The Taylors are moving to Bethlehem!
This past year has been filled with anxiety and uncertainty about our future. Mel and I knew that we would be moving away from Pietermaritzburg at the end of 2019, but we had no idea where our destination would be.
We recently received the news that I have been placed in Bethlehem in the Free State. We will be moving there near the end of this year where I will be ministering to the Central Methodist Church's congregation in Bethlehem.
The stationing process has been stressful, with little to no information shared with us until the very last minute. This meant that we could not do anything to plan for our future until very recently.
Although I have served in churches in various capacities over the past couple of years, this will be my first official placement to serve as a reverend in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.
Mel and I were invited to visit our new church and home this past weekend. We were both nervous, but equally as excited as we left Pietermaritzburg for Bethlehem on Friday.
We are pleased to say that any major concerns about our future were calmed during this trip. We were overwhelmed by the welcome we so lovingly received by the members of the two Methodist Churches in Bethlehem. I can not put into words the immense love and care that we experienced at the hands of all who we met during our short trip to Bethlehem this past weekend.
After months of stress about our future, it is truly amazing how God's grace was revealed to us through the loving hearts of the people that we encountered in Bethlehem.
While we have no doubt that this new journey will present many unique challenges, our minds are finally at peace because of the Bethlehem community that became willing vessels of God's welcoming spirit towards us. We are so grateful for God's guiding hand throughout this stationing process and we can not wait for our new story in Bethlehem to begin!
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
So happy for you guys. Rev Joe. I like that :)
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