Giving Thanks for the Ministry of Rev. Todd Leach
An Update from Session
Dear friends,
Greetings in Christ our Lord! By now you have received the letter from the Reverend Todd Leach sharing the news that God has called him to serve as the Senior Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, New York. As we, the Shadyside Presbyterian Church, prepare to bid farewell to Rev. Leach, we remember with gratitude all the ways his ministry has shaped our identity as a church and prepared us to enter the future God has planned for us. We will deeply miss Todd; his wife, Linda; and their daughters, Nadia and Dhini. Yet we also celebrate their faithful response to God’s call and give thanks for the incredible ways God will work in and through them to bless their new church and community.
Todd has served as our Associate Pastor for Missions for almost fourteen years. In that time, we have been abundantly blessed by his wise and visionary leadership, his caring heart, his thoughtful and inspiring preaching and teaching, and, most of all, his great love for Christ and for our church. Todd has challenged us to think differently about engaging our community and the world beyond, encouraging us to see Christ at work and to participate in that work by building partnerships with God’s people in new and exciting ways.
Linda also has blessed us in the ways she has freely shared her love for the children in our midst, as well as her gifts of teaching, hospitality, and compassion. We have also had the joy of watching Nadia and Dhini grow from toddlers to teenagers, and we so appreciate the ways they have given of themselves in friendship, caring, and service.
The Leaches’ last day with us will be Sunday, August 8. We hope you will join us in celebrating their time among us, and in thanking them for all they have meant to our church and community.
- Please attend worship on August 8 at 11:00 a.m. A Special Meeting of the Congregation will be held in the sanctuary immediately following worship, at which time we will act on the request of Rev. Leach that his pastoral relationship with Shadyside Presbyterian Church be dissolved. It is important to have a good attendance for this meeting.
- After the congregational meeting, all are invited to gather outside in the Fisher Garden for an informal opportunity to greet the Leach family, express appreciation, and offer well wishes.
While we know that, ideally, everyone would participate in these events in person, we also understand circumstances may prevent your attendance. The live worship webcast continues to be available at www.shadysidepres.org/live. In addition, the format of the congregational meeting will be hybrid, so participants may attend online via Zoom videoconferencing. The link, telephone number, meeting ID, and passcode will not be shared publicly in the interest of keeping the meeting secure, but these details will be provided directly to members in a letter delivered by the United State Postal Service and in an email on the morning of Sunday, August 8. (If you have questions or concerns, please contact the church office by phone or email before Friday, August 6, and we will be happy to assist you.)
As an expression of gratitude, you are invited to contribute to a gift for the Leach family, which will be presented to them on August 8. Checks may be sent to the attention of the church finance office, designated as “Leach Farewell Gift” in the memo line. Contributions also may be made online by clicking here; please select “Miscellaneous Revenue” in the drop-down menu on the giving form and include “Leach Farewell Gift” in the memo line. The goal for donations is Wednesday, August 4.
Together, we lift Todd, Linda, Nadia, and Dhini in prayer as they transition to their new home, church, schools, and city. We know that Christ meets them there, having already prepared for them a season of continued growth in their love of Christ and participation in His ministry.
In Christ,
Elder Robert B. Luthultz
Chair, Human Resources Committee of Session