With ‘thankfulness’ , Schuberts say goodbye

GREENFIELD - Pastor Eric Schubert and his family are moving on from their home here in Greenfield next week as Eric has been reassigned from serving Greenfield United Methodist Church to serving Grinnell United Methodist Church beginning July 1.

The United Methodist Church shifts its clery as needs arise around the region. After seven years serving here the Schuberts learned of their new assignment a few months ago. Melinda Stonebraker of Tipton will begin serving in Greenfield in early July as the church’s new pastor .

A drive-by goodbye event for the Schuberts will be 6 to 8 p.m. June 23 at the church parsonage. Drivers are invited to enter the church parking lot via the corner of SW Jackson and NW Fifth St. and exit onto W. Iowa St.

Schubert told the newspaper recently his feelings toward his time here are ones of “thankfulness.”

“Wherever we’ve been, we’re going to engage with the community, make connections and be a blessing inside and outside the walls [of our church],” Schubert said. “If we have been able to be a blessing outside the walls, help in the schools and help wherever else we can, we’re thankful that has been able to happen.”

Schubert is a second career pastor. He attended the Duke Divinity School after teaching various levels of music at public schools in Waukon, Anamosa and Harlan.

While at Duke, Schubert took advantage of a student pastoring program where he pastored two churches while attending classes.

After graduating from Duke, the Schuberts landed in Greenfield in 2013, and they’ve served here since. They have four children.

Schubert’s main goals when he came here were that the church would grow in a tangible way and that it would take care of its own people and community in healthy ways. Looking back, he thinks those goals have been met.

Greenfield United Methodist Church has added a contemporary worship service in Schubert’s time here and they have transitioned from being what Schubert calls a “pastor-centered church,” where the pastor is looked to for direction on everything. Instead, leaders have been developed to lead certain areas.

Schubert will have the opportunity to lead a team of staff members at his new church, including a pastoral assistant and a Christian Education Director.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what things will be like when there’s a decent chunk of things that it’s not my job to think about anymore. How well can I make that adjustment to just let it go and what do I get to do instead as I have extra time for other things? I look forward to seeing what some of that will be like. I pray that I do that well,” Schubert said. “We’ll trust God that as wonderful as all the people in Adair County have been to us that the people of Poweshiek County will be just as awesome.”