My Third Month

This is my third month in my fourth pastorate and it is coming to my 10th week. It seems I have been around forever. I attend all church meetings, from prayer meetings, rehearsals and council meetings. As this is our election year it will get busy from now on. This Sunday we will launch our membership drive to prepare for our AGM slotted on the first Sunday in April, exactly 2 months from now. In the meantime I will lecture on our church’s Constitution which I plan to do every three years according to our election cycle.

Although our church is supposed to be democratic with all members eligible to nominate deacons or accept nominations as deacons but in reality churches are mostly dominated by elders who are appointed for life with every 5 years their eldership certificate has to be renewed to give our HQ leaders some say to discard unworthy or ineligible elders either through sin or personal wish not to serve as elders. 

So preaching is still my main task. I preach three weeks in a row with an elder taking the fourth week and I preach another 3 more weeks and it goes on. With seminars every two months it is a heavy task I am undertaking. So far the leaders and church members are responsive and supportive. If it is not a long weekend where members take opportunity to return to their villages, our church hall of one shop unit averages 100 adults and 30 children. Even during Chinese New Year 85 adults turned up with 25 children which was an improvement from last Lunar New Year.