We have a new Interim Director of Missions. We welcome Dr. Jere Patterson and his wife, Jody to our Association.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Interim Director of Missions. Jody and I are looking forward to working with you in this part of God’s Kingdom. She will be coming with me for special occasions. We anticipate a great fellowship with the many wonderful Christians we have met and those we will be meeting. It is our honor to be with you.
Notice, I said Interim Director of Missions. I did not say Intentional Director of Missions. It is the Bessemer Baptist Association that is beginning the Intentional Interim Process. During that process I will be serving Sunday through Wednesday as your DOM. The goal of the intentional process is to first, discern the will of God for the association’s ministries, and second, prepare a DOM profile reflecting the skills and personality of the Minister God is calling to lead those ministries.
For the next few weeks, I have two goals. I want to obtain a good understanding of the association’s churches and ministries. I’ll be studying the historical and statistical data, in order to obtain the recorded picture of the association. I also want to visit as many of the churches as possible to see their situation and operation. In addition, I’d like to talk with a number of ministers, leaders, and church members to acquire the soft data. This soft data will provide an assessment of the views and attitudes within the association.
During the same time, I want to establish a number of prayer groups in different locations within the association’s area. They would seek to discern God’s will and direction for the association, praying for the association, churches, ministries, and leaders. The Asian Prayer Circle will be introduced. It is the most dynamic prayer process I have encountered. Eight to twelve people sit in a circle and pray for s specific period of time. The process was developed for the house churches of Asia. The University Baptist Church of Honolulu used it for their mid-week service. It is a very rich prayer experience.
Join with me in seeking to discern God’s will for the Bessemer Baptist Association’s ministries, churches, leaders, mission relationships, facilities, and resources. Most of all we want to discern His will for the future of the association and the DOM He is calling to lead the association into that future.
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 HCSV
