In eager anticipation,
We look to You, oh Lord,
Humbly we plead,
For the one whom You have called to come serve.

We offer thanksgiving,
For those who faithfully executed,
Bore the responsibility,
Searched diligently until he was found.

They faced a daunting task,
Through Your power alone,
Withstood the enemy’s attacks accurately aimed,
To prevent Your Word from reaching the world.

We praise You,
For the Elders that You raised up,
With uncompromised commitment to obey,
To call him who will preach Your Word.

Eternal security of those not yet saved,
Weighs in the balance,
Only the truth of Your Word,
Will save them to the uttermost.

By Susan Bunts
September 2, 2007

The above poem is dedicated first and foremost to Christ Jesus my Lord and His sacrifice on the cross…saving this sinner to the uttermost. He was faithful to answer our prayers and petitions to bring us a new Pastor. We at Kindred Community Church are humbled and most grateful for all that He’s done. First He gave us a servant by the name of Chuck Obremski…who sought Him with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. Through the power and work of the Holy Spirit…our dear Pastor laid a firm solid foundation based upon the Word of God.

When God called our beloved Pastor home…the search began for one who would pick up the next leg of the race. Our church Elders appointed members of our church…godly Christians mature in their faith to search for our next Pastor. We didn’t know how long the process would take…but it took almost two years for God’s plan to come to fruition.

I am most grateful and filled with praise and thanksgiving to share the news that the Search Committee members recommended a man who would soon be called by our church Elders to answers God’s call to serve the body of Christ at Kindred Community Church.

On Sunday…our Elders shared the good news that Pastor Philip De Courcy had accepted God’s call.

As soon as I heard who was to be named our new Pastor…I searched his current church’s website. I wanted to see what this man looks like…but more importantly how he preaches. Does he stick to the word of God…or fill it with meaningless fluff? I downloaded several messages and started to listen.

Tears filled my eyes…and I wanted to weep as I heard a man who boldly preached the word of God. Thank you Jesus!

Now lest you think that I will be feeling right fine sitting there every Sunday as Pastor De Courcy preaches…you are sadly mistaken. I can assure you that within minutes of listening to this dear man…God used him to convict my heart of sin. Not a blatant outward sin that the world may know…but one that is just as corrupting. Sin that unless purged makes me unfit in my Christian walk. One that will cause a break in fellowship with a Holy, Righteous God. But also sin that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus shed upon the cross.

Pastor Philip De Courcy comes from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio. Although he will soon make a trek from the Midwest…he brings with him and Irish brogue…much to my heart’s delight. Our dear Pastor hails from Ireland. Now isn’t that lovely?

Recently when listening to a Beth Moore Bible Study called “A Woman’s Heart”…she brought up the point of whose voices are we listening too. For a married woman…the voice she hears the most is her husband. But what other voices do we allow to influence us because we regularly partake.

As a single woman…I am ever cognizant of the fact that I have no husband…no godly man to share my life with. But I still have an influence from other’s voices. I got to thinking about whose voices have most impacted my life. Obviously my parents when I was young…and those voices tend to never leave your head…both the good and bad messages.

Of the other influences in my life…one primary one was my beloved Pastor Chuck Obremski. It was my great privilege to sit under his expositional Bible study and teaching for six years. In addition, I have all the CDs from his teaching that have been made available. If you pull alongside my car…you will likely hear Chuck’s voice. Another influence I recently discovered is Beth Moore…and I have hungrily devoured her teaching. She is wonderful…and shares insights into God’s word that are most precious to me.

From a secular standpoint…Dennis Prager has been a huge influence on my life. I go back to his early days on the radio with “Religion on the Line” every Sunday night. To this day…I’m eager to listen to his program…now via podcast. For about the last eight or so years…I’ve been listening to Hugh Hewitt. Hugh was my voice of 911. That’s the program I was listening to when the planes struck the twin towers in New York. Hugh is the one influenced me to join the world of blogging.

Now this dear man Pastor Philip De Courcy will become a man who will greatly influence my life. I praise God that Pastor De Courcy is a man wholly devoted to preaching the full counsel of God’s word. That he has a love and reverence for God…and a love for people. A desire to reach the unsaved world with the Gospel message.

When I listened to Pastor De Courcy’s first words…I was aware that one day this man will be near and dear to my heart. That one day…we at Kindred will grow to love and hold him most dear. One day…he too will be my beloved Pastor. He will never replace Pastor Chuck…but he will be a fine compliment for the one who will pick up the next leg of the race.