Yesterday afternoon the Powhatan Pastor’s Fellowship joined our congregations together and offered our thanksgiving to God during a combined worship service. Our community worshiping together at Thanksgiving is a long tradition, and this service has included an offering that supports the work of the Coalition of Powhatan Churches, and we continued this tradition yesterday.
When I came to Powhatan over six years ago, there was not a functioning pastor’s fellowship. Bill Hardison had supported and been a part of a fellowship that had ceased to meet, and when I came there was still a checking account, but no longer a pastor’s group. After being in Powhatan about 18 months I contacted John Hemming from Powhatan UMC, Bryan Stevens from Mt. Zion Baptist, and Sandi Kerner from St. Luke’s Episcopal. We met for lunch at the County Seat, and that was the beginning of the re-formation of a pastor’s fellowship in our community.
I have many Baptist clergy friends, and I’m a part of a group of Baptist pastor’s who meet monthly. But the Powhatan Pastor’s group is a fellowship that I value more than any other. The group is made up of different denominations: Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite, Episcopal, and non-denominational. It is made up of varying races, ages, and positions in life. There are full-time pastors and bi-vocational pastors. And even in the midst of great diversity there is a unity that exists among our members. We love each other, support each other, pray for each other, and value each other. It is a great group of pastors.
We meet the second Tuesday of each month, still at the County Seat, and we begin about 11:30. We frequently end about 1:00, but sometimes it is after 2:00. Sometimes we pray while we’re together, sometimes we welcome guests to share the time with us. At our last meeting we were blessed with the presence of our Sheriff and one of the Department’s Captains.
At one point it was suggested that we meet in a quieter place, a place set apart where we could quietly pray together. We decided that it is important for us to be together in a visible place at least once a month in our community. At a table where there is male and female, black and white, young(ish) and old(er), representing Christ’s Church. This is important to us, because this is what God’s kingdom looks like.
Worship yesterday was a little foretaste of what it is going to be like when Jesus’ prayer is answered and God’s kingdom will be on earth as it is in heaven. I’m thankful for my fellow pastors in our community, what a blessing they are to me.