Jacob Gettman

In 2019, Maggie and our (then) two kids moved here from Southern Oregon, leaving behind many close family members and friends. We moved into our home in Salem on a Saturday evening, came to Evergreen the next morning, and never looked back. Evergreen is our home.  

Of course, this does not mean that this time was without its challenges. Not long after arriving here, COVID hit and brought a season of deep loneliness and isolation in what was already an unfamiliar place. Yet in that season, God met us in unexpected ways, particularly, through this church. As I shared a few months ago at the Christ the King feast, the loneliness that I experienced personally brought to the surface old wounds and a realization of my own brokenness. However, it also brought with it the overwhelming kindness and love of God, the delight he takes in his people all made tangible through the people of Evergreen, who have become family to us. 

Because of that, my desire to serve as an elder is not abstract - it is deeply personal. I love God’s people here, and I am grateful for the ways this church has cared for my family and me. But more than that, I long to see Christ’s vision for His church take deeper root here -that we would be a people marked by unity, maturity, and love for one another particularly in the midst of a culture that is so divided. Serving as an elder feels connected to that longing in me -- to care for this body in the same way we have been cared for, and to help cultivate a church where others can experience the same grace and belonging that we have. 

I believe God has been equipping me for this work through His Word, through life experience, and through the encouragement of others. By His grace, I have sought to be a faithful and active member of this body, pursuing hospitality by opening our home to others, stepping outside of my comfort zone to build relationships, and looking for ways to serve where there is need. 

In all of this, I am mindful of my own frailty and my need for ongoing growth in dependence on the Lord. In (hopefully) stepping into a role I have not held before, I do so with an awareness of my own limitations and a reliance on God’s strength rather than my own. At the same time, I can see that God has been at work in me. He has been shaping my heart, refining my character, and growing my love for His people. I want to continue stepping into that work, trusting that this calling is one He is preparing me to walk in. 

I do not see this role as a position of status, but as a call to serve. I want to be part of what God is doing at Evergreen by encouraging faithfulness and promoting unity in Christ. 

Above all, I want Christ to be honored here. If He would be pleased to use me in this role, and if you all think that I am equipped to do so, I would count it a privilege.