Dr. Tim Bruster Announces Plans to Retire in June 2022

Rev. Lance Marshall and Dr. Bruster to be named Co-Senior Pastors on Nov. 1, with Lance as Senior Pastor following Tim’s retirement next June.

Oct 4., 2021

On Sunday October 3, 2021, Dr. Tim Buster, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, announced his plans to retire from active ministry in June 2022. Tim has served as senior pastor of First Forth Worth for the past nineteen years. Rev. Lance Marshall has been announced to succeed Tim as senior pastor. Lance will assume the role of co-senior pastor on Nov. 1
 
Throughout his episcopacy, Bishop Lowry has worked with the local churches of the CTC to consider and develop long-term succession plans for their churches. He also partnered with his Cabinet in making creative appointments that involved succession planning for churches in our conference. With the bishop’s willingness to think outside of the box with churches in certain circumstances, and to help them prepare for their future in that way, churches that engaged in succession planning experienced growth and easier transitions of senior leadership.
 
“Just as the earliest Apostles actively raised up the next generation of Christian leaders, I believe God is calling us to identify, grow, and lift up a new generation of leadership in the church,” comments Bishop Mike Lowry. “Now, more than ever, we need to think in creatively faithful ways as we move forward to a new spring in the Methodist movement.”
 

By working through a long-term succession plan, First UMC Fort Worth believes it's transition from long-time senior pastor Dr. Tim Bruster (left) to Rev. Lance Marshall (right) will be a smooth and positive experience for the church and the communities it serves.

About 12 years ago, Dr. Bruster began a conversation with Bishop Lowry about his desire to have a gifted young associate pastor appointed to First Fort Worth to help develop a new faith community. At that time, discussion began about developing a succession plan for First Church, in which a pastor already on staff would be so appointed to First Fort Worth and would ultimately become co-pastor, and then senior pastor, upon Tim’s eventual retirement. Bishop Lowry and Dr. Bruster quickly identified Rev. Lance Marshall as that person and the wheels have been in motion leading up to Sunday’s announcement for some time.
 
Tim’s retirement date announcement caught some, if not many of the members of First UMC Fort Worth as a bit of surprise – the prevailing thought was that this transition was still three (or more) years down the road. However, after “a lot of soul-deep reflection” on his own future and calling, Dr. Bruster says the timing is just right — and with all the thoughtful, detailed preparations he, Lance, Bishop Lowry, along with our District Superintendents and the SPRC have made, the church may look forward to a smoother transition. The next official step in this succession plan occurs on Nov. 1, when Tim and Lance will officially transition from senior pastor and co-pastor to co-senior pastors.
 
Click here to read full details on this announcement from Melinda Smoot, communications director at First Fort Worth, and the FUMCFW communications team. Please join the Central Texas Conference leadership and team in praying for Tim, Lance and the entire First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth family and its ministries.