Rev. Michael Oberlender
Regional Moderator
As your moderator, I have the sad and yet celebratory duty to share with you that our Regional Minister, Rev. Pamela Holt, has prayerfully decided to close a chapter in her ministry as she has delivered to me her Letter of Retirement.
The Regional Board met by Zoom on October 3rd to receive Rev. Holt’s intent to retire on March 1, 2024. This letter is shared below. Many shared their excitement for Pam and sadness for us, which some of you may share in similar feelings as you read this article. In the nine years of her ministry, Rev. Holt has aided this region to build strong communities of faith as we work hard to fulfill the ministry God has called us to do.
And now, what will the next few days and months look like for the Region:
- I am going to be working with the Executive Committee to begin the process of calling an interim regional minister.
- Your Vice Moderator, Stacy Minnick, will be working diligently to form a search committee to begin the process, with God’s guidance, of looking for our next Regional Minister.
- And the final step in these early stages is your prayers. The process for searching is not a quick one, but a time of discernment, centering, and preparing for our next chapter. This is an opportunity for our Region to take a breath and look at who God is calling us to be. Prayers for the Regional Board and most assuredly the Search Committee are very much welcomed.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me. My cell phone number is 405-519-6542 and email is revoberlender@yahoo.com.
Thank you and God bless,
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Rev. Pamela G. Holt
Regional Minister
Sacred Privilege To Serve
Psalm 36:5-9
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Your judgments are like the great deep;
You save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house.
You give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Dear Oklahoma Disciples,
Nine years ago this past August, I traveled to Oklahoma to visit with the Regional Search Committee. On my return home, Michael Oberlender, the Chair of the Search Committee, called and said, “We’d like to call you as our next Regional Minister.” I was shocked and so excited because this was my dream coming true. In some ways that conversation seems like yesterday. I actually began serving as your Regional Minister on January 5, 2015, and am now writing to share with you my intent to retire, March 1, 2024, after nine years and two months service in Oklahoma.
Over the last nine years, we have re-established our covenant to serve together in ministries that support and nurture the communities in which we live. We have re-connected with one another in worship and learning. We have been empowered to share the love we have been given to be partners in God’s dream of community. We encountered a world-wide pandemic and while it was like returning to the wilderness, we were able to quickly establish new ways of communicating and worshiping together. And even though we are still recovering from the most challenging season we have ever known, we are surviving and thriving. Over the years, some congregations have closed their physical buildings, but the people have found new communities, and they have left remarkable legacy stories for ministry to continue. We have also hit a mile marker in that the Disciples Center has come to the end of the lease agreement that began in 1964. It is time for us to welcome and celebrate new beginnings and new life in the ways we can carry forth the love and light of Jesus Christ into this broken and fragmented world.
I have enjoyed every congregation in Oklahoma in worship, attending a special event, or serving as the advisor during a search & call process. I have enjoyed working closely with the Executive Committee and the Regional Church Board, as well as the Commissions, especially the Commission on Clergy. I have enjoyed the administrative tasks of this position, as well as how I have served the College of Regional Ministers and the General Commission on Ministry. I always find joy in the summer camping program with young people who discover new pathways and adults who are committed to this profound ministry. I cherish the pastoral relationships, providing support and encouragement when needed, celebrating the joys, and providing care and prayer in the the dark, rough places. Most especially, I treasure the extraordinary Regional Staff.
There have been some moments in these years that have broken my heart, but as we picked up the pieces, one by one and put them back together, we discovered new light and new life in ways that we just could not imagine. For these lessons in grace and patience, I am grateful.
Personally, during these nine years, our family has grieved the loss of many family members: Randy’s mother, Anna Rae Holt; his aunts & uncles (some who were Disciples ministers), Mona Holt, Orval Holt, Layton Holt, Susie & Watus Walden; our son, Brook Holt; my uncle, Dwight Green; and my mother, Shirley Green. Abundant joy came as we welcomed our grandson, Quincy!
We are not the same region we were on January 5, 2015 when I arrived, nor am I the same. So much has changed intentionally. And so much has changed that we did not foresee, but God’s goodness and mercy have certainly carried us through every step of the way.
Oklahoma Disciples are a remarkable part of the Body of Christ with many gifted, talented, faithful, and diverse people who belong to Jesus and long to serve to make this Region better in so many ways.
But I am not going to continue this blessed journey with you. Soon, I will have worked for a total of 51 years, 37 of which have been in ministry. I have scheduled my retirement date just past the 30th anniversary of my ordination and serving in full-time ministry. I anticipate that I have about 15 years ahead of me with good health and mobility, and I am looking forward to spending quality time with my horses, my husband, my family, and many friends (yes, in that order!).
Over the coming months, my work will focus on completing this call well by finishing up some of the necessary tasks, still and always sharing the love of God, and helping this amazing Region prepare for its next Regional Minister.
Your Moderator Rev. Michael Oberlender along with Vice-Moderator Stacy Minnick will work together to ensure that an Interim Regional Minister will be called, and they will be appointing a Search Committee soon. Rev. Terri Hord Owens has been informed, and the Oklahoma Region will once again follow the Executive Search Process model. A Regional Minister Search Partner from the College of Regional Ministers will be assigned before I depart to guide this process.
You all have been very gracious to allow me to lead you. I have led well in some ways, I have made plenty of mistakes, and I have learned a great deal. I am deeply grateful that I said “yes” to God’s call to serve in ministry, and I’m even more grateful that I could use my gifts to serve in Regional Ministry, which is where I began 37 years ago! Thank you!
May the Spirit of God continue to enable and empower us all to be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, just as Christ loves us.
Peace & God’s Grace,
