Pastors Corner

Presented by Pastor Tom. Jesus did not allow his disciples to get comfortable and complacent. Instead He gave them the uncomfortable task of “waiting” for what He promised, a season of praying as they waited and, once the Holy Spirit came, they went out into the mission He had assigned to them.

The “gravity” that pulls toward comfort and complacency is strong, never ending and is often the wolf disguised in the sheep’s clothing of being “conservative” and “steady.” When we look at Jesus in the climate of the religious culture around Him, we observe a radical who pushed against the accepted “norms” and called individuals to follow Him into action. He is calling OCEC to raise up faithful and prepared followers of Jesus Christ to follow Him; not our past, our traditions or even our ideas.

Full Report

On Sunday night, September 13, a congregational meeting was held to consider the proposal brought by the Board of Trustees. The proposal was to take down the current Ministry/Prayer House and to construct a new "house like" building that would be better suited for the ministries currently using the Ministry/Prayer House.

There were approximately 100 individuals present for the presentation and discussion. Of these 90 were registered members of OCEC. Many questions were addressed and eventually a vote was taken. An additional motion was presented in the meeting that set a "super majority" of 75% for the passage of the original proposal. The outcome was that the motion did not pass the 75% super majority but was supported by a positive vote of 64%.

So, where do we go from here? I believe the overwhelming spirit of the discussion was a strong support of moving forward to address the needs that prompted the proposal of the Board of Trustees. I have asked our Building Committee Chair, Bill Weller, to enter into discussion with the City of Oregon City Building Department to gain clarity on what options are available for construction on the site of the present Ministry/Prayer House and on other church owned property. I'm also entering into discussion with leaders of the ministries using the facility to further understand the needs to be addressed in a construction project. Once this research is completed and I feel that information has adequately address the questions raised we will develop a plan for presenting the information to the church family and set a date for a new congregational meeting to make a decision based upon this research.

I want to end by expressing my appreciation to our Board of Trustees and their chairman, Dave Seward, for being proactive in seeking to address a facility need. Their hearts were moved by the spiritual results taking place in the lives of those who are affected by the ministries using the Ministry/Prayer House. I believe their heart desire represents the heart desire of the OCEC family and that together we will move forward to meet these needs.

Please pray with me that we will receive and follow the leading of our Lord.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom