Serving under Pastor Nathan and beside the staff of NEHBC has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. They love the local church and devote all of their lives to the uncompromising advance of the gospel for the glory of Jesus Christ. They have been the iron that sharpens me and they have encouraged me to walk even closer with my Lord. NEHBC is blessed to have them and I have been blessed to serve with them.
For about a year now God has been working in my life and slowly changing my passions and redefining my call. I know now more than ever that God has called me to be a pastor of a local church. So many of you have helped me to realize that. God spoke through you into my life to help me see how He has been shaping and molding me. As I prayed through what God was doing in my heart the wise counsel of godly men also helped me see what I can no longer ignore. I have to be obedient to God's call on my life and do all that I can to prepare for what awaits my family and me on our lifelong journey with Christ.
I have made the decision to return to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Fort Worth, TX, to complete my Masters of Divinity degree. This is where I went to college and where my family lived before coming to NEHBC. This is a crucial step in my final preparation to lead a local church and pursueing it this degree full-time is the right decision. I could continue to take classes part time over the next five to seven years, but my attention would be divided between studies and ministry. That is not fair to NEHBC and the families involved in the teen ministry, and it does not allow me to give my all to the resources God has made available to prepare me to pastor a church. Returning to SWBTS is the right decision and we are excited about following God's will for our lives.
This all comes down to us being obedient to His will. I have spent the last three years teaching our teens that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ means total obedience to Him at all cost. God has presented me with an opportunity to be a living example of what I have been teaching and for that I am grateful. His way over ours. That is what obedience is all about.
Sharon, Evey, Dash, and I will be at NEHBC until sometime around the end of the year. Another obvious question is "What about the adoption?". For now that is on hold. Most of you know from reading my blog and Sharon's blog that complications extended the process much longer than we expected. Still, God is sovereign and we trust His timing in all things. We want to adopt and our prayer is that God will give us the opportunity to continue our adoption journey sometime soon after we get settled in Fort Worth.
We want to ask you to pray for several things related to this change. First, pray for NEHBC, the teens, and for the next man who will lead the teen ministry. Pray for God to reveal His man quickly and for a smooth transition as he takes over. Pray that the Lord will allow our home to be sold quickly so that we can be ready to start in January. Pray for Evey and Dash as they transition into a new environment. This is an exciting time for us. It is sad that we have to leave but it should also be a time of rejoicing with each other for what God is doing to advance His kingdom. May God be glorified through it all.
