A Note from Ashley 

Dear Church Family,

Throughout my seminary journey, I did not have a career goal but simply desired to learn. I trusted that even if the knowledge I gained served only to become a better mother in raising my daughters, it would be worth it. I did not think I would come to the end of the 3-year journey and be faced with the fact that I must find a full-time career to support myself and my daughters.

Just months before I became a part of the family here, I was enduring the most difficult transition of my life. As I weighed the pros and cons of each job offer, I narrowed it down to two. One was to be the associate minister here and the other was to be the senior pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, GA. Through prayer and seeking the advice of many trusted voices in my life, I believed that the best decision at that tumultuous time was to choose to be here with you.

 You invited me in with open arms. You made me feel loved as you came alongside of me in caring for Siamoy and Soghra. You trusted me with your stories and concerns.

 What I never expected to happen was for Maranatha to surprise me in a big way. When I told their congregation that I had accepted another offer, they asked me to consider coming the following year. I did not ask them to put their search on hold. I told them I didn’t even know what the next day held, much less the next year.

However, Maranatha did not relent. As much as I do not wish for yet another year of major transition for me and my daughters, I cannot shake the stirring I sense in my soul that I am called to pastor. It has taken many years for me to let go of the theological views that insisted women could not lead. Many of you have offered words that have encouraged me in this calling, and you had no idea of the wrestling taking place inside of me.

It is with this information that I inform you of my resignation. My final Sunday will be April 28, 2024.

I ask for your prayers. Candidly, I seem to carry so many emotions within me regarding this calling. It is no small thing that a Baptist church, only recently separated from the Southern Baptist Convention, is calling a woman to be their pastor.

Thank you for allowing me to serve alongside of you. I know I have grown in my time here and though my time was much shorter than I would have ever imagined, I earnestly hope that I have helped some of you grow as well. 

With Gratitude,
Ashley Guthas