New pastors meet
Support for new pastors Queensland Baptists is blessed by the steady flow of ministers being called to serve in our churches. Allison Hall who is on the pastoral team at Gladstone Baptist Church said, ‘I was thrilled to be invited to the New Pastors’ Retreat. It was wonderful to be accepted and to feel included. It is very encouraging to see the high calibre of young men and women answering God’s call. I hope I have an opportunity to keep in touch with how they progress in the years to come.’ In 2010, the Regional Consultancy Team piloted a conference for our newest Queensland Baptist pastors. The pilot was a success, so an expanded conference was held from 23-25 October at the retreat house, QCCC Brookfield, which proved to be a great venue. The aim of the conference, sponsored by Queensland Baptists, was to encourage and equip new pastors for the challenging role they have accepted. The conference included input sessions from our Regional Consultants and General Superintendent as well as opportunities for the pastors to raise issues of interest and concern. There was also plenty of time for participants to build relationships with their peers as well as their Regional Consultants. This year’s group included pastors from urban and rural churches, two pastors who conduct their services in languages other than English, and two female pastors. Although it was
such a diverse group, there was a tremendous unity because each person serves the same Lord passionately and often at considerable personal cost. It was great to hear stories from the participants about how God led them to this point in their ministries. Theo Salahor (Margate Baptist Church), said, ‘It was an enriching time, as we shared the highs and lows of what real ministry means. Thank you to the guys for sharing their intimate thoughts; frustrations, but most of all, the love of God’. Robert Howells (Leichhardt Baptist Church), said, ‘One of the things I enjoyed most (at the retreat) was talking with other newish pastors and realising that we are all facing the same problems. It is easy to feel alone in ministry, but these few days were a reminder that we are not just “un-alone”, that God is doing some great things in our lives. These two days were well worth experiencing.’ Planning is about to start for another conference for our newest pastors next year, so please continue to pray that God will raise up men and women to serve as pastors in our churches for many years to come. Also, please be committed to praying for, and encouraging, those new pastors already given to us by God.
Pictured top L to bottom R: (1) James Hill (Southport Baptist) Emil Rahimov (Regional Consultant, Multicultural), Alvin Tam, Jean-Claude Manirakiza, Brendan Devine (Reedy Creek Baptist). (2) Stephen Ball (Regional Consultant), Jean-Claude Manirakiza (Pastor, All Nations Revival Church) and Alvin Tam (Sunnybank, Chinese Pastor)
www.qb.com.au December 2011
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