Thank You for Faithfully Serving Where God has Placed You

Jul 29

3 min read

Hey Pastors and Ministry Leaders,

If you’re like me, you’ve probably been tempted to skim over Romans 16.

After all, it’s mostly a list of names that are difficult to pronounce. We tend to read through it quickly, eager to get to the next book of the Bible. But here recently, I’ve come to appreciate that chapter differently.

What first appears to be a list of names is actually a window into how God advances His Kingdom. Behind every name is a story. A fellow worker. A trusted friend. A faithful servant. A brother. A sister. A partner in the Gospel.

Paul didn’t build a ministry by himself. He built it alongside people he knew, loved, and trusted.

One of the things that has always fascinated me as I read through the New Testament is how seldom ministry is presented as the work of one person. Certainly, there are key leaders like Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Timothy and Titus. But when you slow down and read the scripture, you quickly discover that ministry was almost never a solo endeavor.

Paul traveled with teams. He planted churches with others. He entrusted ministry to faithful men and women. Read the closing paragraphs of his letters carefully, and you’ll find names attached to stories of faithfulness, sacrifice, encouragement, and love.

From the very beginning, God designed His work to be accomplished through His people working together.

As promised, I’d like to continue unpacking the commitments that are shaping the culture we desire to cultivate within the Northwest Baptist Convention. As we sought the Lord and talked together about the kind of culture we wanted to build, two commitments naturally rose to the surface.

Lead Collaboratively.

Build Trust through Integrity and Dependability.

These aren’t simply leadership principles. They’re Biblical convictions.

Collaboration begins with the recognition that God has not entrusted every gift, every insight, or every strength to one person. Instead, He has distributed His gifts throughout His Church. We need one another. When we listen well, encourage one another, and genuinely value the contributions of others, we reflect God’s design for His people.

But collaboration can only flourish where trust exists.

Throughout the New Testament, Paul repeatedly commended believers because they had proven themselves faithful. They were dependable. They could be trusted with responsibility. When he sent Timothy, Titus, Tychicus, Epaphroditus, or others, the churches welcomed them because their character had already been demonstrated.

Faithfulness built confidence. Integrity built trust. Trust made partnership possible.

I’ve learned over the years that trust is one of the most valuable gifts we can give one another. It’s rarely built through one grand gesture. More often, it’s built quietly over time by keeping our word, telling the truth, following through on our commitments, and caring for one another with consistency.

As I travel throughout the Northwest, I’m grateful that I see these qualities in so many of our pastors and churches. I see leaders who willingly share ideas, encourage one another, celebrate what God is doing in neighboring churches, and faithfully serve without seeking recognition.

That’s the kind of culture I pray continues to grow among us. Not because collaboration is efficient or because trust makes our work easier, but because both reflect the character of Christ and strengthen our witness to a watching world.

Thank you for faithfully serving where God has placed you. Lisa and I count it a privilege to serve alongside you as a family of churches, united in Christ and committed to His mission.

by Faith,