Update from the President

We have had three valuable conferences and training sessions cascading over the past week and a half with the Camp Team, the Regional Pastors and now the Pastoral Development Program (PDP). We are in the midst of the fourth annual PDP with an enthusiastic and attentive group of 23 people from Australia, Canada, Zambia and the United States. We include non-ordained ministerial trainees along with others with hope that they will become ordained congregational leaders soon. We also included others newer in the pastoral ministry for enrichment.

The PDP is ten days long and features lectures that center on techniques for better serving as ministers, but also lectures about character and integrity. It is vital not only to be skilled in speaking, visiting and organization as we care for our congregations, but also to be cognizant of and ever-mindful of personal integrity. Most of the qualifications for the ministry--as the apostle Paul clearly brings out in 1 Timothy 3--deal with matters of character. An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence. The qualifications go further in that an elder creates this environment in the congregation: "Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy" (2 Corinthians 1:24, King James Version). It is vital that the pastor create this environment where growth in relationships to God and to one another can take place.

We had a session on working with those in authority, remembering that we are all under authority and working with our peers in addition to our leading our congregations.

Having a conference such as this lends itself not only to education and enrichment, but becomes a springboard for our ministry to search out resources to make them more knowledgeable and effective. In this environment of being with one another, we have great opportunities to share ideas and experiences.

We honor our wives as an essential part of our ministry. All the information delivered included our wives who participated in the discussions. They also held some separate meetings and will have more sessions during the remainder of the conference.

Practical speech labs were held to provide speaking evaluation by the group.

Yesterday, most of us went to the nearby Cincinnati Nature Center for a hike. It was an enjoyable break in spite of the drizzly weather.

Every day we had two or three couples give a short "getting to know you" presentation in which they shared biographical information about themselves.

On this coming Sabbath most of the participants will travel to neighboring congregations and will give split sermons.

The PDP has become quite the event here at the home office as the Ministerial Education Team has the opportunity to see what God is doing in the lives of His servants for current and future service to His people. I thank all at the home office who have put many hours into the preparation, delivery and hosting of those attending the PDP.

Synagogue Shooting in Pittsburgh

Another mindless, hateful shooting took place last Sabbath, killing 11 and injuring 6 attendees at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. It makes our hearts ache with pain for those immediately affected, but also for the groaning creation that the apostle Paul speaks of in Romans 8. I sent the synagogue a card with condolences in which I wrote the following words:

"Along with millions of others, we at the United Church of God, an International Association, offer heartfelt condolences to you and to the Tree of Life synagogue. We hurt for you and your people.

"We are a Sabbath-keeping church headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with 400 congregations around the globe, and we feel a kinship with you because of similar roots. We want to express to you what we feel in our hearts.

"May God give comfort to you and all the affected families in this tragedy. This evil will end when the promised Messiah returns to the earth."