The following letter was emailed to the congregation on March 31 as a followup:
Dear Damascus Road Family,
As we approach Easter, we are reminded that we serve a God who specializes in bringing about new life in the midst of heartache and pain. While we are deeply saddened and are processing the resignation of our Senior Pastor, Rajendra Pillai, we wholeheartedly believe that God is faithful and that He is working for good; He is healing and growing His church through this transition.
We want to thank you for your questions about Rajendra’s resignation and the future plans of DRCC. We have posted responses to the most “Frequently Asked Questions” on the website at damascus.com/updates , and we also invite you to reach out should you wish to connect with one of the Elders to schedule a 20 minute phone call or Zoom meeting to ask any additional questions that you might have.
One very commonly asked question and answer that we would like to highlight is about the leadership structure at DRCC. There are multiple leadership circles that collaborate and work in concert with one another. During his time as Senior Pastor, Rajendra wisely established a Pastoral Leadership Council that is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and ministries of DRCC. This team includes:
Mike Bernoi, Associate Pastor of Adult Congregation
Jason Earle, Executive Director
Paul Foss, Pastor of Outreach and Men’s Ministry
Roger Record, Pastor of Youth and Missions
Michael Yudt, Director of Children’s Ministry
The Pastoral Leadership Council functions under the purview of the Elders and in close collaboration with the Trustees and DRCC staff. Leadership at Damascus Road continues to be characterized by our emphasis on shared leadership and shared teaching. Thus, the Elders, Trustees, and Staff continue to be energized and aligned around our mission to proclaim Christ and present everyone mature in Him! (Colossians 1:28)
Another question that has emerged is “How can I support the leadership of DRCC during this season?" We are deeply grateful for the heart of this community to serve and to be the body of Christ as we join together to pursue God’s will for DRCC through...
Prayer: Join us in prayer for God’s wisdom as we continue with our theme of “HEAL” in the context of our vision to be a “Community of Light by the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ."...because every time we pray, something happens!
Service: We thank you for serving in DRCC Ministries! We are all equally ministers of Christ, and your gifts and talents are invaluable to our community! The Easter season brings many unique opportunities to serve, and you can learn more at damascus.com/easter. Stay tuned for more opportunities to serve in the coming weeks and months!
Love: John 13:35 offers this insight, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” In Philippians 2:1-2 Paul offers this: “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." Ephesians 4:3 calls us to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” We take counsel from Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:11, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
As always, please reach out to us anytime at damascus@damascus.com. We look forward to connecting with you at our weekend services. As we move forward together, we will share updates about DRCC ministries along with news about our formal search for additional Pastoral staff. We are deeply grateful that you are part of the Damascus Road family—thank you for allowing God to work in you and through you in this community! Let’s continue to draw near to Him together at the foot of the cross this Easter season and beyond with great anticipation of what God will do next!
With much love,
The DRCC Elders,
Brian Deyaert, Acting Lead Elder
Glenn Vonk, Acting Secretary
Mike Bernoi, Associate Pastor of Adult Congregation
Paul Foss, Pastor of Outreach and Men’s Ministry
Roger Record, Pastor of Youth and Missions
Michael Yudt, Director of Children’s Ministry
Eric Closs, Elder
Blake Dunlevy, Elder
Amanda Morgan, Elder
Michelle Rader, Elder
Glynn Thompson, Elder