Horace
Stewart, our associate minister and minister of pastoral care,
and I presented a proposal for a covenant of ministry with
First Christian that was accepted in September 2001 and we
have not looked back. We came as a ministerial packaged deal
that has worked well, at least as far as we are
concerned! I am privileged to work with an associate minister
with whom I have a genuine friendship and a relationship of
trust and support. We had known each other in Atlanta prior
to moving with our families to Rome.
Together we are having an exciting time seeking to be ministers
of care to this church family. We fail often, but our hearts
are with the members and friends of the church! It
is a challenging and rewarding journey.
We take a
progressive approach to the life of faith that encourages open
discussion and the freedom of all to make their own decisions
and interpretations in communion with other Christians and
through their own study, inquiry, and prayer. While holding scripture in very high regard,
I do not take a fundamentalist approach to its use or purpose.
One of the
most striking and exciting things about FCC is the direction
we have as a result of our accepted mission statement that
emphasizes the concept of diversity that we hold so dearly
and is a heritage of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The mission statement at FCC of Rome reads:
“We are to be a community modeled after Christ’s
ministry of compassion, caring and concern welcoming a diversity
of gifts, beliefs, and methods of service. We are an accepting
church for those needing a community that combines various
traditions of the Christian faith. We seek unity in diversity,
respect for variety, acceptance in disagreement and give
an open invitation to all.”
It is my hope
that we can maintain openness to diversity and acceptance in
Christ and avoid the conformities, condemnations, and rigidities
found in unhealthy religious experiences and behaviors. We
ever strive toward the goals of welcoming, ministering, and
serving all people in the manner of Christ. Thus FCC is and
will be a refuge for many a struggling soul.
Thank you
visiting the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) webpage.
We hope you will decide to visit with us soon. We are the first
to tell you we are not perfect, we have our missteps and flaws,
but we are seeking to follow the way of loving exhibited in
Jesus Christ.
Warmest regards,
J. LeBron
McBride
Senior Minister |
