An Open Letter from our New Area Minister

Coastal Plains Area
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest

Dear members and friends of the CPA,

It is with great joy and thanksgiving that I bring greetings to you as the Area Minister of the Coastal Plains Area of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Southwest Region! I am truly humbled to have the opportunity to share in the ministries with you and your churches. Thank you for your call and your trust. Together we will listen for God’s voice inviting us to faithful obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ as we work together to serve God’s people!

Eddie and I were still newlyweds when we first moved to the Coastal Plains Area in the spring of 1979. I had left seminary the year before to marry and join him in Charleston, West Virginia. At that time, I promised God that I would serve the church any way that I could until the time might come for me to complete my Master of Divinity degree and be ordained for full-time ministry in the church. Little would I know that I would eventually come full circle, returning to the CPA to serve as Area Minister after all of these years. I count it such a blessing to be invited back to the CPA for such an arduous task. Yet I welcome the years before us to be church—the Christian Church of the CPA.

I look forward to the opportunity to share in worship with you, but will always hold you close in prayerful thought. The blessings and challenges of working together as church warrant our prayers. In Anne LaMont’s novel, Travelling Mercies, she says the two most powerful prayers she prays are “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” and “Help me, help me, help me!”. When words are hard to come by, we shall offer the same prayers for one another!

By now you have probably heard about the New Model for Area Ministry that has been named and claimed by the Coastal Plains Area. I look forward to taking my place in this Model, and offer you my best efforts to serve as the Area Minister. Others will be leading in our shared ministries, for which I am most thankful. Yet I look forward to being with you as well. Be assured that it is an honor to receive your call.

I have already heard of the great ministries shared by congregations in the Coastal Plains Area can hardly wait to see them first hand. Let us join together praying for God to be with us as we enter this journey of shared ministry together as brothers and sisters in Christ who love and support the work of the CPA.

Grace and peace,
Peggy Edge
Area Minister