Jay County REMC

September, 2000

My last column about "Change"

I just did a search of the REMC web site and learned that in the past six-and-a-half years, fifty of these columns have referred to "change" in one form or another. We've already lived through a bunch of the changes we've been talking about and planning for, but there are still a lot left.

But I promise, this will be the LAST CEO column that I ever do in this magazine about change. The reason is simple: this is my last column.

On September 14^th I accepted a full-time ministry position down in Kentucky; I begin there on October 16.

Jay County and East Central Indiana quickly became our home when my wife and I first moved here in 1994 and we love this area and especially the people. I have this need for everybody to know how hard it is to leave, but that really is beside the point now as the decision is made and the future is coming quicker than the past is hanging on!

This new position is with the Southeast Christian Church (www.southeastchristian.org) in Louisville. This is a fairly large church and they publish a weekly newspaper that serves as their primary communications vehicle to their membership. My new role is as General Manager of that newspaper, the Outlook. It is a challenging position and I will need the benefit of any and all prayers you might find fit to offer.

While on the surface this seems like a radical change of employment, I have just realized that maybe there are more similarities than I first thought. Consider these areas:

Power. I've been in the electric power business for nearly fourteen years. I am now moving into the full-time divine power business.

Change. As already noted, we've been talking about, and going through, tremendous industry change recently, and now I am going where changing people's lives is the whole point, not something to fear or "get ready" for.

Competition. This one is easy. The competition for people's hearts and souls has been raging since the Garden; the electric industry has just figured out how important it is in the last few years!

Deregulation. Lawmakers are moving to give us all choices about where we get our power. God deregulated his industry when he gave us all free will about where, and whether, we seek His power. Perhaps the lawmakers should consider how people have responded to that model.

Contracts. Long-term power contracts used to be anything over fifteen years. Now, anything past a couple of years is considered a long time. The covenant that God makes with His children is, well, forever.

Plug-ins. In order to get the benefits of electricity, you must first put the plug into the outlet. More and more churches today are realizing that the best way to tap into that eternal power is to "plug-in" to the outlet of service.

Bills. It seems like there's always a bill, doesn't it? The difference here is, if you don't pay your electric bill, the power shuts off. For that other kind of power, the bill has already been paid for you, and the power is free for the taking!

Many of you have called or written encouragement to me over the last half-dozen years in response to some of the words written in this space, and I thank you. Some of you have contributed complaints about some of those same words, and I thank you as well for the questions raised, and sometimes for the corrections needed. I will miss that more than you will miss my weak attempts at humor and/or point-making.

The Jay County Rural Electric Membership Corporation is a strong, caring organization that has served you well for nearly 70 years. If I was able to add to the REMC's mission while I served here, I am blessed and humbled. But you remain in the hands of good, quality people with a heart for serving you, and these are the people I will miss most.

One of our lineman came up to me shortly after I announced this move, and with emotion in his voice and on his face, paid me one of the finest compliments I have ever received as a boss. He said, "When people ask me if I work for John Samples, I always say 'No, I work with John Samples.'" I remain a big believer that when we spend more time working with each other, no matter the task, our chances of success increase significantly. And that's what being a member or employee of an electric cooperative is all about.

Thank you all.

John W. Samples, CEO
March 1994 to October 2000