October 2024 Partner Letter
Recognizing the Privilege of Pastoring
A Special Letter to the Church from a Grateful Pastor
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is with so much joy that I submit an article for this year’s Pastoral Anniversary commemorative edition of the Gazette. First, I want to say “thank you” to all my precious members and partners. You continue to keep me encouraged in this journey of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I am so grateful to you. As the founding Pastor of Kingdom Christian Church, there is so much that I can say about this time and season of celebrating, however one major theme sticks to my mind. Today I recognize the “privilege of Pastoring.” I humbly realize that there are so many men that God could have selected instead of me to do this job in this time, but He blessed and anointed me to lead this division of the Body of Christ, and for this I am so grateful. A dear friend and mentor Pastor Robyn Gool once said that “there’s not a lot of Pastoring going on these days.” His sentiments were that so many have fallen off from tending to God’s sheep the way that God wanted them to be cared for. I agree and I will also say that many men today have very “ill motives” in pastoring. The average church has become an epicenter of theatrics and talents on parade without any signs and wonders following. We are in a day and time in which God’s sheep are being scattered by the thousands due to immorality in the pulpit, church scandals and doctrinal deficits that are causing people to reconsider their walk with the Lord. However, I have been constrained by the “call of God” to Pas tor with intentional integrity. My motive is and has always been to please God by ministering to His sheep. I never will be the Pastor that can be accused of any such things that would cause a fellow Christian to stumble. In fact, I’m happy to report that since the inception of KCC, God has blessed me to get an early understanding of walking in integrity and loving His people, so much so that I only want to see God’s people get the best. Furthermore, our ministry has had “many” signs and wonders to follow it during our tenure. I’m happy to be one of the men left that has not bowed to the Baals of this time such as immortality and an overall unfaithfulness to God. Paul gave some tremendous advice to Pastors in our time. I take this advice very seriously:
Acts 20:28-3028 Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.
I believe we are in some of the most serious of times for Pastors and the church at large. According to Paul’s advice, people in churches are receiving distorted truths and being drawn away by those who have erroneous ideas about God. Every day I wake up I realize how important it is to keep a watch over the people of God and make sure that this drawing away and distorting never happens at KCC. Pastoring is a privilege, but pastoring is also a responsibility. It’s one that I take very seriously and will continue to do so. I often feel like Paul when he said “the cares of the church are ever before me” (2 Corinthians 11:28). My dear brother and mentor Pastor Rondy gave an excellent discourse on the things that validate our ministry during his last time of ministering at KCC. The summation of his words was those that Jesus gave in response to John the Baptist questioning his validity as the son of God (Matthew 11:4-5). Jesus said “the lame walk, the blind see, the dead are raised and the poor have had the gospe l preached to them.” I am happy to announce that during my tenure at KCC I have seen all the miracles that Jesus mentioned. It blesses me to still be a “relevant Pastor” in these last and evil days. I pray that our ministry will continue to be a beacon light for our community and this world at large. I am so constrained to continue to pastor in a way that will bring Glory to God. I end this letter by saying one more time “thank you.” I special thank you to my precious wife, Stephanie. Dear, you have been my “greatest supporter” down through the years, so loyal and so caring and I appreciate you for your love and undying support. Your heart for God and me is seen and felt often. Don’t ever change your passion for the things of God. Thank you for loving me so much and know that I truly love you with the deepest part of my heart. To my children, Lauren, Gabriel, Christian and Stephen, what great examples you are of children who love God. Thank you for making your own special contributions to daddy’s life as a Pastor. Always know that the church does not come before fatherhood. You all still mean the world to me and I will always seek to give you “the best.” To my best friend second only to my wife, Pastor Rondy. What a friend for the ages. When I say “I don’t know where I would be in ministry if it weren’t for you” that’s a true statement. Thank you for being a guidepost for what’s normal and accurate in God. Thank you also Man of God for more times of prayer and advice than I can tabulate, you have been the mentor that most men would crave to have, thank you for spending time with me! To my sister First Lady Regina, I love you so much. To my parents William and Lillie, I remain indebted to you to love you for the rest of your lives, thank you for leading me to Jesus as a child. To my sweet Mother in Love, God loves you so much and so do I. I love seeing your life materialize in so much victory! I pray that all your dreams come true for being so sweet to me from the time that I met you.
I could go on and on with specific people to thank. But to all the wonderful people of KCC and partners abroad, I want to say, “thank you.” Thank you for believing in me and believing in my vision. The best for us is yet to come as we promote the agenda of Jesus Christ and continue to expand the Kingdom to the world! I love everyone and my prayer is that we can all make it in the rapture together and spend eternity reflecting on how wonderful these years have been. Let’s keep our pursuit on to please the Lord and bring Him as much glory as possible until Jesus comes back to get us. And as always remember “Jesus is Coming Back, Real Soon!”
With Love, Pastor Gabe