The General Assembly have unanimously elected the Reverend Phil Strong as Moderator-Elect (moderator of the 2019 General Assembly).
Phil is on staff at Creek Road Presbyterian and is Moderator of the South Australian Assembly and Presbytery, being an Assessor (appointed member) of those bodies. He is functioning as project manager of the Adelaide Churches revitalization work. He has previously served as convener of the Qld Ministry Training Committee.
(an earlier version of this post mentioned Phil’s involvement in the acquisition of the new premises of the Queensland Theological College. Phil has informed me that his departure from the Ministry Training Committee predated those plans, and he had no personal involvement that project. So I’ve updated this post. He’s a details guy.)
The following motion was passed with a standing ovation, marking the conclusion of John Mansfield’s 37 year long work with the Department of Christian Education.
I remember John’s work back in the early 1980’s, and there will be thousands of people who know Jesus or have grown deeper in their following of Jesus because of the work that John has done in facilitating and conducting camps, events and youth work.
The General Assembly Of The Presbyterian Church Of Queensland unanimously voted to reappoint Rev Peter Barson as Director Of Ministry Resourcing and Christian Education for a five-year term. This will be Peter’s third term, having commenced in 2008.
Peter is a blessing to the church. Wise, empathetic, experienced; able to have hard conversations and implement hard decisions with grace and love. He is a model of servant-leadership who has a driving passion that people (particularly young people) will come to know Jesus through the ministry of local churches, supported by the activities of the wider denomination.
A wonderful service at a great facility to hear a clear message about the urgency of responding to Jesus’ call that prayer be raised up for workers to be sent to a waiting harvest field.
The opening of the Queensland Assembly at the Queensland Theological College saw the installation of Rev. Mike O’Connor as Moderator by outgoing Moderator Rev. Greg Watt.
Mike preached from Matthew 9 and reminded everyone present (and himself) that the call to reach out starts not with strategy or persons, but with prayer. Strategy and persons flow from God’s answer to that prayer.
Mike O’Connor (r) and Greg Watt
One of the songs was Michael Morrow’s We Belong To The Day.
The lyrics:
1.
We belong to the day
To the day that is to come
When the night falls away
And our Saviour will return
For the glory of the King is in our hearts
On that day we will be seen for what we are
2.
We belong to the day
Let us journey in the light
Put on faith, put on love
As our armour for the fight
And the promise of salvation in our eyes
On that day the proud will fall, the faithful rise
Chorus:
Strong as a mighty rock
Our refuge in the coming wrath
The heart of the bride belongs to Jesus, Jesus
The earth in its turning stops
To marvel at the Son of God
And all of that day belongs to Jesus, Jesus
3.
We belong to the day
We were bought with Jesus’ blood
Soon he comes as the judge
In the power of his word
We must tell of his salvation while we wait
For the day when Jesus comes will be too late
Bridge:
Oh, if ten thousand years go by we will wait
Let us tell of his great love, he will come
For his patience means salvation!
