Published: June 06, 2009 03:58 pm      

VASICEK: Some welcome fresh air

I have served the church I pastor for 26 years. Although the last 10 or 12 can best be described by the word “pleasant,” a few of my earlier years were anything but pleasant. Conflicts, negative personalities, people with agendas and problems made me wonder whether I could stick things out – and sometimes I barely did.

My wife repeatedly urged me to “hang in there.” If it were not for her insistence, I am certain that we would have relocated. Since I have always valued my wife and children’s well-being above ministry or career, I did not want my children to be turned off to the faith, as is the case with many children of ministry (whose parents have frequently relocated – or were treated poorly by church leaders). Fortunately, our church’s lay leaders were strong, men of conviction, and ethical; so were the vast majority of our people. We were able to resolve matters. Not all clergymen are so blessed.

Unlike a mere job, being a minister is not only what you do, it is who you are. If I resigned my ministry, we would also lose our housing, our friends, have to find another church in another area, and scramble to make ends meet during the uncertain transition process. Troublemakers and complainers didn’t care about the impact of their behavior upon us. Their personal agenda was what mattered.

Fortunately, I was able to somehow stick it out, and the dark clouds gave way to lasting bright sunshine.

Because of my experiences, I can relate to the many folks in our community whose jobs seem to be hanging by a thread. Off and on for several years, I lived “by faith,” not knowing whether my stay in Kokomo was near its end or not. I can relate.

For those whose children are grown and who can see their way to retirement, the stress is lessened. But for others – even those with careers in high demand – the stress is intense.

Here are some questions many have been asking in the last couple of years: Should I relocate? Should I seek a new career field and get training? Should I take a buyout or take my chances? What impact would a move have on my junior/senior high children? Can we make close friends, like the ones we have here, elsewhere? If I decide to move, could I sell my house? Would I get established at a new job, only to be laid off? That last question is particularly potent.

Recent news suggests that fewer of us will be forced to ask such questions. According to a recent AP article carried in the Kokomo Tribune, “NEW YORK (AP) – Delphi Corp. said Monday that it has reached a deal to sell some of its assets to a private-equity firm and emerge from bankruptcy protection ... an affiliate of Platinum Equity, will operate Delphi’s businesses both in the U.S. and abroad with about $3.6 billion in emergence capital and capital commitments ... In addition, the Troy, Mich.-based company’s former parent, Detroit-based General Motors Corp., will acquire some of the company’s North American plants, including its global steering business.”

The Chrysler-Fiat deal and the above-cited news regarding Delphi can be compared to a long overdue breath of fresh air. We cannot be sure that this news will result in a constant supply of oxygen to our city, but the prospects seem significantly better than they once were.

If all goes well and Kokomo does remain relatively stable (without massive depopulation), we will still have to recover, much like the victors of war must also recover. Victory is sweet, but remembering our casualties ushers in melancholy. I, for one, have lost some wonderful friends to relocation. Kokomo may one day thrive, but it will never be the same city it once was. But “not the same” does not necessarily mean “bleak.” Let us hope and pray that the best days for the City of Firsts are yet ahead.

• Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune.