Church plant!!!!

Many of you know that I have not pastored a church since September of 2010. During that period God has taken me and my family down some very difficult and challenging paths. We understand that our circumstances may not improve anytime in the near future, maybe not while we are on this earth as we know it, but after spending much time in the New Testament book of 1 Peter we recognize that God uses trials to drive us to rest in His sovereignty, which allows Him to be glorified. These indeed have not been easy trials but fruitful, in that they have begun the process of breaking and molding us and giving us the mind of Christ.

Through all of the testing I have never lost the desire to shepherd God’s people; my heart is filled with that desire. I have had serious discussions with several established churches concerning becoming their pastor but God has simply not allowed it to happen. With that being said, I have tossed around the idea of planting a church for a long time. I had presented the idea to the churches I previously pastored but I didn’t detect enough interest and desire to pursue it. As many of you know there must be a clear call and strong desire to take part in planting a church. Although that desire has been within me for a long time, God had not freed me up to pursue it until recently. Therefore I and several others have started the process of planting a church in the Wilmington area.

Of course, there are many reasons to NOT plant a church; I’ve heard and thought through most them if not all of them. As a matter of fact, these reasons kept me from pursuing church planting for a long time. While there are many reasons to NOT plant a church, there are a plethora of reasons TO start one! But the one constant that is driving me to partake in church planting is God’s call. Simply put, I have a strong call to participate in planting a church in Wilmington.

I am not alone in this endeavor; there are several who have been meeting for months, praying, planning, and seeking God’s will in this matter. They include Chris Canuel, Allen Murray, Blair Canady, and others. In recent weeks Allen has returned to school in Hendersonville, NC but he will still be involved where and when he is able.
We had initial meeting with some who have been involved with my ministry in the past and who are interested in a church plant. Our next step, while we are finalizing many other details, is to have a public meeting to share our vision with anyone interested. That meeting will take place on November 13th at the Best Western conference room at Monkey Junction in Wilmington, the address is 5600 Carolina Beach Rd. at 6:00 PM.

If you are seriously interested in a God centered, Bible based community of believers, then please consider joining us as we share our vision for God’s glory!