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Times of Refreshing Will Come
9/7/2003
Acts 19:18,20 Many of those who believed
now came and openly confessed their evil deeds...In this way the word of
the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
God was glorified on Wednesday August 13th, as many leaders and members
confessed their sins during Portland Church's "Evening of
Atonement." God has disciplined and Satan has vigorously attacked the
church in Portland as we have gone through many trials this calendar year;
the lead evangelist and his wife left the ministry in April, Bible Talks
and Discipleship Partners were abandoned, key members of the legal board
were asked to resign, the relationship with the San Francisco Church of
Christ was questioned with bitterness, and half of the listed membership
of 237 either left to worship separately or stopped attending church
altogether.
The formal spilt occurred in June. Elena and I became the evangelist
and women's ministry leader in mid-July. During this past month, to help
unify all the injured brothers and sisters, we have initiated
conversations with almost all of the leaders of the "separate
group", as well as all the current members (by house church) of the
Portland Church. This was a very sad but revealing period. It became clear
to us that if there was any hope of reconciliation of the departed
members, the present leadership needed to confess where they sinned during
the past few years as well as during the tumultuous past few weeks. The
Portland leaders confessed insensitivity, arrogance, lack of love, and
cowardice. It was also very obvious that many of the members had reacted
to the sins of the leaders with the sins of anger, bitterness, factions,
and slander. I, personally, was moved by the confessions as they were all
very sincere and many were done with tears. I will never forget that
momentous evening.
As for the future direction of the Portland Church, the House Church
Leaders and the ministry staff are the recognized leadership of the
congregation. We will begin a revised First Principles series in
September. Also, Bible Talks will be our key unit of organization. We will
strongly emphasize and teach discipling, as seen in the ministries of
Jesus and the apostles. Discipleship partners will be chosen by each
member. Each member will be able to define whether the relationship is a
teacher/student (discipling) relationship or an adult/adult relationship.
We will select deacons in October. Our contribution for the work of the
church will be asked on Sundays as a free will contribution. (The House
Church Leaders will no longer be the "tax collectors" of the
congregation). We will have a poor collection at midweek, which will first
meet the needs of our members, and the remainder will be given to
HOPEworldwide.
Of special note, we in Portland are working to bring together
individuals in the San Francisco Church and the Portland Church to form
the Eugene Oregon church mission team. There are presently seven disciples
in Eugene (home of the University of Oregon) waiting for the official
beginning of the church.
We in the Portland Church recognize that the "Evening of
Atonement" was simply a beginning, (albeit an extraordinary one). For
us to be God's church, we must see atonement to be a continual process of
healing and reconciliation. Only through humility can God's Spirit and
blood continue wash and purify the church. On the following Sunday our
church service was blessed as Rahnie Grant was baptized. Truly God blesses
repentance with times of refreshing! (Acts 3:19)
All of us in the Portland Church ask for your prayers for the
evangelization of Oregon. We send greetings to all our brothers and
sisters around the world.
Pray for our boldness.
Kip McKean
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