HOULTON, Maine — Leaving a church position is not like most jobs, since the people they serve often become an extended family.
That is why leaving the Houlton Wesleyan Church after 17 years was such a difficult decision for Dave Rowe.
A youth pastor at the church since 1997, Rowe stepped down to take a position at Cross Point Church in Fredericton, N.B. A farewell gathering was held for Rowe and his family Sunday evening at the Houlton Wesleyan Church with more than 200 people attending.
“It’s bittersweet, because this place (Houlton) is home,” Rowe said. “We have lived here in Houlton for 29 years. Vicki (his wife) and I raised our children here. This is home.”
Rowe was named the new assistant pastor at Cross Point Church, where he will also serve as the director of student ministries, work with local and global missions with the church, and focus on community connections.
“I am really looking forward to this opportunity,” Rowe said. “It was a shock when they (Cross Point) came and asked me if I was interested. There have been several times I have been approached over the past few years, but this time it felt different. I couldn’t shake it. It just seemed like the Lord was saying ‘Go have a serious conversation.’”
The Cross Point Church has about 450 members, he said. The church also serves as a draw for the 5th Canadian Division Support Base in nearby Gagetown, N.B.
Prior to joining the Houlton Wesleyan Church, Rowe worked in education and was a manager at the local McDonalds for a number of years starting in 1987.
“I was hoping to get into teaching because working with teenagers has always been one of my passions,” he said. “I wanted to teach high school and started at Region 2 with Jobs for Maine Grads.”
Rowe worked in that capacity for 10 years before becoming the youth pastor at the church.
“Dave leaves big shoes to fill in a role that has touched not only our church, but the community as a whole,” Pastor Wayne Robertson said. “Both he and Vicki have had a huge impact in our community, for which we are very thankful for.”
