The church is named "United" because we oversaw the union of Arcadia Avenue Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church. Both of these churches had long, independent histories. Both of them were reasonably large by our denomination's standards, and uniting them was not an easy task. Thankfully, we were blessed with gifted and supportive leaders who shared our vision for a new beginning and a stronger ministry that would bless our members at the time and generations to come. So, we united, but we also had to unite two distinct ruling bodies, two distinct deacon boards, and two distinct cultures- each of which had always done things "their way." And we each had our own choirs and our own financial assets. These challenges (opportunities) certainly existed, but we also had two experienced "Senior" pastors- both of whom loved to talk, preach, teach, and see things go their way. Some people said they would give us a year or two at best, but we worked together closely for five years... and I enjoyed every minute of it... because I enjoyed working with Randy.
He was a great partner, and I will always value our friendship. He has a masterful grasp of words- their etymology (if that's the right word) and their usage- and he has a seemingly limitless well of knowledge. He knows virtually everything, and he is a respected authority on Lincoln. He also writes song and poems, gardens masterfully, and as far as I am concerned, he has the best grasp of Robert's Rules in the state. All of these things, and more, are true about Randall Saxon, but they are not why I care so much about him. I care for him because he is genuine, at times even vulnerable; I care for him because he really cares about being a "good shepherd;" and I care for him because we shared some important "kairos" moments. On most Friday mornings, we met for breakfast, and I could tell a hundred stories about those meetings. We simply had fun. We shared thoughts that were inane and thoughts that we surprisingly deep. We laughed at things that anyone would've laughed at, and we laughed at things that might have made others "roll their eyes." Being entertainers at heart, we gave our servers a hard time, but there were also times when we listened to their stories... as pastors ought to do... and there was never a time when we were mean-spirited or took another person's inventory. We once put a skit together for a church function. It was pretty much off-the-cuff, but it came out alright. We shared the same stage many, many times, and we shared it with grace and respect. We have different personalities in some ways, but we share many of the same interests, and our church members knew that neither one of us- or even the both of us together- could change a light bulb if our careers depended on it.
Saxon is a good preacher, and an even better teacher. He and Anna have a wonderful family and I wish them the best because Randy is retiring this fall. He will be missed. He has touched the lives of many people- many of them in powerful ways- and he has left a huge footprint in Peoria. My friend is not perfect. He's a bit of the absent-minded professor and he tends to schedule too many things at the same time. Both of these traits can be frustrating at times... but he is passionate about the things he loves, and he loves the right things. He has a pastor's heart, a professor's mind, and a host of well-developed talents. One of them-it turns out- is being a very good Co-Pastor. The church we united will always be a shining moment for me, and he will always be my friend. The good doctor is simply delightful.
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