A New Chapter

Dear Church Family,

As a man known for always having something to say, your affirmation of my role as Lead Pastor leaves me humbled, thankful and a bit dumbfounded. Collectively, I believe we have arrived at a place that only God could have envisioned — realized in his time and his way. These have not been wasted years as God has refined us and shown himself faithful each step along this “Long and Winding Road.”

I am unbelievably grateful for your willingness to embrace a new staffing paradigm that has opened the door for a new approach to ministry at BSBC. I want to publicly offer my sincere thanks to Dr. Keith Bodner for inspiring this vision AND committing to partnership in it for another two years. He and I look forward to working in tandem with a growing staff and this wonderful church family to love God, each other and most importantly, those God brings our way, people who need to experience the grace and power of our Lord Jesus.    

In September of 2002, on the Saturday prior to the next day’s start of my ministry at BSBC, the Gleaner made a mistake in our church ad.  While my name was spelled correctly, I was not identified as Pastor of Church Family Life but as Pastor of Church Family Love (which prompted Ed and Elaine Durling’s children to repeatedly refer to me as “The Love Pastor”).  

I found this a compelling error as it allowed me to comment on that first Sunday that I hoped it would a harbinger of how my ministry would be characterized among you. I hearken back to this as we move into a new iteration of our relationship, expressing the same hope for the years ahead. 

Margaret and Claire join me in thanking you for your continued love and partnership in Great Commission living. After another vacation break in August I’ll be inviting you to join me in rediscovering who we are as the people of God at BSBC AND the unique opportunities we have to join God at work in our community and around the world. Until then, I invite you to pray that the Spirit of God would encourage us to be willing to make whatever sacrifices necessary (Hebrews 12:1-2) to live out the ministry of reconciliation that is our calling (II Corinthians 5: 16-21).

Together in Kingdom Service,

Greg Geldart, Lead Pastor