I have been in pastoral ministry in the institutional church for 34 years now and this will be my last.
God found this lost sheep on Grand Manan Island in the late fall of 1971. And He called me as much to ministry as to himself. There was no option to say “yes” to one and anything different to the other. I have been blessed to serve in the denominational structure that has graciously housed me.
Through 3 years of diligently, prayerfully searching for a vision for my church, I began to realize that God was birthing something in my heart that could not be confined by walls, creeds, or governance. Through adversity, I began to see God as I had never seen Him and myself as I had never seen myself. (Isaiah 6) The constraints seemed to increase and I chafed more against them than I could possibly explain. I am just not an institutional person. I believe that the church is first organism and needs to be cared for as such. When secular models or organization begin to govern the church then something vital is lost.
God has blessed me with a wonderful family . . . an incredible wife, who would charge hell at my side . . . and together we are taking the greatest risk of our lives as we step forward at God’s leading. I have no idea what the future holds.
When I look down the road, all I see is God. I don’t care what’s ahead of God . . . I just care that God is ahead of me.
And it will be God’s issue to shape the future, whether it looks like success or failure. I understand clearly that our job is to follow . . . to stay close. Much of what you will read in my blog will reflect this journey and the many factors that have precipitated our leaving Ur.
Karl and Elaine
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