Departure (Again)

It was less than 10 months ago that I announced my new appointment in my current place of ministry beginning last June. Now I am announcing my departure. In less than five months, I realised I do not share the vision of this place and I am moving on. One consideration is that once I take on supervision of theses, it won't be fair to leave unless for good reasons. But my main consideration is to go where I can focus on my writing ministry not just my preaching and teaching. After I preached last Sunday I managed to sell 14 books. I saw one of the leaders taking 10 books from my box but the person who was selling the books came back for more. In some village churches, there were times I could only sell two or three books. In Malaysian terms, my books are not cheap for villagers, RM40.00 a copy, though I would say it is cheap considering I spent a lot of time in writing it and I published all my books with my own money and there is no guarantee that I would sell enough books to cover the costs of printing.

I am departing, realising the limitation of time, my time in this world is getting towards the final third of my life. I started full-time ministry 29 years ago. If I go on for 10 more years I will be a few months short of 70 years old. This could be my golden decade and I want to serve in a place where I can really make a difference, no matter what the cost and no matter what difficulties I might face. If I return to my family of churches, either as a teacher or pastor, I enter or re-enter into it with my eyes fully opened. I am under no illusion that it will be easy. But I have to give it one last try before my strength is no more. 

One of my senior leaders when I spoke with him, mentioned several times that in his view I had 10 or 15 years ahead of me and I said to myself the would be about right. I doubt I want to go on into my late 70s. One must know when one should retire and let the younger generation takes over. Praise be to God that my health is holding up well. I feel well and full of energy, though reading, research and marking papers tire one easily. I am putting myself in the ring once more. It is a struggle between light and darkness. May light triumph and God's purposes for me be fulfilled in Sabah for His glory.