Carpenter's Tools - By Pastor Wallace Phillips

This week’s message: And He gave some to be pastors . . . . .

Today, I picked up the telephone and said goodbye to a friend; a fellow colleague in the ministry --- Pastor Kenneth McNeil. Pastor Kenneth was packing the last few boxes on the truck to head to Robbins, N.C. for a new assignment. He and his wife, Sherry, and the children will be missed greatly in Northeastern N.C. and especially in Perquimans County.

The bible speaks about the pastor in Ephesians 4 as an “equipper”. He is called by God and gifted to equip God’s people for works of service. He’s not the one who actually does the entire ministry, but rather equips others to do it. He’s a shepherd to God’s flock, offering protection, nurture, and care to the sheep. He’s a servant. He’s an under-shepherd.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to the McNeil’s to the thousands of readers who look for this column each week. May my personal thanks to them remind each of us to give thanks for the gift of God given to church in the person of a pastor.

To the McNeil’s – thanks for your dedicated service to HBC, to the community, and to the Albemarle region. Thanks for your commitment to prayer, to rightly dividing the Word, and to loving the people of God. Your steadfast commitment and your consistent witness to a godly life leaves an indelible mark never to be forgotten. Thank you.

To those who read this column - Take the opportunity to express your gratitude to your pastoral family . . . those God gave to equip you for ministry.


Please visit us on the web at http://www.cscministries.com/ or http://www.wallacephillips.org/