I attended the Otago and Southland Regional Hui on 26-27 May at Alexandra Baptist Church for the first time. The Regional Hui is a gathering of Baptist pastors and church leaders in the Otago and Southland region held twice a year.
Oamaru Baptist Church, which I am pastoring, belongs to the Otago & Southland Baptist Association. Thus, despite being based in Timaru, which is already part of the Upper South Baptists, I attended the Otago and Southland Regional Hui.
The road trip from Timaru to Alexandra is 3.5 hours, but counting the rest and stops, it took me four hours to reach the Regional Hui venue.
I decided to go to Alexandra on the 25 May afternoon, so I was rested and fresh attending the event the following morning.
As a first-timer, I am happy I attended the gathering. Here are my five takeaways from the Otago and Southland Baptist Association Hui.
1. Fellowship
Except for the Regional Leader, Rachel Murray, I haven’t met anyone from the OSBA before. As the participants started arriving on Friday morning, I took the chance to greet and get to know whomever I met and bumped into in the coffee and snacks area.
The place was vibrant with friendliness and excitement to see one another and to know how everyone was doing in their pastoral ministry. I imagine them having been together for many years now.
As a newbie, Rachel’s groundwork helped a lot because I met several pastors saying you’re the pastor at Oamaru Baptist Church. Praise the Lord! They made me feel as if they had known me for a long time.
Finally, after almost two years of meeting online, I met the National Leader, Charles Hewlett, for the first time. I am glad to see Ravi Musuku again, who included Oamaru in his South Island tour itinerary last year.
2. Passion to Serve
I observed and was impressed by the passion for serving the Master Lord Jesus Christ expressed in praises, prayers, singing, testimonies, and Bible study. Everyone was passionate about improving and progressing their pastoral services.
Jonathan Robinson’s presentation on “Encountering Jesus: John 4- Samaritan Woman at the Well and her encounter with Jesus” provided some provoking challenges on how we view the people in the church and the community.
Some questions that Jonathan posed to us, which we discussed in our small groups, are as follows:
- Where do you see God’s people divided and broken in your place?
- What might a unity of the Spirit look like in this situation?
- Does the Lord of the harvest call us to sow or reap in our place and moment?
- Do you feel you are currently in a time of reaping or sowing?
- What has been own in your place that you are now reaping?
- What are you sowing for others to reap?
- You may be missing something and need to “look around you!”
3. Amazing Hospitality
I’m an avid coffee drinker, and upon entering the church foyer, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted me and instantly perked my joy.
I can’t imagine a pastors’ gathering without excellent coffee. Thanks to Derik, who made sure that we got just that.
Grateful to the Alexandra Baptist Church team for the delicious food they prepared and served us.
The ABC music team led us in singing “Wairua Tapu” (Holy Spirit Welcome) in the Saturday morning praise and worship. Thanks to Claudine, who made sure I got a copy.
Everyone was friendly and accommodating. May God bless you all!
4. Sharing, Bearing, and Praying
The sharing time provided the opportunity to know some participants better regarding ministry, family, and personal well-being.
I appreciate the willingness to be vulnerable of some experienced pastors. They presented life and ministry lessons where others could learn.
We appreciated one another successes and recognised the value of lifting and bearing one another’s burden through prayers.
On my part, I shared the work I’m doing with the Oamaru Baptist Church through a diagram that I drew from existing ministries and supports.
It is a work in progress. I, too, am learning along the way.
It is encouraging to be part of a gathering and realise that you are not alone in your ministry journey. Most of all, you get to know pastors in the OSBA and national network from whom you can draw inspiration and support.
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