a denomination that I’m overly familiar with, they tend to prefer a ‘more literal’ reading of the bible, and this particular congregation has never had a woman in the pulpit before.
Sign me up!

They also asked me if I wouldn’t mind sitting in on a couple of board meetings as a ‘ministerial presence.’ I reminded them that I’m not ordained and technically I won’t even be a ‘seminary student’ until September, but that didn’t seem to matter.
Apparently their members need an outside influence to keep them in line during board meetings, especially now that they have to deal with the search for a new pastor…because “you know how older people can get set in their ways and be resistant to change.”
Gulp….isn’t that what an interim pastor is for?
Apparently, I’d be the one of the interim-interims brought in to fill the gaps while they decide on an official-interim.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire…
At least I won’t have to ask them “will you be using your B*orders Rewards card today?”