Dear Friends,
I pray this note finds you well and blessed. I am so excited to be in ministry with all of you in the East District. In fact, we are already underway. I have met with 27 pastors, worshiped in three different churches, visited with another church and all I can say is, God is good! We have wonderful pastors and deeply faithful churches filled with lay people who truly seek the heart of God. God is good!
A little bit about me. I have been serving as a parish pastor for 27 years. In that time, I have been awed, in every church, at the amazing lay people with whom I have served. Recently, I have been blessed to serve as part of a large staff filled with inspiring colleagues. Beyond the local church, I have served as a member of the Annual Conference Board of Missions; member and Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry; and a member of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women. I trust that God will use all these experiences in this next phase of serving.
I would like to share with you two pieces of information. First, there will be an installation service for me, as the Superintendent of the East District on September 8, 7:00 PM, at Daleville UMC. I hope you will all be able to attend. Secondly, it is best for me if you use russ.abel@inumc.org as my email address and 260-466-7418 for texting and calls.
As I said, I am excited to serve in the East District. As I have been praying, I have felt God lay on my heart a particular passage of scripture. Acts 1:8:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
So, my hopes and intentions are focused on this verse. I pray that we would all be reliant upon the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is more than a theological premise, with which we wrestle. The Spirit is that part of God that pushes us, holds us still, and calls us forward. It is also a promise from Jesus that we will receive it. Also, that the Spirit will lead us to be witnesses among all the people God places in our paths, so that (which is one of my favorite phrases), we will be more effective at making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
So, let’s get started. For too long we, the church, have lacked a sense of urgency. Well, friends, I feel like it is an urgent matter for people to know Jesus and know Him better.
Shalom,
Russ