Amy, Isaiah, and I are currently staying with family in Brighton. Having resigned from our church in Eastern Illinois, we are temporarily staying at Amy’s sister’s house while we wait on God to see were our next chapter in ministry will take us. I was hurt when we were asked to leave the church, and if I could not see the truth for what it is, I would probably be scarred for ministry. However, I am not swayed.
The truth is, my former church needed a transitional pastor in order to properly mourn the loss of their former pastor, whom they loved for 25 years. I prayed hard that they would love us for that long as well because my goal in ministry is to build a ministry wherever God plant me for a lifetime. Sadly though, this did not happen. I wonder if we would have made different decisions about whether to accept that position had we known the whole truth up front. I wonder if anyone could have filled my predecessors shoes adequately for the church.
I have no regrets. I know that I preached God’s Word. I know there was no impropriety on my part. I know that I faithfully served my church, my association, and also my community. The church was seeing new growth through baptisms. The trouble was there were those who could not seem to divide the person from the position and the differences were overwhelming to a few; overwhelming enough that they sought to have me removed.
Troubling as it has been to move my family and to disrupt the lives of my wife and especially my teenage son, I know that God’s hand is in it, and I do not hold a grudge against anyone who may have played a role in this situation. Our lives are forever changed, but God is still God, He is still seated on His throne, and as long as breath remains inside of me, I will still serve Him faithfully. I pray for my former church and for its people as I hope they still do for me and my family and will continue to do so until there is no more breath in me.
However, as Paul would say, it is time to shake the dust off of our feet and look forward to the call to preach to those who have never heard the truth of Jesus Christ proclaimed. I am ready to find a church who is not in the business of playing church but who is ready to be the church, authentically. And I know God has great things in store.
This is where we are now, and I pray that God moves mightily in our lives so that we can give Him all the glory.
“What you meant for evil against me, God meant it for good” – Genesis 50:20