Report of the

Conference Pastor

I will give You thanks with all my heart;

I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name

 for Your loving-kindness and Your truth;

 For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

Psalm 138:1,2

            It is quite natural to want what we don’t have and to not be thankful for what we do have. I find it is often a matter of focus. The psalmist’s focus was on the Lord, and this focus gave him the confidence to say, “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me…”

            While I believe it is very important to annually ask ourselves, “What have we accomplished as a fellowship of churches?”, I do think this is the wrong question. If we answer, “We have accomplished a lot, this will tend to foster pride. On the other hand, if we answer, “Not much” we will tend to lose confidence and be discouraged.

            David had it correct when he indicated his focus was on the Lord: Your name, Your loving-kindness, Your truth, Your word, You answered me, You made me bold, Great is the glory of the Lord.

            So, rather than lament of what he did not have, he gave thanks for the Lord Himself and what He had accomplished. We need to do the same.

            As we reflect on this past year, the focus is not on what we have accomplished for our good, but rather, what God has accomplished for His glory. This leads us to exclaim, “This is the Lord’s doing, it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23) and causes us to “give Him thanks with all our hearts.” (Psalm 138:1) We therefore give God glory and our thanks for:

• The precious souls who have come to Christ in salvation and followed Him in believer’s baptism.

• Our great missionary family which continues to grow in number each year.

• The new congregations established through our Church Extension Department.

• The new men God has provided to pastor our churches. The pastors, elders and deacons who serve our established churches.

• Our fine agencies: BFC Homes, Victory Valley Camp, Pinebrook Bible Conference, Board of Church Extension and Board of Missions and those who lead these ministries.

• God’s gracious hand in calling home two long-time, dedicated leaders of the BFC: Donald T. Kirkwood and Horace A. Kauffman. The memory of these brethren is a challenge to all of us to “serve the Lord with gladness.”

• For safety in traveling nearly 11,000 miles across our Conference.

• For the guidance and counsel I have received from the Ministerial Relations Committee. Their faithful support is very much appreciated.

• For our pastors and their wives and families who have so graciously received me and pray for me.

• For the love gift of $936.00 given by Annual Conference to the Darlene J. Mahurin Memorial Fund enabling us to financially assist our pastors and their families. It means so much to our pastors when they realize the help they receive came from their brother delegates to Annual Conference.

• For your prayers and financial support as I enter the ninth year of service as Conference Pastor.

• For the great privilege which has been mine to serve the Lord through the BFC for 50 years.

            Truly I do give God, and you, thanks with all my heart.

Your Co-laborer in Christ,

Ronald C. Mahurin

Conference Pastor