I’m Church Planting Again

Ever since I stepped down as the founding pastor of Living Hope OPC in Clarksville, MD, I’ve been eager to participate in another church plant. My original experience with LH was so wonderful. It was the best pastoral experience that I’ve ever had. After leaving (and even during), I came to realize that I have a special passion for church planting and church planters.

The name of this new church is WORD OF LIFE Presbyterian Church. It is very memorable as it is reminder of several key distinctives of the church.

• Our Final Authority is the Word (2 Tim 3:16-17): The final source of authority on all matters in faith and living is the Word of God because it is the very Word revealed to us from God. As Christians, we are people dedicated to the Word, and our name is a helpful reminder of that truth.

• The Gospel is the central message of the Word (1 Cor 15:3-5): When the apostle Paul mentions the central core of the gospel, he mentions the cross, burial, and resurrection of Christ. He states that these are central to the gospel because they are “according to the Scriptures.” Therefore, if we are to hold the Scriptures in high esteem, then we must also hold the Cross and Resurrection of Christ as the highest of priorities, “of first importance.” In the Cross, our sins are put to death. In the Resurrection, we are made alive in union with Christ (Rom 6:4). Thus, the Scriptures not only proclaims death to sin, but it is the very “Word of Life.”

• Jesus has the “Word of Life” (John 6:68): When the shallow followers of Jesus began to abandon Him due to His difficult teachings, Simon Peter states the reality of life: He holds the very “words of eternal life.” The origins of the Gospel is not from man, but rather it is from the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Therefore, where else are we going to go? If we cannot find grace and truth in Jesus, then it simply cannot be found. The name “Word of Life” reminds us of the theological reality of life: we need Jesus every single day for life!

• Jesus is the “Word of Life” (John 1:1): Not only does Jesus have the “words of eternal life,” Jesus Himself is the embodiment of the Word of Life. He is the final and last message from the Lord that reveals to us the way to an eternal communion with Him freed from sin, suffering, and death (Heb 1:1-2).

This is an exciting name, especially for a church, for the reasons provided above. It is a reminder of the objective blessing from the Lord: we possess His very WORD that proclaims the narrative of the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of our Savior. It also proclaims the renewing work that He is doing within us: He gives us LIFE! Praise God for His “Word of Life.”

As for my current position as Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, I will continue to do this with eager enthusiasm. It is what I’ve been doing for almost 20 years, and I love the work of theological education, specifically in the seminary where I help disciple and prepare future leaders of God’s people (a future blog on this is coming). However, I’ve also missed being pastor. Initially, it felt nice to have weekends off, but after a while, I realized that I missed the work of ministry. I must confess that preaching was never something I did with passion, but the rest of the pastoral ministry—visitations, adult discipleship, ministry strategy planning, sharing the Gospel, hanging out with God’s people—I missed that a lot! I learned that pastoral ministry is not merely something that you do, it is who you are. I AM a pastor and I don’t know how to turn that switch off! I served in my presbytery, the Mid-Atlantic of the OPC, for the past several years in various committees, pulpit supply, temporary sessional helps. These were great and I was (and remain) so encouraged by the amazing work the Lord is doing in my presbytery. But nothing replaces growing with a congregation.

I’ve grown to love and admire the people of Howard County, MD. They are highly educated, extremely capable people, with a strong desire to fulfill their professional callings, and also join a intimate and loving community. They have a strong commitment to family and friends and are willing to endure the pressures in their professional lives in order to build a loving personal one. This is perfect for the ministry of the church of Jesus Christ. My vision for this church is to provide a spiritual haven where Word of Life will be preached and Jesus Christ is exalted, a place where God will be worshipped, and anyone broken and destitute can come to find acceptance and grace from a loving home-like, family-like community, a church where All are Welcomed and no one is shunned, shamed, or ridiculed. My prayer is that we will be a church that will “exalt Jesus Christ in our Celebration (worship), in our Community (fellowship), and in our Commission (outreach).” More on the vision of Word of Life in future blogs!

Since I will be doing this part-time, we are in need of a church planting pastor. I would appreciate prayer for this.

If you are a resident in the Howard County area and are looking for a church to worship and grow in intimate community, then let me know.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 6:68-69