November 2 Board Statement

On Thursday, November 2nd, the Board issued a letter regarding our Senior Pastor, Albert Tate, and his leave of absence. In response to this statement, we created this page to serve as a hub for all future updates regarding this situation and any other all-church related news. You can read the letter below.

Fellowship Family,
As we continue to navigate through a pivotal time in our church’s history, we remain committed to open communication and unity within our spiritual family. Today, we bring you further updates regarding our Senior Pastor, Albert Tate, who as you know is on a leave of absence.

Review
Since Pastor Albert’s confession to the Board of limited and inappropriate texting, the Board has been reviewing Pastor Albert’s conduct and leadership, and pursuing a plan for health and restoration. As this private news eventually became public, other concerns were also raised, and it was then we decided a leave of absence could give the Board time to do a broader review and analysis of his leadership, as well as of senior leaders, staff culture, plus fiscal and governance practices. Any line of assertion or questioning raised was pursued with diligence and honesty, as we are committed to doing.

We have now prayerfully decided that a path of restoration is the most appropriate and God-led direction for both Pastor Tate and our Fellowship family.The first step of this longer process will begin this Sunday, November 5, when Albert and LaRosa Tate will be in worship with us in our services, and Albert will share some words of reflection with all of us. We encourage you to attend and to invite others to do so as well.

The specifics of the restoration plan have been discussed with Pastor Tate, and are in various stages of roll-out over the next year. Rest assured the restoration plan is comprehensive, and will include clear support, as well as appropriate accountability measures and benchmarks. Given Pastor Albert’s full commitment to restoration and improvement, the Board expresses its commitment to and confidence in Pastor Albert as he returns to preach and lead our staff in this next season.

Restoration Process
A recently formed Restoration Team– comprised of both highly regarded pastoral and lay leaders drawn from the Board, staff, and externally– has begun work with Pastor Tate. We are very thankful that Pastor Obed Martinez, a very experienced and capable pastor and church leader on our Board, is facilitating this team, and Pastor Albert’s re-entry in leading the staff and congregation again. Since we seek long-term health and restoration for Albert and his family, the staff, and the congregation, we know this will take time and will unfold over 2024.

Return
We look forward to Albert and LaRosa regularly being present with us in worship beginning November 26. That Sunday we also can look forward to the first of four sermons from Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, former pastor of Faithful Central Bible Church, between then and the end of December. Given Pastor Tate’s spiritual posture and the progress being made, we anticipate him returning to the podium and leadership of our church in early January.

Care for Staff
We have developed a care-plan for our staff, which was shared with the leadership team a few weeks ago. This multidimensional approach ensures that we uphold our core values while assisting the staff with the support they deserve. It is not surprising that we are undergoing a lot of staff changes, and we are grateful for each of those who have or are serving on staff. Our pastoral team and dedicated staff and volunteers continue the necessary work to maintain the important ministries they lead. We are incredibly thankful for their service and for your unwavering commitment to the cause of Christ.

Care for Congregation
Our congregational leaders and volunteers also deserve strong affirmation and gratitude for the additional burden this season has placed on them. We will be finding ways for our congregation to process this season, and to find greater understanding and peace about it.

Board Governance and Reset
From the beginning of Fellowship, the by-laws of the church authorized the Board to oversee the lead pastor and the budget approval, and the staff to lead the congregation. This structure needs to be reset based on extensive Board self-examination and critique, as well as congregational input. Fellowship’s organizational and governance structures need to be altered for the health of the church going forward. We anticipate a number of significant changes taking place that we will share with you in the near future.

As we look to the future, let us remember our faith teaches us that in times of adversity, God is still at work, molding us and shaping our path. We invite you to join us in prayer wisdom, healing, and divine guidance for Pastor Tate, his family, the staff, and our entire church family. We know what a difficult season this has been for all of us. “But God, who is rich in mercy…will show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2.5). Let us pray we might receive all God has for us–for our sake and far beyond.

We thank you for your steadfast faith, your prayers, and your active involvement in our shared spiritual life. Together, as a Fellowship family united in Christ, we will emerge stronger, more resilient and more attuned to God’s purpose for us.

Sincerely in Christ,
Board of Fellowship Church

P.S. The board is aware of a letter and text sent by some members of staff and some congregants expressing impassioned concerns for the welfare of Fellowship. The board has reviewed all questions, allegations, and issues brought to our attention, and, where relevant, discussed these with Albert, with staff, and with congregants. With every good faith effort, and in as timely a way as we have been able to manage, the board has acted with integrity and is resolute that its decisions were made for the benefit of Fellowship Church.