Headed HOME.....changed!
In about an hour, I begin the trip to Jo'burg to catch my flight HOME, and I'm ready! I left Chicago 11 days ago hoping to have an impact on the pastors and leaders in the two conferences sponsored by Reconciliation! Ministries, but as I head back today I realized that I am the one who's been changed by my experience in South Africa.
Truly I was impacted by the pastors and leaders that I met in both Witbank and Pietermaritzburg, and I will not soon forget their passion and hunger for the things of God. It was a real joy to share with them from the Word and from my pastoral experience. But what has changed with me is the result of new relationships with the fellow team members of Reconciliation! and our leader, Bishop Joseph Garlington.
From the time my wife and I chose to leave our former denomination over 13 years ago, we have longed for genuine relationships with other pastors - because we were in affect walking away from over 20 years of relationships with people we had loved and served with - to enter a new world of 'nondenominationalism'. I certainly don't have any regrets about that decision at all, but I can't tell you how good it feels to finally be connected with a network of like-minded pastors. More than that, I began to build some genuine friendships with pastors from Kalamazoo, Detroit, Cincinnati, Shreveport, Knoxville, Atlanta and New Jersey.
Most importantly, after hearing Bishop Garlington's message about ministry sons, I'm coming home with a new father - my love for Bishop and his wife has grown even greater than before. My goal is to raise up genuine sons at CLC so that together we can do what God has called us to do in the greater Chicagoland region, and in the nations!
Can't wait to see you all this weekend - it's gonna be GOOD!
Truly I was impacted by the pastors and leaders that I met in both Witbank and Pietermaritzburg, and I will not soon forget their passion and hunger for the things of God. It was a real joy to share with them from the Word and from my pastoral experience. But what has changed with me is the result of new relationships with the fellow team members of Reconciliation! and our leader, Bishop Joseph Garlington.
From the time my wife and I chose to leave our former denomination over 13 years ago, we have longed for genuine relationships with other pastors - because we were in affect walking away from over 20 years of relationships with people we had loved and served with - to enter a new world of 'nondenominationalism'. I certainly don't have any regrets about that decision at all, but I can't tell you how good it feels to finally be connected with a network of like-minded pastors. More than that, I began to build some genuine friendships with pastors from Kalamazoo, Detroit, Cincinnati, Shreveport, Knoxville, Atlanta and New Jersey.
Most importantly, after hearing Bishop Garlington's message about ministry sons, I'm coming home with a new father - my love for Bishop and his wife has grown even greater than before. My goal is to raise up genuine sons at CLC so that together we can do what God has called us to do in the greater Chicagoland region, and in the nations!
Can't wait to see you all this weekend - it's gonna be GOOD!
posted by Pastor Jerry McQuay at 4:24 AM
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