Being a Regional Pastor During COVID-19
PHIL NOORDMANS, WEST REGIONAL PASTOR
Several weeks ago I reached out to an Area Pastor in a rural community to discuss the possibility of a face-to-face visit. My thought was, “Surely that’s a safe place to go.” His wise response, however, drew my attention to a reality I had overlooked. In order to get to his area, I would need to fly to a major airport, rent a car, and stop at a few restaurants. Every leg of the journey would potentially put me in contact with people who were COVID-positive and I would unwittingly become a carrier.
Even though travel has ground to a standstill, there are still many things we as Regional Pastors can do. My strategy for staying connected is threefold:
- Pray. I pray regularly through the list of pastors and churches in the west.
- Communicate. Two or three times per month I send a brief note to the pastors and churches in the west. Some notes are inspirational and others, informational.
- Call. In response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I pick up the phone and call.
I thank God for the Area Pastors who are serving voluntarily in their locals. I also believe that Christ’s promise to build His Church is not hampered by COVID-19. Just at the church in China flourished during the cultural revolution, so churches in our areas can flourish during these unprecedented times. Let this be one of our prayers: “Lord Jesus,
show us the steps of obedience that we are to take now to cooperate with you to build Your church.”
Jorge Hrebien (1961-2020)
Jorge Hrebien, a recent Board member, passed away on August 5th. He was a pastor at Plymouth Church in Whittier, CA, a unique ministry of one church, two languages. Jorge worked to share this concept of ministry and hoped to welcome other Spanish speaking members into our fellowship. He impacted our Board with his devotion to the mission of the church and the development of the next generation of leaders. He is survived by his wife, Isabel, and their two daughters.