Report of the
Conference Pastor
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?
(2 Corinthians 13:5)
When people ask me, “How are you?” my pat answer has always been, “Fine.” Recently, however, I have been adding, “Fine, so far as I know.” I have known so many people who thought they were “fine” only to suddenly discover they were quite ill. Some, in fact, died soon after becoming aware of their illness. At such a time, the grieving family is faced with many questions: Why didn’t we see this coming? Could we not have done something to prevent it? Was all that could be done for our loved one done?
In my position as Conference Pastor, I am often asked, “How are our Churches doing?” and I’m tempted to answer, “Fine, as far as I know.” But then, what do I know? Who am I to judge the health of our conference or any particular church or mission? For have we not read, …do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s promise will come to him from God. (1 Cor. 4:5)
I am convinced Mark Dover offers some helpful insights in his book entitled, What Is A Healthy Church? “A healthy church is a congregation that increasingly displays the character of God as His character has been revealed in His world…” and then he lists 9 marks of a healthy church:
(1) Expositional Preaching
(2) Biblical Theology
(3) A Biblical Understanding of the Good News
(4) A Biblical Understanding of Conversion
(5) A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
(6) A Biblical Understanding of Membership
(7) Biblical Church Discipline
(8) Biblical Discipleship and Growth
(9) Biblical Church Leadership.
When I return to my doctor each year for my annual physical, he examines me and asks a lot of questions designed to assist him in passing judgment on my present state of physical health. May I suggest we perform a self-examination on the spiritual health of our church by answering questions designed to help us make the most objective judgment as to the health of each particular church and mission. Questions like: Is our preaching Biblical and Expositional? Are we faithfully proclaiming the Good News of Salvation? Do we have a strong emphasis on evangelism? Are we seeing conversions to Christ, new converts being baptized and joining the Church? Are we exercising our God-given responsibility of disciplining and discipling our members and are we producing Godly leaders? This list of questions is not exhaustive, but I trust it may serve as a stimulus in assisting each church in answering the question, “Is our church a healthy church?” For, unlike physical illness, where there are times God chooses to glorify Himself through such illness, I find no evidence God is glorified through a spiritually unhealthy church. I am grateful to God for raising up an extremely qualified group of men to serve on the Board of Church Health and I strongly recommend their services to all who are concerned for your church health and growth.
Throughout this conference year I have been encouraged by the number of churches who show evidence of giving attention to strengthening their congregation through evangelism, children and youth ministries, young adult ministries, discipleship and small groups.
I continually praise and thank the Lord for our faithful pastors, elders and deacons who provide leadership to our local congregations. Each of our conference agencies are blessed with very capable and Godly leadership for which we praise the Lord. Each of these agencies deserve our confidence, support, prayer, and thanks. Once again, by His sovereign will, God called some of His faithful ones to Himself. Pastor Robert N. Gordon, Pastor Jansen E. Hartman, Pastor James G. Koch, John and Judy Pello, Church Extension workers, and Nina (Wells) Johnson, daughter of Pastor Howard and Meta Wells, are sorely missed by us all. The memory of their exemplary lives and faithful service is a comfort, blessing, and challenge to us who remain.
The need for men to serve as pastors in our conference is ever before us. Two of our churches remain without a pastor and our Church Extension Department waits for three of our missions to be supplied, along with the hope to establish three new church plants in 2008. Please join me in asking the Lord of the harvest to send out workers in His harvest (Matt. 9:38). I call upon all our pastors and elders to carefully look out among you for potential men to serve in the ministry and to encourage them to pursue this high calling.
Through the love gifts to the Darlene J. Mahurin Memorial Fund of $1,000 from the members of Annual Conference and a very special gift of $5,000.00 from an estate, we were able to give financial assistance to 17 pastors and families in the amount of $1,615. These expressions of love were gratefully received and a real encouragement to these choice servants of the Lord.
I want to sincerely express my gratitude and thanks to God for the encouragement I receive from the Ministerial Relations Committee, Annual Conference, and for the gracious way I am received by our pastors and local congregations. Your prayers and financial support of this ministry are greatly appreciated as I continue by His grace and strength to, exhort and encourage and implore each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 2:11-12)
Your Co-laborer in Christ
Ronald C. Mahurin, Conference Pastor
Financial Report
January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007
Balance, December 31, 2006 $ (1,286.87)
Receipts 9,802.97
Expenditures:
Travel 4,507.59
Meals 1,764.29
Lodging 408.12
Phone 1,164.36
Office Supplies 569.75
Total Expenditures 8,414.11
Balance, December 31, 2007 $ 101.99
Darlene J. Mahurin Memorial Fund
Opening Balance $ 300.00
Deposits 6,000.00
Withdrawn 1,615.00
Balance, December 31, 2007 $ 4,685.00
17 Families Assisted