Connecting Grounds founder resigns as pastor
Some may think Rue Lohn has big shoes to fill, but Lohn doesn’t even want to try stepping into those shoes.
This spring, Lohn will take over as the lead pastor of The Connecting Grounds, a church, outreach center and homeless shelter located on the west side of Springfield. Lohn will succeed founder Christie Love, who announced her resignation on Facebook Tuesday afternoon. Love’s last day is Feb. 28.
“I am not Christie,” Lohn told the NewsLeader on Wednesday. “I by all means know that I could not be Christie, and I don’t think I really should, because Christie’s relationship with people ... is unique. She has been such a vital mentor, leader and friend for everyone in Springfield who has gotten to know her.”
Love founded The Connecting Grounds in 2018 and told the NewsLeader on Wednesday that she knew, even then, that the church was not going to be a “forever” project for her.
“My heart was to build a church and create a really amazing, strong staff and leadership team and then find a healthy transition for leadership down the road,” she said. “I have a call to the local church and a passion for the local church, but I also have a passion and calling to work in greater spaces around churchwork around the country.”
In her Facebook post, Love said there are “numerous factors” for her resignation, including health issues that make it difficult to keep up with the job’s demanding schedule.
When speaking with the NewsLeader, Love said she is not ready to disclose more details about her health, but she is managing autoimmune-related issues that quickly worsened over the last season.
“I have come to understand that for my well-being, I need to make some