Hunt to retire from MCC Tampa

Hunt to retire from MCC Tampa

For more than a decade, Rev. Phyllis Hunt has served as the senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa and as a mouthpiece for the LGBT community at rallies, council meetings and Pride events.

But this August, Hunt will move onto other things as she retires from her post at the long-standing Tampa church.

PHyllisHuntHeadshot_118845086“No matter how long a pastor is called by a church body, it is a temporary relationship,” Hunt told her congregation. “I must listen beyond the familiar voices of emotions, opinions, logic, fear and even desire. My sense of call is a knowing that resides deep in the core of my being.”

Hunt began her service at MCC Tampa in 2003 and told the congregation that she will step down on Aug. 11, 2013. She made it clear that she has not been hired by another church nor is she seeking a job with another church.

“I will enter a time of well-needed rest and some space to grieve and celebrate my journey,” Hunt said. “As I move through this season of caring for myself, my family and my beloved spouse, Vilia, I believe that the work God is calling me to will become clear.”

Because of the ethics involved in retiring a senior pastoral role, Hunt said she will not attend MCC Tampa events after the Aug. 11 date. That includes weddings, funerals, fundraisers and worship services.

“Not attending MCC Tampa is not personal,” she explained. “It is my responsibility to the covenant of ordained ministry.”

Hunt called the decision to retire “bittersweet” and said that she is “sad to leave.”

However, she believes the church’s next leader, whomever that may be, needs space to establish spiritual authority and
to set up the right relationships and partners within the church to continue its ongoing success.

Hunt was a regular attendee of MCC Tampa since 1987. Since becoming the senior pastor in 2003 she became a spokesperson for the LGBT community at several well-publicized events, including at Hillsborough County Commission meetings during the days of Ronda Storms now-repealed ban on Pride recognition in the county. She even attended Storms church to discuss the conservative Brandon official’s anti-gay stance.

Church board members will soon meet to place an interim pastor and begin the search for a new senior pastor.

“The work … as your spiritual leader has offered me some of the most spiritually enriched, creative and challenging experience both professionally and personally,” she said. “I’m proud of the work we have done and I will carry many meaningful memories of our time together in my heart and mind for many years to come.”

More in News

See More