A Message from Charles Conkin
Monday, November 2, 2026
Dear Central Baptist Church,
It is with deep gratitude and a great sorrow that I announce my resignation as Associate Pastor of Christian Formation at Central Baptist Church, Lexington, Ky. My final Sunday service will be November 15, 2026. This decision comes after weeks of prayer and discernment, as well as long conversations with Michelle.
I know the last couple of years have been a difficult time of transition for the church and we have all felt the pressures and stresses that come along with being in an interim period. For myself those pressures and anxieties about my position on staff have been increasingly difficult, even to the extent that they are affecting my health and personal life. This decision has weighed on me for some time and it is clear that my ministry at CBC needs to come to an end.
We don’t always know when these moments of saying goodbye will come. I truly believe it is in the best interest of me and the church. It will allow space and time to listen to the direction that God is calling us in these next chapters in life. You all have heard me teach or preach on the importance of cycles of creation. Cycles of life have an end. These ends allow for rebirth and new life to blossom. As difficult a decision as this is for me, I know that it will be a time to allow for new growth to emerge for us all.
My time at Central Baptist is one that I cherish. I came to you as a young minister and father and grew to be the person I am today because of the community that supported me and allowed me to find my voice and place within the Church. You have celebrated with me the great joys of life, and we have relied on each other during the hardships. I will treasure my time as your pastor and will remember our time together with immense appreciation.
I am truly grateful for all the ways that Central Baptist has ministered to me and my family over our thirteen years together. Although my ministry with you all is coming to an end, I hope our friendship remains and grows. I never felt anything other than love from you all and return that love for you.
Grace and Peace,
Charles Conkin