Tyler Road Pastor Turns Eyes to Texas

News: HOKSBA
Sunday, January 1, 2006

Amid tears and hugs, the people of Tyler Road have begun to say goodbye to Pastor Bryan Richardson, who announced Sunday, December 11th, that a Baptist church in Texas had voted to bring him on staff as pastor. After eight years at Tyler Road, Bryan and Linda and their family will soon be making their way to Corpus Christi, where Bryan will become the pastor of Riverwood Church.

Here is the text of Bryan's statement to the church on Sunday:

The longer I live, the more convinced I become that God really does love me. Why else would he have blessed me with all the people and circumstances in my life? Those people include you. You have no idea how you bless me. And sometimes I miss it. But other times, I just get all filled with amazement at the blessing I have of knowing and living with and working with you. When it's hard or when it's fun, it's all blessing. Here lately I've been thinking about that blessing more and more because of something that has begun to stir in my life.

A few months ago, some people I met began to have some conversations with me, and those conversations kept leading to more conversations. Finally, it became obvious to me that a new path was opening up. Well, here's the upshot of it all.

A Baptist church in Texas has voted to bring me on as pastor. I have told them yes. My last Sunday here at Tyler Road will be January 15th of 2006. After that time, I'll leave to become the pastor of Riverwood Church in Corpus Christi.

Linda Lee and I have had a very intense experience over the past few months in coming to this decision. We've talked with God and with each other. We decided to walk through all the doors as long as they kept opening. Well they kept opening and we kept walking, and here we are telling you we're headed for Riverwood.

You are our friends, and you are our children's friends. Linda Lee and I have seen God here. You have helped our children come to know Jesus. We're finding it extremely difficult to tear ourselves away from daily life with you. At the same time, we strongly believe that God has placed this opportunity in front of us, and we're excited and eager to experience the life that's ahead as we follow him.

A little over a year ago, I told you one Sunday about some of the heart-shaping experiences I've had with you over the years. We were looking at the "one anothers" in the New Testament that day. I looked back over those words I spoke, and they still sum up how you have impacted my life. Here's what I told you: "Never before have I been prayed for more faithfully, talked to as frankly, corrected as sternly, mentored more patiently, encouraged more strongly, admonished as lovingly, listened to more attentively, been served more unselfishly, instructed more hopefully as I have been here at Tyler Road." I don't know any better way to say it.

For me to have the privilege of intersecting your lives for these years is an honor that I don't deserve. To feel your love for me is a blessing that has kept joy flowing no matter what. It's a sad thing, but some people who spend a good part of their lives in church work become bitter towards the church. Not so with me. Your love, which begins with God, has made it possible for me to love the local church more now than when I first met you. I love you very much.

The Tyler Road family will spend this month bidding farewell to the Richardsons, and many prayers go up for them and for the path that now lies in front of Tyler Road. Though the difficulty of saying goodbye is very real, these are exciting times in both Wichita and Corpus Christi!