Jr. I n my first days as a pastor at Central United Methodist, I have quickly come to have a sense that this is a truly vital congregation - full of life and joy.
Every church is driven by something.
Tradition, finances, programs, personalities, events and even buildings can each be the controlling force in a church. But for a church to be healthy, it must be a purpose driven church, built around the New Testament call to be in ministry and mission. Central Church is certainly such a church - a congregation which works out of the understanding that the church exists not for its own sake but for the sake of the world. One of my goals as the church's pastor is to help our people understand that we have all been called to be partners with Christ in ministry. Somewhere along the way we have misplaced the ancient vision of the church as a priestly people - set apart for ministry in baptism, confirmed and strengthened in worship, made manifest in service to the world.