Let The River Run!

Sunday night, June 29, several hundred members of Christ Church Nashville voted to accept me as this congregation’s second senior pastor. We have been moving through a time of transition since Pastor Hardwick proposed, and the church board ratified, my name as a candidate for Senior Pastor.

I didn’t want too much time to go by before writing you a short note to acknowledge this change of leadership.

I first want to thank Pastor Hardwick for leading us to this new season. He has made a decision that has been difficult and personally sacrificial. He deserves our honor and love for his lifetime of faithful service to God and to this congregation.

I also want to thank you for asking me to be a steward of our heritage and future. I will need your on going prayer and advice. I have loved this church since the first day I came with my wife and two small children to be your associate pastor. Trish and I were young then, and we were delighted to find such a safe and exciting place to raise our new family.

As I enter into this new pastorate, I am mindful of my grandchildren. They are nearly the same age my girls were in 1985 when I first came here!

The world, the nation and the city have gone through many changes since 1985. Sometimes, the changes seem a bit daunting. However, we worship the same Lord now as we did then. We preach from the same scriptures. So we know that the same Holy Spirit that led us to do His work back then will lead us to do His work today.

In the coming days, I will share a more detailed version of the vision I have for our church. The all-church workday we experienced Saturday, June 28 is a perfect picture of what I want for our congregation’s future. I want us to work together, laugh together and eat together. I want us to grow in Christ and develop His calling for us as a church – together. I want us to be family of God.

Transformation occurs when we enter into genuine community with Gods people. When we do that, the Spirit of God fills us, the Word of God directs us, and the Body of Christ equips us and sends us forth to do the Lord’s work.

Whenever we have released control, inspired our people and cooperated with God’s will, The Spirit of God has used this church in a mighty way. I have no doubt that God intends to do that now, in this new season of our church life.

There is a river that flows from the throne of God. It makes glad the city of the Great King. So let us do all we know to do to “Let the River Run!”