Thank You, Clayton

It happened in Wesley Hall…as things often do, when I was approached by a man who stuck out his hand, said you must be the new pastor and introduced himself as Clayton Cutler, my Finance Chair. I think I’d been here at SUM for just a few weeks and couldn’t imagine how positive our time would be together. Honestly, my first thought was, “Oh, thank goodness he’s younger than I am.” Of course, in the days, weeks, months, and years to come, I would get to know Clayton, Julie, Lydia, Gavin, and Clara much better. I would also come to know how Clayton’s heart worked around Finance and in his role as the chair of the committee. Often, my experience in the past with “numbers people” told me that they thought dollars and cents were almighty, but Clayton, and by proxy, his committee, took a very different tack. Sure, over the years, we’ve had some frank conversations about cash flow, pass-through accounts, and the best way to handle money matters, but Clayton never let that get in the way of supporting the missions and ministry of SUM. How we reached the community, supported staff, and acted with good stewardship towards the resources we did have was always at the front of his mind and top of his heart; we could all learn a great deal from that way of living.

Additionally, he has become a good friend, quick with a joke, and always down some rabbit hole with a new car he’s interested in. In my family growing up, I heard often that the reward for good work was more work, but after holding the Finance Chair position since 2018, it’s time for Clayton to revert to being a dad, running the van shuttle to practices and catching his breath.

Thanks, Clayton, for your excellent performance as our Finance Chair and as a good friend to SUM and me.

OTJ,
PG