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From the Desk of Bishop Webb: Pastor Appreciation

October 15, 2019 / By Bishop Mark J. Webb

Editor's Note: October is Pastor Appreciation Month. On Tuesday Oct. 15, Upper New York Area Resident Bishop Mark J. Webb, sent a letter to all pastors in the Upper New York Conference expressing his gratitude for their leadership and commitment to pursuing and living out God’s call upon their lives.

Dear Friends,

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus!

During this month of Pastor Appreciation, I wanted to share with you how very thankful I am for your leadership and ministry within the body of Christ! Your commitment to pursuing and living out God’s call upon your life, while sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit within you to serve the Church and the Community we are called to proclaim Christ to is an awesome thing to experience.

To say these are challenging days to be in leadership within the Church, would be an understatement. Yet, you continue to embrace the challenges and faithfully proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, while seeking the promise of God’s kingdom. Our task remains the same and the message of Christ that we offer to the world is the greatest hope of our time – the only hope for true significance, justice, peace and life.

My prayer is that you will continue to deeply know who you are in Christ, find assurance in your call and be filled by an urgency for the mission we are privileged to be a part of. In whatever setting you find yourself, God has given you all that you need to partner with God and lead God’s people in the mission of Jesus Christ!

I want to borrow from the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians as I express my gratitude and remind you of God’s faithfulness to you, in you and through you.

“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (1 Corinthians 1.3-9)

I am blessed to share this journey of following Jesus Christ and serving God’s Church with you. Thank you! You are always in my prayers.

Blessings,

Mark J. Webb