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PASTOR’S PAGE (This is the
report given by Pastor Gene to the annual congregational
meeting after worship on March 28,l999).
Nancy and I have wholly enjoyed our 26 months months
as partners with you in starting and shaping our
congregation. We have particularly enjoyed partnering
with Jennifer and the leaders. Some have said that
Community Church would not exist "without Jennifer and
Gene." Frankly, Jennifer and I have worked hard these two
years, as have some others. But praise God that we are
maturing well so that all here can be relaxed about that
time when neither Jennifer nor Gene will continue in
their original leadership roles and Community Church will
go right ahead in its ministries.
I informed the outgoing council at its last meeting
that Nancy and I will be glad to see our annual contract
renewed by the new council you elect today, if that is
their will. But we do wish to depart by July 2000. Two
days later a friend, not a regular worshipper with us,
approached me and said: "Gene, I hear you’re
leaving." (Did I detect glee and relief in his
declaration!) Now l4 or l5 months is not tomorrow and we
have many goals to push for.
(1) I would hope to advise the new council on how to
plan the calling of my replacement. We need a year for
this. It should begin no later than this June with the
council convening focus groups in which the congregation
can renew its sense of purpose and mission so as to
contribute to an honest profile of who we are and the
kind of pastoral leadership which we seek. This profile
will be of great help to interested applicants. The
council should appoint a search committee of 7-l0 members
representative of our diverse congregation. This
committee should be empowered to conduct a world search
for the best group of qualified candidates, bringing to
the council and congregation no later than a year from
today their first choice.
Given that so many of you travel, you can be very
helpful in identifying good candidates, or checking out
those who identify themselves to our search
committee.
2) Worship planning is a main duty weekly for me. I
thank the congregation for affirming the style and
content of the worship I design. I have been greatly
helped by the worship committee ably chaired by Kevin
Wilkey and by Mary Vittachi who pulls together many loose
strands for each Sunday.
We have a great privilege of worshipping God in the
glorious APEX. I do wonder why so many of our regular
attendees presume upon this privilege by arriving very
tardy for the worship hour. Let us seek better discipline
so as to respond to our opportunity to give a dedicated
hour to God here.
3) I would like the congregation to grow in its
stewardship so that by mid-2000 we are giving enough to
pay our bills regularly. Our present willingness to run a
deficit through most of the year and at the end depend
upon a few one-off special gifts to close the gap is not
mature stewardship. In fact for a congregation as savvy
in the real costs of running a home, a business, and for
some an economy, the management of church finances should
be a breeze if we put our attention to the task.
I would advise the new council to ask directly
themselves and then each Serving Member to reconsider a
pledge for the new budget year beginning April l. The
amount of each pledge is secondary; what is important is
that each of us declare formally via pledge that we can
be counted upon in the year ahead so that a responsible
church program can be undertaken.
4) In recent weeks the lifestyle of Gene and Nancy has
changed. We have a new apartment which we greatly like
and it costs you one third less than the former place.
And we have a new church office. Nancy now has the home
computer more to herself. And I have to dress for work
more than I used to. But these changes are to our good as
a maturing church.
We are a very distinctive congregation, perhaps in
some ways nearly unique among the l00 or more
English-language international churches of Hong Kong. Let
us honor and rejoice in who we are, what we have and our
understanding and faithfulness of the God and Father of
the Lord Jesus Christ who has brought us this far and
will lead us yet more.
Pastor Gene Preston
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