Grand Fruit in the Grand Caymans

Thaniti Anyabwile posted some thoughts about his two years of ministry in the Grand Cayman's in a blog post titled: Pure Church: Two Years Invested in Eternity... What Next?

What really jumped out at me were a couple of his thoughts....

First this one....

1. I think it was Mark Dever that I heard say, "Young pastors often think they're being patient when they enter a new church. But in time, they come to see the church has been patient with them." Boy! How true that is in my own life and ministry! The saints have been tremendously patient with me in my two years here.

That is a great comment!

Next these two....

4. Stephen Ryan joined the church staff almost a year ago now. He was a promising young accountant with a bright future in that field should he desire it. But he opted to invest his life in the ministry of the church, directing some of our missions and youth efforts. His addition to the staff is a gift from the Lord.

5. On August 18th, Lord willing, a young man whom the church supported through Bible college, Bentley Robinson, will join the pastoral staff of the church. Bentley loves the people here. He is eager to serve, encourage, and disciple. And he is a gifted and passionate preacher of the word. In God's kindness, we'll be moving from strength to strength with Bentley joining staff.

That is the way it should be done, godly men raised up and mentored in a Bible teaching church, called out by that church, sent out to be trained and financially supported by that church and then coming home and ministering in that church. We send young men out and maybe they go to seminary and then they interview to be a minister in a church they likely have never been in and ministering to people they have never met. It is a local church, and how great would it be for a young man who went to Sunday school in a church, VBS at a church, was baptized after professing Christ in a church, who graduated from high school in a church and then after school comes home and ministers in that church for people he knows, in a church of people who know him. That won't happen overnight but it should be a goal of the church.

What a great testimony of a godly man serving His God by serving His sheep!