Saint Margaret’s pastor is leaving

The leader of one of Lawrence’s largest and fastest-growing churches is leaving for Texas.The Rev. Darrel Proffitt, lead pastor of Saint Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 5700 W. Sixth St., has announced he’ll become the rector at Church of the Holy Apostles in Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston.Proffitt served Saint Margaret’s for more than eight years, growing the average weekend attendance from 150 to more than 600.The church, which was founded in 1997, also added a full-time associate pastor and built a $1.7 million second building.According to its Web site, Church of the Holy Apostles is similar in that it’s a newer church (started in 1994) that has seen fast growth (now also around 600 worshippers on a weekend).”I leave Saint Margaret’s only because God has called me to take my gifts of ministry to a different place,” Proffitt wrote in a letter to congregation members. “I feel that Saint Margaret’s is entering into a new phase of development and am confident that you will continue to thrive and grow.”Proffitt’s last Sunday at Saint Margaret’s will be Oct. 7. We’ll plan on running a more detailed story about him and his change in ministry in the Journal-World closer to that time._ – Faith Files, which examines issues of faith, spirituality, morals and ethics, is updated by features/faith reporter Terry Rombeck. Have an idea for the blog? Contact Terry at trombeck@ljworld.com, or 832-7145._