1 Corinthians 16:13 – Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. (CSB)

These were our senior pastor's final words to us at our last elders meeting, encouraging us to persevere in our Christian faith and life.

Due to their retirement on June 30th and July 14th, we have just said goodbye to our two ministers: our senior pastor, Rev. Duncan Cameron, after twenty-seven years, and our associate pastor, Rev. Monica McClure, after nine years.

Our senior pastor ministered with his strong leadership skills as he guided us through our spiritual journey with his passionate sermons and bi-weekly Bible studies. He was an exceptionally inspirational spiritual leader and teacher. He taught us with wisdom according to the Word of God as explicitly written in the Bible. Sermons, biblical teachings, solid guidance, and caring for others were Scripture-based, allowing the congregation to develop a strong understanding and a belief in the Word of God.

Pastor Monica McClure's pastoral care ministry was filled with compassion, kindness, and love for all of God's people. Our two retiring pastors were our "Dream Team". We will miss them!

Saying goodbye to them was not easy. The good news is that we have faith that God will provide pastors for us again. Our congregation celebrated its 206th anniversary in June. When the cornerstone was laid in June 1849, the inscription that was engraved above the door reads, "JEHOVAH-JIREH 1849", meaning, "The Lord provides". The Lord provided, and the people have welcomed sixteen pastors since 1818.

The apostle Paul encouraged Timothy, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV)

He also wrote to the Galatians, "If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned." (Galatians 1:9b NIV) Paul wanted to be sure that the congregation, whom he referred to as "my dear children", would not to be easily swayed or distracted by false doctrine. Over the years, our two retiring pastors have echoed Paul's teachings, and have inspired and prepared our congregation to live Spirit-filled lives — lives pleasing to God — and to be conscious at all times of how we live our lives.

Hearing God's Word read, hearing it trustworthily preached, and reading the Bible for ourselves helps us to grow, to develop our spiritual knowledge and faith, and to live godly lives that are pleasing to the Lord. Let us faithfully support our Bible-believing pastors, and thank God continually for providing them.

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, thank You for the precious gift of guidance and leadership from pastors. We pray that their spiritual guidance will be pleasing to You, dear God. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

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Yvonne Myers <yvonneemyers@gmail.com>
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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