A Good Day

This morning the Servant Team - comprised of three of our key Nebbi pastors came up to Arua for a leadership meeting. Andrew, Benson, and Cosmos are working together with me to "serve our pastors, their families, our churches, and communities." The servant leadership model is new for all of us and we are learning together but this morning was the kind that keeps Joanna and I on the field.
Sadly, it came out of some recent difficult news. We received the resignation of one of our pastors last week and are trying to deal with both the fall out of losing a brother and yet protecting our remaining "flocks." Interestingly, we found ourselves reading I Timothy and other passages, asking, "What did Paul do with false teaching and those who promote false doctrine?" I have honestly never bothered to pay much attention to such details but have been amazed at how often the NT writers rebuke, caution and warn against false teachers and their doctrines. Due to our situation, these were the passages we were looking for as we try to love our brother and yet guard the "flock" He has entrusted to us.
The discussion plunged us deep into theological discussion and a 1700 year timeline of Church history. Jesus had helped me come with some prepared materials and they were exactly what we all needed to hear and see both afresh and for the first time. It is amazing how ideas have consequences and even in the village, theological ideas have theological consequences. Jesus was with us and not only did I find myself thrilled to be a part of working and learning with these guys, I believe all of us were seeing things in new ways.
Thank you for your prayers for us. We are so grateful to Jesus for allowing us to be a part of raising up African leadership. It is awesome and I wanted you all to know of the "good days," when there is a genuine sense God is both with us and working for us. Thank you for making that possible through your prayers and intercession. Thank you for praying for us, the Servant Team, that we might break old models of leadership and be more like Jesus.
Billy for the A-team