Resignation of Executive Director, Pastor Wayne Harrison

Dear Friends of Crossways,

As many of you have already heard, I have resigned as the Executive Director of Crossways Camping Ministries effective November 30, 2010. This has not been an easy decision for me, but after a great deal of prayerful thought and deliberation, I decided to leave Crossways to join my family in Columbus, Ohio.

My wife Tondi has accepted a position with Nationwide Children's Hospital as a Research Scientist in the Heart Research Center with a dual appointment to the faculty of the Pediatrics Department at The Ohio State University School of Medicine. This is a tremendous opportunity to advance her study of infants born with congenital heart defects. As a multi-generation household, my daughter and son-in-law and granddaughters who live with us have also relocated to Columbus.

Although I keep hearing from people that they've heard I'm retiring, at this point I have no definite plans to retire. I will be taking a personal sabbatical for a few weeks and then explore my options. Since I am not retiring or seeking a call in a different synod, I will be "on leave from call" until I make such a decision.

This ministry with Crossways has grown to be very dear to my heart and it was a difficult decision to leave. As I look around at the three sites and remember them as they were when I arrived back in the cold winter of 2000, I am amazed at just how much has changed. There have been significant improvements in the facilities at all three sites. I believe we have grown in the quality and variety of the programming offered. I am sure there are more than two dozen of our summer staff who have gone on to seminary either for ordination or for masters degrees in youth and family ministry. I have been particularly blessed to have been able to work with the Western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa and the 19 young people who have joined us from the Western Diocese during the summers, and to have visited there three times on behalf of Crossways. I believe that relationship's growth has enriched the camp's program, hundreds of our campers and, in fact, many of the congregations in this association.

There are so many things I will dearly miss and which have meant so much to me. But this ministry has never been about me. I love what we do and believe it is critically important to the lives of so many of God's children. Crossways, and all of you, will remain in my thoughts and prayers always. May God continue to bless this ministry for many years to come.

In His Peace,

Pastor Wayne Harrison
Wayne@CrosswaysCamps.org

Note from the Crossways Board of Directors: Information regarding the farewell celebration to be held October 23, 2010 for Pastor Wayne and the plans for the transition of Executive Director will be sent to congregations in the next week.