My Induction

My Induction

Blog 5 Entry 11/03/11

I was officially inducted as English Congregation Pastor of the C.A.C.V. on 20 February 2011. It seemed strange after 2 previous inductions, but then it is an induction to a particular church, of course.

This morning, more out of curiosity, I checked on the meaning of the word “induction” and got this from the Collins Dictionary – “A formal introduction to a new job or new way of life”. Strange again I thought, as I have never thought of the pastoral ministry as a ‘job’, but rather as a ‘calling’. While I appreciate that a pastor needed to be ‘gifted’ as it is biblical, not many see it as other than an employer-employee relationship. Secondly, what new way of life can there be, other than “a life with Jesus”, I thought. Oh well, let’s not be pedantic…as the Bee Gees once sang, “Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, whisper words of wisdom, let it be…”

I appreciate that my immediate and close family members were there to lend support. So were some of my friends and relatives. It’s been a long journey since I first met the Chairman and Cantonese Pastor of the C.A.C.V. at a Pastors’ seminar organized by the RBC, on 21 May 2010 ( 9 months to be exact!.)

Since then I had gone through two “getting to know you dinners”, 2 formal interviews with the Board (including one with Kim) and 1 interview with a few deacons to discuss the contract. As though that wasn’t enough, there was 1 interview with 2 Reverends from the C&MA, a very comprehensive application form from C&MA Canberra with loads of questions to answer, a doctrinal questionnaire to fill, a personal testimony statement and a 100 questions biblical knowledge test to top it all. Phew!

All in all I had to present 4 references (specifically, one from the Board of my previous church and another an ordinary member) to the C.A.C.V. Board and 7 more (including the earlier 4) to C&MA HQ, Canberra. My, what a host of requirements, I thought to myself and to think that it was only a phone call each that brought me to my 2 previous churches! Thank God, for all the effort, I finally received my pastoral license in mid-February 2011.

Don’t get me wrong - this is not meant to be a ‘slight’ to my present church but rather a compliment. As the saying goes “Easy come, easy go!” So my prayer my hope indeed is this - that it will be quite a while before “I ride into the sunset!” Meanwhile, I have this to say, “Here I am Lord, use even me!”

Nkoh 11/03/11

…from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the Ends of the Earth

(Blog 4 Entry 02 March 2011)

Welcome back. Here’s what I mean by “I’ve come a long way from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and now to the Ends of the Earth.” At my official farewell from the last church, where I had served for 10+ years (after completing the 3^rd of three-3 year contracts plus a year at a branch church) I stated that I was about to embark on a ‘Samarian’ experience and it would be tough. I had earlier mentioned that I viewed the church that I was about to leave as ‘my Judea’ and an earlier 2 year sojourn as youth pastor in a Presbyterian church as ‘my Jerusalem’. The part statement, of course comes from Acts 1:8b, for those who are more familiar with the bible.

True to my remark, my ‘Samarian’ experience proved to be tough in the sense that I did not have a church where I could really call ‘home’ for 5 years. I was able though to do some itinerant preaching in not so many churches. It was an opportunity also to take a hard look at the church from the outside. On the upside, I had ample time to reflect on ministry besides being exposed to the ‘real world’ as sessional ESL teacher at various TAFE Colleges and Universities. The exposure to the ‘real world’ which consisted mostly of adult migrants only added to the urgent need to proclaim the gospel to such people.

By God’s grace and having been called to the C.A.C.V., I now see it as a ‘last call’ to ministry. The English Congregation of about 40 people is made up mostly of young and eager hearts and minds with great potential to ‘Make a Difference’ for God. Many are ABCs and there are a few older adults. I consider my call into the C&MA through the C.A.C.V. as a last call to “the Ends of the Earth”. After all, the C&MA, as I have stated in an earlier blog, started off as a missions’ organisation in the latter half of the 1800s and has since spread to almost every corner of the globe. I look forward to vast future opportunities to join with what God is doing in the missions’ field.

So, that’s I how I arrived at the statement “…from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the Ends of the Earth.”