   |
 |
|
60 Years of Ministry By Rev. Patrick L. Clements 1If you have any encouragement
from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and
compassion, 2then
make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same
love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only
to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. In July of this year, Church Extension Plan will celebrate 60 years of ministry. All of us who have the joy of working in this ministry are humbled and grateful for what the Lord has accomplished. When I was called to the Presidency as the third president in the history of CEP twenty-seven years ago, I had the opportunity to pray and reflect on what God wanted to accomplish. It was during that time of prayerful contemplation that the concept of “Partners in Ministry” was born. I sensed the Lord speaking to my heart that CEP was to be a ministry, not a business. We must be business-like in our activities, but we must at all costs focus on ministry. Philippians 2:1-4 became a very important passage of Scripture and “Partner in Ministry” became a behavior through which all of our activities have to pass. Through the years I have witnessed the vision God gave to me, and this vision comes more and more into focus and fulfillment with God’s help and the guidance of our board of directors. Our senior leadership and staff have chosen to embody the principles of partners in ministry. We have seen CEP grow from $12 million in total assets to over $405 million. We have seen our vision expand and our planning challenged by the massiveness of the need and the opportunity. As we have progressed, countless churches and ministries have experienced their vision unlocked and actualized as we minister to them with the tool of finance. God has used our combined efforts to reach thousands of men, women, young people and children with the Good News. The Gospel has gone forward and the Kingdom of God has been expanded. We are truly humbled by what has transpired. We owe a great debt to the Lord of the Harvest who has guided our steps and blessed our efforts. We have the enormous privilege of ministering to churches, districts, ministries, universities and individuals, and we are thankful. At the same time, we are stimulated and challenged by what lies ahead. The needs are as great or greater than ever before. Our new ministry initiatives like Capital Campaign Consulting and New Growth Partners are dynamic ways in which we are facing those challenges. We praise the Lord for what has been accomplished and trust Him fully to guide and direct our steps in the exciting days ahead. The best is yet to come! |
||
