At our upcoming Members’ Meeting on 8 November, we will be voting on our elder-candidates and our deacon-candidate. Pastor Eugene shares more about the candidates and encourages us to prayerfully consider and participate in the voting and affirmation process.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
(Acts 13:2-3)
The Book of Acts recounts how the church in Antioch had the privilege of setting apart two of its leaders, Barnabas and Saul, for the work of ministry. The church did not take this responsibility lightly. They undertook it with prayerful dependence on the Lord, seeking His wisdom and guidance.
At our upcoming Members’ Meeting on 8 November, we will have an opportunity to affirm several candidates for ministry — three to serve as elders, and one to serve as a deaconess. Like the church in Antioch, may we also carry out our congregational responsibility with humble reliance on God.
The Lord loves His church. He supplies the church with faithful leaders, for the good of His people. Ephesians 4:10-12 speaks of how the risen and exalted Christ gifts the church with servants to help build up His body: “(He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
Faithful servants, including elders, are Jesus’ gift to His church. Elders are called to pastor and teach God’s people, for their growth in Christ. So, let us be thankful for our elder-candidates Jonathan, Kang Wei, and Jimmy. Their willingness to serve the church ought to encourage us. Kang Wei and Jimmy will potentially serve as lay elders, while Jonathan will potentially serve as an elder on staff. I am especially grateful for how the Lord has granted Jonathan a heart to serve vocationally (full-time) as a pastor for missions and equipping. He will assume the role that Pastor Ryan will vacate when he leads the church plant. By bringing Jonathan on staff in early 2027, Lord willing, he will have more opportunity to overlap with and learn from Pastor Ryan.
The Lord has blessed Grace Baptist Church with growing opportunities and resources for missions. The missions pastor plays a key role in helping us faithfully steward what God has graciously entrusted to us. Efforts such as the Weekender, the traineeship, conferences, missions trips and the support of gospel workers all help to advance the gospel through the planting and strengthening of local churches. Jonathan will also oversee the church’s efforts to better equip members for ministry, both here and abroad.
Let us also give thanks for Joanna, our deaconess-candidate. Joanna faithfully serves in the Gladiolus Place ministry. We have the joy of affirming the Lord’s work in and through her. In accordance with Scripture, we as members are to provide the congregational affirmation for deacons as well. This follows the pattern established in Acts 6, where the apostles called “the full number of the disciples” (Acts 6:2) to choose from among themselves those who would be suitable to serve in deacon-like ways. Thus, Scripture reminds us that being a deacon is not first about what you can do, but who you are in Christ. Deacons are to be people of godly character — faithful, trustworthy, spiritually mature, and willing to serve others. So deacons are more than administrators. They are servants of Christ who love His people. Elders shepherd, teach, and oversee; deacons serve, organise, and care. And together, we labour as one team for the glory of Christ and the good of His church.
Rather than simply filling vacancies, we seek to recognise those whom God has already raised up. Pastor Andrew introduced and shared about Joanna at our last Members’ Meeting in September. At our upcoming Members’ Meeting, we will conduct the diaconal election with a simple show of hands. Such congregational affirmation encourages the whole church, as well as Joanna herself, and recognises the Lord’s faithful provision for us.
The harvest is indeed plentiful. I am grateful for how the Lord is raising up labourers from among us. May we continue to give God praise and thanks for His goodness to us.