OC Grace Church Family,

I am so thankful for the over 3 and a half years of ministry here in Orange County. My family and I came here to Southern California with a dream of what community could look like. We wanted to create a safe place for messy, chaotic, and exciting community to thrive.

We came here with a little under 65 regular attendees in first service and have watched as more and more people walked through the doors hungry for a different kind of church experience — and I believe they found it here with over 260 weekly attending. Our post teaching study grew from 15 to sometimes over 70. That became a sacred time in which we would ask questions and delve into the ideas taught that morning.  I saw people from all ideologies, faiths, Biblical interpretations and cultures come together and find ways to discuss opinions and interpretations without the angry banter and accusatory finger pointing. It was heaven on earth. We grew and challenged one another always walking away with a deeper love and appreciation for community.

As we grew, we expanded this culture of kingdom now living through church parking lot movie and barbecue nights in which we’d invite friends and community members in this special space. Date nights with free babysitting as well as open gym nights where my age showed up in sprained ankles and out of breath conversations. It was an absolute joy. Rock climbing, laser tag, paintball, coffee shop conversations with YAs will all be missed.

Many have asked the question, why leave? What happened? There have been all kinds of speculations from Conference action to death threat emails. Because of that I’d like to clear the air in a restorative way. I was hired here almost four years ago. Like you, I am a different person from where I was four years ago. My understanding of the world, God, culture, history has continued to move, change, shift and grow. In some ways this change has been threatening to some, in other ways it’s been welcomed and used to re-frame conversations of Adventist identity. The reality though is that I have changed and some of my views have made leadership uncomfortable. I take full responsibility for my theology, my ideas of history and my hermeneutic toward the Bible. I also understand this hermeneutic is potentially a decade ahead of it’s time and doesn’t always fit a large portion of the church. I was hired to pastor the ENTIRE church and I understand my views don’t always line up with the church as a whole and because of that the conference and I and leadership of the church mutually agreed to move onto the next thing.

While the process may not have been perfect, I do believe our leadership here did the very best they could. When I put myself in their shoes I must also admit I probably wouldn’t have known how to navigate it perfectly either. Because of this I would ask that you show grace to all involved — it’s the Christ way of living well. We grow, we change, we move, we disagree and we learn to do it with love and grace.

I will find new ways of doing life and continue sharing online podcasts, blogs, and videos and speaking where I am invited and would be honored if you kept my ministry as well as family in your prayers. If you’d like to donate to this online ministry click here.  I was honored and blessed to have been a part of this community and truly wish to say only the best of the local church as well as the conference.

If we see each other in the grocery store I hope we’ll greet one another with carts full of shiny junk, good food and bear hugs. When we meet in line at Starbucks may we shake hands and drink fully of life together as we purchase our caffeinated beverages.  When we see each other at school events I hope we’ll have nothing but positive and loving conversations that bring life and repair to the world around us.

I have been blessed to share this space with you and wish all of you well. With much love and grace,

Tony Wuerfel