The Corder Note - October 2009
Well, as I set to write this Corder Note, my dear friend Walter is preparing for his departure. I brought him here knowing that you would love him, and now his leaving brings many of you sorrow. But for this I do not apologize. When I asked you to embrace him as a dear and gifted brother in Christ, I also told you he was merely “on loan” to us; God had other plans for him, I told you. Don’t regret investing in him since then, nor divesting yourself (giving up a little bit of yourself) to him now; we are all richer.
Walter has given us a rich appreciation for the integrity of God’s Word in his teaching and occasional preaching. I have been able, on a couple of occasions, to take my leave knowing you were in good hands because of his handling of the Word of God in my absence, and in the trust I placed in him to carry forward my vision. Loyalty is one of Walter’s most admirable traits, and we will count on this going forward, as it was here—Braddock Baptist Church—that Walter was ordained by the laying on of hands in agreement with the Holy Spirit. So, congregation, know that you have invested richly in his life as well, and that he will loyally carry out the duties of one who has been set apart by God to Gospel ministry.
I ask each of you to continue to invest in this church and in the vision and labors God has designed for us, and to continue to pray for Walter as he goes to “do the good works God has prepared in advance” for him, too. As we look to our future, let us do so with our eyes upon what God has been doing in our midst in recent days. This is an important view, as it is essential for us going forward to see what God has been doing and to prepare to join Him in His work. It is my desire to lead this church only where God is taking us, so it is important to me not to get out ahead of God and ask Him to catch up and bless what we are attempting, nor to stay still when He is moving out in new directions.
It is evident to me and personnel that God is giving us children, and we need to vamp up in this area of preparedness to care for those whom He is working on. So, I am asking each of you to be in earnest prayer for the person God has been making ready to come along with us and assist in child development programming. This person will help with the office work that is ongoing around here, too. While this is a tall order, it is God who I believe has revealed the need, and we will look to God to bring us one who is able to help. I believe both that God will bring us someone who will ignite a fire in us to “go and bring” the little children into God’s house, and that He will train many of us to do what is necessary to bring spiritual growth to the children in age-appropriate formats.
God is good. I love all of you and trust you are with me in sending Walter off well while also praying for the one whom God will send us next.
Blessings,
Pastor Timothy