Onward, Forward, Toward…

Today at ‘the church’, there was an emphasis on the announcement that ‘the intern pastor’ will be starting Tuesday and will be preaching his first sermon next weekend. After the worship ended and the offering was taken, one of ‘the associate pastors’ began to preach on his sermon concerning the future long-term relationship of the next pastor and things that we need to learn from ‘the two year long derailment’ and the subsequent resignation of ‘the ex-pastor’.

At the beginning, ‘the associate pastor’ began to discuss of the environment that has taken place since ‘the ex pastor’ resigned. He explained how some people are estatic while others have left and withdrawn their membership. He explained that some people feel like no communication of the time of transition had been discussed even though there were announcements made before the service and letters were sent out by the elders to the members and frequent attendees in good standing. He explained that two people have given prophecies calling for the death knell of the church. He explained that many have interpreted the solemn attitude that had permeated the church as the nailng of the coffin.

However, we were assured that God was not finished, God was still in control of this situation, God will have his way in this church, and that God will lead us through this trial.

Even though he used numerous verses, ‘the associate pastor’ formed his focus and emphasis on Matthew 16:13-20 where the emphasis was placed on the words ‘I will build my church’ found in verse 18. The pastor made it very clear that if one reads the text, it is Jesus saying these words and not a pastor, a group of elders, nor a church growth expert. It was then that ‘the associate pastor’ got very bold and stated the verse Jesus explained how “…the sheep hear my voice’. and began to explain a very significant observation.

He admitted that the staff and elders made the big mistake in allowing a pastor (now known as ‘the ex pastor’) to bring in a formulated combined curriculum called Saddleback, Willow Creek, and the programs that worked at ‘the ex pastors’ ex church and try to make it work. He admitted that the formulas would never work because what happened in Saddleback Valley, California, the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, and the area where ‘the ex pastor’ came from was totally different than the eastern coast of North Carolina and that these ‘church growth’ methods and formulas did not have the true heart and calling of the pastor in mind.

From there, ‘the associate pastor’ went to explain that a true pastor would have to know the congregation, assess their needs, take them to the Word, and take them to prayer to where God can show him how to apply the Word of God to these needs under the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit while at the same time receive direction from God of what he needed to address within the church.

After the detailed explanation, ‘the associate pastor’ called the congregation to the center aisle to hold hands and he led us in a prayer of unity and a prayer to direct the steps of the righetous.

The line was drawn, the focus was redirected towards Jesus, the light was illuminated. But most importantly, we stand on the Rock and begin to allow Jesus to build the church that hell would never prevail over.

The Turning Around is continuing….