Last Friday and Saturday (June 18-19, 2010), I attended the Leadership Summit of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the Free Methodist Church at Warm Beach Camp. I have attended this annual business meeting of the church for many years. They do a great job of incorporating worship, stories and reports of what God is doing in and through the churches located in Washington and Alaska. Why do I attend this summit? Well, I'm an ordained pastor (we call them elders) in the Free Methodist Church. I had the privilege of being ordained in 2006.
Thank you, Cindy!
This year, the leadership summit was very exciting for me because my friend, Cindy Patterson, was ordained. She's worked very hard and studied for quite a few years. Last Saturday was her big day. She was ordained. And, she chose me to be her supporting elder. What an honor! "Thank you, Cindy!" Cindy is not only my friend and fellow pastor, she's also a volunteer who is making Semper Vita happen. Her skills are in operations. Her passion is to be the hands and feet of Jesus to people in the community. Being ordained only confirms that she's been serving God in many ways—demonstrating Jesus' love through service.
Thank you, Matt & Jim!
Though the ordination service was the highlight of the two days, there was another exciting moment for me and Semper Vita. I had the opportunity to share about Semper Vita with my fellow Free Methodist pastors. I currently do not serve at a local church. The denomination has released me to lead Semper Vita. And, now I had the opportunity to share what I've been working on for 3+ years. Thankfully, it was well received. It's exciting to be part of a denomination that believes in the mission and vision of Semper Vita. The superintendent, Matt Whitehead, and the assistant superintendent, Jim Harbour, have been very encouraging over the years. "Thank you, Matt & Jim!"
Thank you, Teresa!
Another Free Methodist volunteer is Teresa Lerew. She attended all my workshops at the Northwest Ministry Conference last March. Since then, she has volunteered to help get Semper Vita off the ground in Auburn, where she attends the Auburn Free Methodist Church. Teresa currently is helping us to reach out to non-profits in and around Auburn so that we can make Semper Vita active there. "Thank you, Teresa!"
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