Greetings to all of you in the Name of Jesus Christ! I am writing to you today with a tender and grateful heart. What follows comes from much prayer, discernment, and love, and I share it with deep care for you and for the life we have shared together as a church.

Attached you will find my official letter of resignation as pastor at the Mantua Center Christian Church. Our last Sunday together will be February 22, 2026. I believe deeply that God not only calls us into places of ministry, but also in time calls us out, always for the sake of faithfulness and new life. While this news will likely come with surprise, sadness, and uncertainty, please know that Christin and I hold nothing but profound gratitude and affection for this congregation and for the many years of ministry we have been blessed to share with you. Nothing has happened to initiate this, outside of the shift in my call to ministry into something new.  

I want to reassure you that this transition is already being held with great care and intention. I am working closely with our leadership team (Board Chairs and Elder Chairs), and we are grateful that we will be accompanied and supported by our Regional Minister, Rev. Allen Harris, as we begin to plan thoughtfully for what comes next. The well-being of the congregation, continuity in ministry, and faithful discernment are at the heart of these conversations. 

I also want you to know that I remain available to you. I want to meet with you, listen, and answer any questions you have. I had hoped to meet individually with so many of you before this announcement, but the list quickly grew longer than time allowed. Please don’t hear that as distance or lack of care…if you have questions, concerns, or simply need to talk, I genuinely want to be present and accessible in the days and weeks ahead. In addition, our leadership will be setting aside time and space for communal conversations so that we can listen to one another and walk this path together.

This moment will bring a lot of change both in our shared life and, in time, the nature of our relationship as pastor and congregation. I know that change can feel tender and unsettling, even when it is faithful. My family and I are experiencing a great deal of grief alongside profound gratitude and joy of being your pastor for over 17 years. My hope is that we move through this time with honesty, grace, and trust in the God who has been faithful to us before and will remain so still. I hope to see you in these weeks and Sundays ahead. 

“O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good, his steadfast love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

Thank you for receiving these words with the love and care with which they are offered.

With deep gratitude and affection,
Rev. Chad Delaney