New Brunswick Report

June 25. 2012

NEW BRUNSWICK REPORT

God began it all with a phone call out of the blue. It was a Tuesday, and I was in Boston but intending to return home two hours away.

“Hi, this is Bill. I'm down from Canada and interested in connecting with house church Christians. Would you be interested in getting together?” Bill had called two other people, whose contact he had discovered on the Internet, who didn't have time or interest. He told me later he figured I would have the same response. What he didn't know then was that I live for this. I firmly believe that God has given me availability for the precise reason of promoting the unity of the Body of Christ, and encouraging its members.

We had dinner together with his colleague Patti. Psychology professors, they had come to the Boston area to talk to companies about employee wellness programs. We discovered a lot of common ground, and that God was moving us in similar directions. Bill has a strong desire to connect with other parts of the Body of Christ as do I.

We met again a few weeks ago when they returned to Boston on another business trip. In the interim Bill had invited me to come to his home province of New Brunswick, and also connected me with their networking website 247network.ca. On Tuesday of last week I got up at 5AM to begin my 500 mile (800 kilometer) journey to Fredericton. I went Mass Turnpike to 495, and then up 95 through New Hampshire and into Maine. Stopped in Bangor to get gas, purchase Canadian currency & lunch. Prior to Bangor there was a lot of traffic and continual road construction. The last 200 miles (320K) to Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick, were peaceful.

Pulled into the city about 4:30 and found Bill's office. His colleague Karl had hoped to meet me but thought I was coming in later. Catherine, their pleasant, efficient secretary, greeted me and gave me directions to the motel where I was to lodge. Karl came to the hotel later. He had been a regular church pastor for decades who had recently been led out of the traditional church structure into home gatherings. Bill is the visionary. Karl is the humble, quietly competent brother who makes things work. I found him to be a good listener and wish we could have spent more time one on one.

Wednesday morning a brother named Chuck came by and we went to a little gathering across the St. John's River, which separates the city of Fredericton into two parts. Chuck was a former hippie, a recently retired psychology professor, and had spent much time ministering in Africa. We gathered at Mike's memorial business with his wife Anne, Karl, and a brother named Matt. Mike and Anne are charismatics and fervent believers. One of the potential blessings of meeting in homes is the blending of evangelicals and charismatics sharing their gifts and strengths with one another. Matt was also a former pastor, who like so many Canadians that I met had either spent time or actually lived in the U.S.

Karl and I went to the office where he videotaped me sharing a little of my personal testimony, and also about the current arena of ministry that God has granted me. Karl also videoed Chuck and Matt in a bit of a round robin style.

We went to lunch downtown in a cafe. Then Matt took me first on a walking tour, and then on a driving tour of the city. His love for, and knowledge of Fredericton impressed me deeply. One of the major problems with house churches is that typically we are traveling long distances to gather with like hearted people. As a result our impact on those around us (our neighbors) is often minimal. Matt and his family moved to Fredericton ten years ago and over time have developed many relationships in the community- with believers and unbelievers, local business people, the Mayor- developing genuine impact.

Wednesday evening Bill hosted a gathering of people with a burden for unity and networking. About twenty people came and each one shared a little about who they were and what God was doing with them. One couple, Ron and Joanne, particularly impressed me. They run something called The Victory Center, an outreach for recovering drug addicts. Joanne gave a moving testimony about persevering in marriage, and Ron expressed the theme that maturity in Christ depended upon spiritual hunger. He strikes me as a deep thinker, one who reflects on the things of God. His thought about spiritual hunger continues to resonate with me.

Bill asked me to share a little of my testimony and ministry, which I did before launching into a four part appeal. The first part was on the central importance of Jesus, that we not allow anything else, like house church, to supersede Him. Part two focused on the balance of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The third part, which I acknowledged as probably the most difficult, was to not throw out the truth of leadership in the Body of Christ but rather to seek the Lord about how he would have us lead, i.e. in humility. Finally, as most of the participants were seasoned saints, I appealed for them to be spiritual fathers and mothers to those younger in the faith.

Thursday morning had breakfast with Mike, Anne, Karl and Bill. Bill wanted Karl to videotape me reprising my appeal from the night before. After we did this I took a walk along the river to the library. Then Chuck and I had lunch together. God used Chuck to remind me yet again of the central importance of prayer to the advance of the Kingdom. We returned to his office for a wonderful time of prayer. God is at work in New Brunswick.

That evening Mike & Anne had invited me over for dinner. Anne was born in England, still has a delicious accent, and spent her early childhood in India. I encouraged them that whatever the status of the church, God had determined to make her a bride without spot or blemish. We drove to another part of town to the home of Larry and Jen where we met Chuck and his wife Marti, who had grown up in Boston, and also a nice young couple whom I had met previously on my tour with Matt. Felt strongly led of the Spirit to pray for Larry and Jen.

Am very thankful for the hospitality and generosity of the saints and for Bill following the vision that the Lord has given him. There are a few people whom God uses in a catalytic role to get things moving and Bill is one that He has gifted in that way. One final humorous note is that the smallest paper currency in Canada is the five dollar bill. They have one and two dollar coins, which are known colloquially as “loonies” and “toonies.” I found this hysterical.