TIME TO LOOK FOR A YOUNGER PERSON TO PASTOR GRACE CHURCH

Brethren, pray that the Lord will guide us in this effort. We must look for someone within our church, God-willing, who will be raised up from amongst us to take on this task. This person must be called of the Lord and be theologically trained. Let us not wait until I am out of action or sick to do so. I would prefer a Gracian to take on this task as the person would be seen by our people in his service and life in the Lord.

Last Sunday, in the ACM I told the members that we need to pray earnestly over this matter. In five or six years time we should have such a person ready to enter the service, God-willing. I will still be in the Lord's work and I will continue to give my advice and guidance to this person.

I have seen in our B-P Churches, some of our older and senior ministers who are still serving the Lord in their 70s and 90s. Surely we can still do the work of the Lord, but we need to have a succession plan. Older ministers may be able to minister effectively with older people, but not so effectively with a new generation of young people today.
The Pastoral Ministry
How do you understand the pastoral ministry/office? First, it is a calling from the Lord. When the Lord first called me into the full-time Christian ministry, I wasn't sure about my specific calling until He gave me Jeremiah 1: 5-9. The pastoral ministry is never a profession. It is not for professionals! It is a sacred office. The person is called into this office and the person will be in it until the Lord leads him on to do something else.

I am amazed to see churches hiring people for this office. Newspapers advertise the availability of such vocation. I know there are not too many people who are called to be pastors.

I know that there are pastors who do not last long in a church too. In some churches they move on after five years in a church. That is too short for a pastoral ministry to be effective. The person who is called to the church must be prepared to pastor the church for at least ten years or more. Pray that the Lord will raise up from amongst us a man who will come forth to serve the Lord as the next Pastor of Grace Church.

Pastor