Charlie Hirschy said he is experiencing all the feelings: happiness, excitement, and sadness.

"We're excited to go, but we're very, very sad to leave here," he said.

Hirschy's last official day as associate pastor at Grace Church at Willow Valley was June 15. He will begin his new job as lead pastor at Valley Grace Church in Hagerstown, Md., on Monday, July 14.

"I have enjoyed working here," Hirschy said in early June. "I love working here, but a couple of years ago, as I started thinking about where I was and who I am and how God has wired me, I talked with the elders." He explained that he didn't have a timeline in mind, but he had been considering becoming a lead pastor in the future. "They affirmed that and have been supportive," Hirschy said.

The process began last December. Hirschy was interviewed and preached a sermon at the Maryland church in April. "The congregation voted to affirm the call," he said. "It was a months-long process of exploring and seeing if this was a good fit for us and a good fit for them."

Hirschy had been affiliated with Grace Church for nearly 13 years, starting as a member of the congregation. He began attending the church during his freshman year at Lancaster Bible College (LBC). He grew up in Indiana, where his youth pastor was Dan Cosentino, a native of Palmyra and an LBC graduate.

Cosentino had interned at Grace Church while attending LBC and told Hirschy, "If you're looking for a church to get plugged in to, I know of one." Grace Church is part of the Charis Fellowship denomination, like Hirschy's church back home in Indiana.

Hirschy also interned at Grace Church while attending LBC. While at LBC, Hirschy started dating his now-wife, Bethany, who is from Lancaster. After graduating in 2016, Hirschy took a job on the staff, of Grace Church, and he has been working there full time for more than nine years. "I started connecting with people and building relationships," he said. "It was a place I felt welcomed and a place I could serve and use my gifts and be trained and discipled."

Hirschy is grateful for his time with Grace Church lead pastor Adam Swift, as well as church elders and staff members and the deacon team. "They are just a great group of people who love the Lord," he said. "It's been an absolute joy to serve beside them."

Hirschy said that God's grace had confirmed the new direction he should go. "God has oftentimes used me in spite of myself, which He likes doing, and He gets the glory as He should," Hirschy said. "Knowing myself and how God has wired me and knowing what the church was looking for in a lead pastor, Valley Grace was a match. It is what they were looking for and what we were looking for. We learned through this process to stop doubting Him. It seems like a really good fit for a long-term relationship."

Dan Pritchett, who is retiring after a 40-year career at Valley Grace, will stay on to assist with Hirschy's transition to the western Maryland church.

Hirschy said serving as a lead pastor involves two aspects. "There is the relational side of things, which is infinitely important," said Hirschy. "Then there's also the organizational, structural part of it. A lot of things where I am hoping to be the most helpful is on that organizational side of things." He added that he wants to provide leadership, along with clear and direct guidance.

He said he is eager to learn from the 40 years of wisdom and experience Pritchett has, while bringing a new energy and zeal to the position. Hirschy faces a similar situation to the one Pritchett encountered when he started at Valley Grace. Pritchett was married with two young daughters. Charlie and Bethany are the parents of two sons, Ezekiel, who is 4, and Titus, who is 1 and a half.

Hirschy said he felt fortunate to spend so much time at Grace Church. "We're living in a culture where church is maligned by many," he said. "What's been really cool for my wife and me is that Grace Church at Willow Valley is just a really good place to be. The love of God abounds. The Gospel work that's been happening here has been a joy to be a part of. We're stepping into a place in Hagerstown where good things are happening, and that's special for us. They are both groups of people who love Jesus and want others to know Him, whether that's through the proclamation of the Gospel or the good things we do to love one another and our neighbors."