After more than four years as pastor of the Community Church of East Williston, Forrest Parkinson has resigned his position in what had apparently become a congregation divided over his ministry.
“I left for the good of the church and for my own good too. I resigned to preserve harmony in the church,” Parkinson said. “The level of conflict was at a point where it seemed better for me and the church to leave than to fight it out.”
He said some elders of the church left the church’s board of elders after he tendered his resignation.
“The church was conflicted over my pastorate,” Parkinson said, adding that one issue was his “style” as pastor.
He said while the board of elders did not take a formal vote on retaining him as pastor, they didn’t express confidence in him continuing in his role.
Parkinson said flagging attendance at Sunday services was a primary issue of dissatisfaction with his ministry among some church members. He said the board gave him “generous terms” upon his resignation.
“There was no vote. I voluntarily resigned,” Parkinson said, adding that he was “sad” to be leaving the church.
Parkinson is taking a co-pastorate at the Community Church of Little Neck in Little Neck with his wife, the Rev. Moira Ahearn. He said that church is a “sister” church to the Community Church of East Williston in the International Council of Community Churches, of which Parkinson is a member.
He presided over his last Sunday service at the community church last weekend. He is set to preside over his final Saturday service this weekend.
A source who initially informed the Williston Times that the pastor had resigned said new members drawn to that Saturday service Parkinson started were not welcomed by other members of the congregation.
Parkinson said he will continue to serve as a governor of the Long Island Council of Churches and as co-chair of its interfaith dialogue committee. He also said he plans to continue the Saturday service at another venue.
Angela Fiorello, the chair of elders of the Community Church of East Williston, declined to discuss any specific issues about Parkinson’s resignation.
“It was Forrest’s decision to resign. We are a self-governing church that runs by its by-laws,” Fiorello said.
She said she didn’t feel it to be “appropriate” to discuss an internal personnel matter.
“Those discussions take place within the confines of our committees,” she said.
Fiorello also declined to confirm that some members of the board of elders had left the church
“We have had people who have left the church because they were unhappy. We have had people come back to the church because they’re happy,” she said.
Fiorello said meetings had been held to discuss the church’s pastorate “and if someone is still unhappy, that’s that person’s issue.”
Before coming to East Williston, Parkinson worked as an interim pastor, serving at the Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church immediately prior to being hired for the post he is leaving.
While serving at Wantagh, he was granted full standing as an ordained minister by the Metropolitan Association of the United Church of Christ.
