“I bet some of those old heads think it’s my fault he not only cheated but also stepped down in such a public manner.”
Her sister didn’t respond as she dipped her head. Suddenly Lisabeth took interest in the cutlery.Oh, they had said something to that effect.
“Tell me,” Hannah pleaded.
“There may have been talk about your inability to lead the church by yourself when you were unaware of what was going on in your own household.”
It wasn’t the first time she had heard those rumours, but hearing it from people who knew her… people who she held in high esteem. It hurt. She felt the sting of her tears. She willed them not to fall. Hadn’t she done enough crying?
“Hey, don’t take it to heart. They couldn’t be more wrong.” Lisabeth soothed.
Putting steel in her spine, she sat up straighter. “It’s fine. I’ll just have to prove them wrong.” Hannah knew her smile didn’t reach her eyes, but that didn’t mean her words lacked conviction.
The server came and placed the food before them. “Hey Sis, I am going to say grace, because I want to eat while my food is still warm.”
“The cheek!” This time, Hannah’s laugh was genuine. It wasn’t like Lisabeth was completely wrong. Sometimes… Not always, but sometimes she could be a bit long winded. She had been like this since she was little. The need to pray for all those who were less fortunate had always been strong.
“Go ahead, brat.”
Reverting them back to girlhood, the mother of four stuck her tongue out at her. Lisabeth’s prayer was brief. Then she dug into her meal. Hannah, spread a thin layer of cream cheese on her bagel. “So, are they going to include me in the process of selecting the other co-pastor?”
Lisabeth’s eyes rounded. She dove back into her plate, meticulously cutting a piece of pancake, spearing it with some scrambled eggs. She moaned around the bite. “They make the best pancakes, so fluf?—”
Lisabeth was dodging her question.Oh, no.“Did they already make their choice?”
“Mm.” Her sister nodded. However, her eyes remained glued to her plate. Hannah was disappointed. The thought had crossed her mind that the board would opt for the Co-pastors option. She was just hopeful they would include her in the decision. Her suggestions would be valuable. The church was her life’s work. A couple of the assistant pastors had really stepped up the last several months. In her opinion, they would be excellent choices.
“Who did they decide on?”
Lisabeth finally looked up from her plate. She also put down her cutlery. Then she reached her hands out towards her. Hannah just looked at her sister’s hands. How bad could it be to warrant her sister’s reaction? She guessed it wasn’t one of the assistant pastors.
“Who is it?” She demanded.
Her sister joined their hands. “I don’t want you to get upset. It isn’t a conventional choice, but Nigel thinks it might be a good idea.”
“Then why are you holding my hand like this?” Hannah raised their joined hands.
“Well, you know…” She wriggled her eyebrows. “…their choice.” A feeling of unease settled over her. She squeezed her sister’s hand, instructing her to spit it out. Lisabeth cleared her throat. “They’ve selected Pastor Cho.”
“Daniel?” There was so much hope in her voice. Although she knew it was futile. Daniel Cho headed his own large church. The only other Cho she knew of in their denomination was…
Her sister shook her head at her like she was being a silly child. “It’s Samuel.”
“They have decided on Samuel Ha-nuel Cho to the be the Co-pastor of Trinity Covenant Church. The church our great-grandfather founded? The ex-K-pop playboy? Has the board lost their damned minds?” Hannah pulled her hands from her sisters. Then reached for her phone. She had to put a stop to this madness.
“No, Hannah. Don’t touch that phone. I told you this in confidence.”
“Yeah, but this can’t happen.” She shook her head vigorously.
“It already has.”
“What!?”
“Look, I know you have all kind of issues with Samuel. Both from a professional and…” Her sister fought and barely suppressed a smirk. “… and personal standpoint. But this could be a really good thing. In the last six months the church has suffered a huge dip in membership. If there is anything that man knows how to do, it is to fill seats.”
“Yeah, at arenas.” She answered with disdain.
“You’re being petty. Since Samuel stopped being a K-pop star, he has been an evangelist. Travelling all over the world preaching. There is never an empty seat when he visits.”
