Before it is blotted out forever, a thank you

BCC Family:

Here is something encouraging that I wanted to share with you, shortly before it is blotted out forever.

I am in the middle of planning another conference for pastors in South Africa this coming August 31-September 1. By God’s grace, it will be my giant privilege to travel there once more for the sake of encouraging my brothers in gospel ministry (something I believe God has built me to do). 

This year, I had the idea of hosting the conference through the seminary, the Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa (ESSA).  That way the conference will both give me the opportunity to be of some small encouragement to my fellow Pastors, and also shine the light on ESSA and hopefully spur involvement/enrollment/support there. I have invited others to participate in leadership: Nkosi is a South African and an ESSA grad; Sam Machaka is a Zimbabwean and an ESSA grad; and Bud is an American pastor who has moved to South Africa and teaches at ESSA part-time. The Acting Principal, my dear friend Dr. Lubunga W’Ehusha from Congo, will also address the attendees.  And I am working with a fellow from Germany on the details of the conference.  So it is a real multi-national effort.

I was sent a trial version of the promotional brochure to review.  In it, the organizer included a paragraph that I thought would be a blessing to you, the givers of Bear Creek Church and its friends who make this possible:

“The Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa wishes to express its deepest thanks and appreciation to Pastor Dale Meador and the Bear Creek Church who have made this conference possible. Bear Creek Church has been supporting ESSA for years in various ways, without any personal or financial benefits. This commitment is a shining example of Christian brotherhood (and sisterhood) reaching out across oceans and cultural, social and racial divides.”

I thanked the author profusely and told him I was very grateful for his kindness and that you would be blessed by the recognition.  I asked him to remove this paragraph, but I wanted you to hear it so that you would be thanked for giving money and sending me.  I asked him to remove the paragraph since I don’t want the spotlight on me or us, preferring instead to focus attention on ESSA, which is on the ground there and can be a help to these ministers year-round.  Further, I absolutely do not want to even hint at the need for us wealthy whites to get recognition for helping those “poor African people,” which I know is not on our minds or in our hearts but nonetheless a prideful pitfall and stereotype to be avoided at all costs.

Anyway, I think that the way you people of Bear Creek Church and its friends give is indeed a “shining example of Christian brotherhood (and sisterhood)” and am grateful to work with people who want to reach out “across oceans.”

Keep up the godly work!

Do this for me, will you?  Will you begin praying now that this trip, the Pastor’s Conference and all my other teaching opportunities will be productive in encouraging saints there?  All the work in organizing this will be for naught unless the Lord himself ordains the effort with Holy Spirit power.

God bless!

pd