We are not alone in ministry. Broadway serves the Rockford community alongside dozens of other
faithful, Christ-honoring congregations, including several Covenant churches in northern Illinois. Through our
denomination, we are also connected to ministries across the nation and around the world.
At the end of June, delegates will meet in Orlando for Gather, the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical
Covenant Church, where we will celebrate 140 years of shared ministry and mission. It will be my honor to
represent Broadway at this important gathering.
Central Florida in the middle of summer promises plenty of heat and humidity, while joining brothers
and sisters from across the Covenant promises spiritual encouragement and joy. The Annual Meeting will be a
reminder for me, for our church and for all those who attend that we are not alone in ministry. We share a
common mission and faith. We join together to serve Jesus and worship in His name.
One highlight of this year’s meeting will be hearing from church leaders from around the world. In celebration
of the Covenant’s 140th anniversary, heads of Covenant ministries beyond North America will update
us on what God is doing in their home countries. These international ministries are the fruit of more than a
century of Covenant mission work, and many now stand on their own as flourishing churches.
We will also carry out the joyful and worthy business of the church. The agenda will include ordaining
pastors and commissioning mission workers. Each year, delegates to the Annual Meeting vote to extend lifelong
credentials to men and women called by God to serve the Covenant in local churches and mission settings.
It is always a joy to celebrate with those set apart for vocational ministry.
Every year, we welcome congregations into the Covenant family, some joining from other denominations
and some as new church plants. At the same time, we will pray over churches that have concluded their
ministry with the Covenant.
The Annual Meeting is also a time to approve budgets, to elect denominational leaders, to recognize
those who serve in special ways and to report on fruitful work supported by the shared resources of the Covenant.
In each of these ways, we see God’s hand at work in the ministry and administration of the church.
Through it all, we rejoice in God’s gracious and wise provision for the Covenant and each congregation
in our fellowship. We are held together by our mutual commitment to the mission Jesus gave us, going into all
the world to make disciples in His name. The mission has guided the Covenant for 140 years and will continue
to push us forward in ministry.
Each evening during Gather, we will worship and hear God’s word proclaimed under the theme
“Follow Me.” These times of worship will be streamed live through the Covenant website
(www.covchurch.org). You can get a taste of what is happening at the Annual Meeting and hear updates from
ministry leaders.
Please join me in praying for Covenant leaders and our sister churches. God continues to move powerfully
in His church, and we rejoice that we are not alone in ministry. May the name of Jesus be proclaimed
boldly at Broadway, in Covenant churches across our nation and in Christ-honoring ministries throughout the
world.
