From The Pastor:

Pastor Michaele Wood

Farewell

As this newsletter is being printed I am making final plans and arrangements for my retirement.  I want you to know that my time here has truly been a blessing for me and I thank the Lord for our time together.  This congregation has brought me encouragement, challenge, joy, growth and comfort as we traveled this part of the journey together.  As I move into retirement later this month please know that the bonds of love that Christ established in this pastoral relationship will remain alive and well.  You will remain in my heart and in my prayers.  I will continue to ask God for His best for each of you and I expect your best to be returned in service to God.  I wait to hear of the church’s progress in future months.

We all have heard there is a season for everything under heaven.  I truly believe that.  We’ve experienced many of those seasons as individuals.  To my delight I discovered that the Bible offers guidance on the later stages of life, emphasizing a continued focus on serving God and others.  According to Numbers, the Levites' period of service began at 25 and ended at 50, after which they

could assist but not bear the heavy loads.  Then there is Zechariah (the Baptist's father), who returned to his duties after serving in the temple, as recorded in Luke, shows that even in older age, one can still fulfill their responsibilities and serve the Lord.  Paul's dedication to finish his course, as mentioned in Acts, encourages believers to trust in God's plan and remain faithful throughout their lives, and then there is Jeremiah's promise of a future and a hope.  So see, our season together is ending but God has already planned to care for you.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.

As most of you know I will be headed to Louisiana in a few days.  There are recommendations from the larger church to help with the church’s transition to a new pastor and I would like to address those here so you understand that you are not being ignored or abandoned.  Initially a retiring pastor is expected to step away from the church entirely for at least a year's time.  That should not be a problem given that I am moving several states away.  The idea here is to give the church time to develop who they are in this season and to choose a new pastor without interference from the retiring pastor.  God has already given you a seasoned pastor and representative to lead you through.  We do not want to “muddy the waters” as you move forward.  The other concern is that of boundaries.  We are not expected to sever relationships but there is a finality to the pastoral aspects and leadership.  I will not be available to officiate marriages, baptisms or funerals but I will rejoice with you at your victories and pray for your strength in challenges.  I will not offer or give opinions  (you’ve heard them for seven years) on decisions to be made whether pertaining to leadership or church structure.  It will no longer be my place to weigh in on the daily life of the community.

Whoever you choose as your new pastor will need your prayer and support even before they set foot in the pulpit for the first time.  The church and its leaders are only as strong as the prayers coming from those in the pews. Pray for them, pray for the church, pray for the boldness to follow God’s leading.

I cannot speak more highly of the Rev. Dr. McGarrity.  This congregation is blessed to have him as its visiting minister during this time of transition.  His love for God and God's people, as well as his varied experience make him an excellent choice to lead the congregation.

Psalms 92:12-14 says, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain.

Preachers don’t really retire from ministry; they refire for their next assignment.  This congregation is preparing for newness in ministry as well.  Listen for God’s plan.  Be ready for your next assignment.  Be good to each other and faithful to your ministry.

“May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.”  [Numbers 6:24-26]

Blessings

Pastor Michaele

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March 2026

Dearest Congregation,

I am writing to officially notify you of my planned retirement from installed ministry in the PCUSA and as pastor of Kanapaha Presbyterian Church as of June 30, 2026.  This has not been an easy decision to make.  I have thoroughly enjoyed pastoring this congregation at Kanapaha Presbyterian Church these past seven years.  However, after much prayer and consideration I feel it is God’s will for me to move in a new direction in my personal journey.  I feel this is the time for change for both myself and the congregation.  We will travel through Lent together, celebrate Easter and Pentecost, and share communion together in worship on June 7, 2026 which will be my final sermon.

I am sincerely grateful for the love, support, and fellowship that the congregation has shown me and my family during my tenure.  I am confident that Kanapaha Presbyterian will continue to be an outreach of Christ's love in the local community.  It is my hope that we can walk through the next few months strengthening our committees, our leaders and addressing the concerns of the congregation.  I want to make this transition as smooth as possible for you as a congregation.  May you all come into agreement for the next part of the journey.  

During my time here we have celebrated the victories of life together.  We have weathered the storms of life as a community and have even successfully faced a global pandemic.  We have come through a time of recovery dealing with the after effects of the pandemic in both the physical and spiritual worlds.  Our leaders have risen to the challenges we faced and new leaders are poised to lead KPC into the future.  Because we know that Christ is head of the church, we have confidence that God will provide all that is needed to continue Christ’s ministry in this portion of the vineyard.

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve.  I look forward to seeing the spiritual vitality of the KPC community as you grow Kanapaha Presbyterian Church into the new vision God has for this next season in your journey.

Blessings,
Rev. Michaele RJ Wood
 

Pastor Michaele

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Rev. Michaele RJ Wood was born the eldest of four children in Harrisburg PA. Her father was a Marine and Korean Veteran and her mother was a caterer. Michaele says, “Dad maintained order and discipline and mom added the spice.” She attended Catholic school through her junior year before graduating from a public school closer to home. It was during a school assembly about teen suicides that the message “God is love” became real and the Bible became a favorite read.

The years following high school were a hodgepodge of military service as an EMT / Practical Nurse and a liaison to the Military Police Units working narcotics, often accompanying them on the execution of search warrants and arrests. She met and married her husband during that tour and one year later put military service behind to be a mom to a new daughter. The following year she gave birth to twins.

In 1990, she was ordained as a minister in Kingdom Fellowship Ministries, a Charismatic fellowship, and assigned to Fountain Gate Ministries, an inner-city Harrisburg Church. There she served for 15 years as an elder, ordained minister associate and part-time instructor in Biblical & Church History for the ETS School of Ministry. She also held the position of Chief Financial Officer for a Harrisburg non-profit organization, while maintaining employment as a medical claims adjuster and raising a family.

The church grew quickly but the authoritarian form of government did not support the growth which led to problems of discipline and doctrine within the fellowship. This led her to a time of discernment. Seeking the help of a more experienced female pastor, who just happened to be Presbyterian, she was introduced to the Book of Order and Reformed Theology. Michaele states, “I had found the missing piece of my faith journey but the church I served was not ready

to change its style of government.”  In 2005, she became a member of Capital Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg. She was soon asked to serve on session and was ordained as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. Michaele completed the Dubuque CRE training in January 2006 and was then accepted to Lancaster Theological Seminary receiving her Master of Divinity in 2009.  In 2010, she was ordained by Carlisle Presbytery as  Minister of Word & Sacrament. Subsequently, she was  accepted as a member of the initial class of the “For Such A Time As This Program” leading to her installation as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pontotoc, Mississippi,  where she served until December 2017. 

She now comes to Gainesville as the called pastor of Kanapaha Presbyterian Church and will be installed as the way is made clear.

Pastor Michaele holds an Associate in Human Services from Harrisburg Area Community College; a Bachelor of Christian Ministry from Chesapeake Bible College; a Master of Divinity from Lancaster Theological Seminary; a diploma from the CRE program at Dubuque Seminary, and Certificates of Completion in Spiritual Direction; Clergy Tax Management & Law (Chitwood); and Stewardship (Kirby-Smith).

She is the widowed mother to three adult children, grandmother to (10) ten grandchildren, great-grandmother to two boys, ages 2 years and an infant of 3 months, with another due in October. Saying of her journey thus far, “Life has not always been easy, but then, God didn’t say it would be. God did promise to give us strength to continue the journey even when it seems impossible, even when we are afraid, even when we aren’t sure where God is leading us.  And so, I look forward to our journey together.”

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