July 2009

I have an assortment of odds and ends that I would like to share with you for this month’s Keith’ Komments. First, are thoughts from this year’s Southern Michigan Free Methodist Annual Conference. The really great news is that Superintendent Ramundo remains our superintendent for at least another 4 years (D.V.) And that Jean and I will continue to minister here at HFM for at least another year (D.V.). As I get older, I appreciate more and more stability and the fact that pastors (shepherds) can do a much better job if they have a chance to get to know the people they are serving before they are compelled to move along. I am so glad that the FM Church has recognized this as well and try really hard NOT to move pastors any more frequently than they must. Besides, I am just now beginning to understand some of the dynamics of how HFM operates and the quirks and intricacies of personalities.
Which brings me to my second point: Now that I have had a chance to get to know some of you rather well, I can see where there are some rough edges that really need to be polished before you are going to be able to be used effectively and powerfully for the Kingdom of God. Normally, I would allow grace to cover those quirks and intricacies (more likely cowardly or slothfully). But, since Superintendent Ramundo has given Pastors and Delegates a mandate to address such issues, I intend to do all I can to allow the Kingdom of God to be as effective as possible here at HFM. And that means that I will be compelled to confront some of you concerning those quirks and intricacies that are squelching Kingdom growth here at HFM.. Superintendent Ramundo’s mandate was stated as follows at Annual Conference:


To Pastors and Delegates: 1)- Be committed to dealing with individuals in your church who hinder wholesomeness and hamper hopefulness in the body by ignoring healthy process, undermining unity, wounding pastors, and often driving people away. And 2)- Get serious about Matthew 18:15-20.

In fact, one of my personal agenda’s mandated by Superintendent Ramundo at Annual Conference is to preach on Matthew 18:15-20 by the year’s end. Finally, if in fact, the Pastor’s Cabinet (Delegates) and myself are going to follow through with this mandate from Superintendent Ramundo, we MUST always keep in the front of our minds grace. If it were not for the grace of God, every one of us would need to be confronted about some issue in our lives that would “. . . hinder wholesomeness and hamper hopefulness in the body by ignoring healthy process, undermining unity, wounding pastors, and often driving people away”. And so, both I and the entire body of Christ here at HFM must NEVER forget the warning that the Apostle Paul gives when engaging in this kind of activity provided for us in Galatians 6:1-5. Here Pauls states:
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. (Gal 6:1-5) So, even though I may be confronting some of you between now and the end of the year about some issues that “. . . hinder wholesomeness and hamper hopefulness in the body by ignoring healthy process, undermining unity, wounding pastors, and often driving people away”, please know that NONE of this will be done because I enjoy confrontation or that I take great pleasure in pointing out how you are causing problems in the body. I hate confrontation. Remember, the idol I am trying to slay is the idol of your approval. For me to have to confront some of you militates against that idol. I want people to like me. And people do not like to be corrected or reproved. And yet God tells us that this is the job of EVERYONE who preaches God’s Word (see 2 Tim 3:16-4:5).
So pray for me as I am compelled to confront a few individuals and their actions which “. . . hinder wholesomeness and hamper hopefulness in the body by ignoring healthy process, undermining unity, wounding pastors, and often driving people away”. And pray also that Jody, Jean and I will have the much needed volunteers, energy, patience, sensitivities, grace, love and divine guidance to effectively minister at Family Camp.
Thanks for the encouragement and support so many of you give to Jean and me here at HFM. You have been incredibly gracious and forgiving with our flaws and shortcomings. We will endeavor to be the same with yours. Let us never forget, even though we might need to confront some of you, that grace must always abound or else we have lost focus of the grace Jesus has extended to each of us.