Working Together

www.ridgecrestumc.com

Working Together

Who is that bald man who is the new Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Cooperative Urban Parish? Well, according to the story in the CONTACT, that would be me!

I have been involved in the parish almost since the first week I arrived at Ridgecrest. Myrtle Clingenpeel took me to an evening meeting at a Methodist church in south OKC and I was hooked. Having just arrived in the urban setting, it was important for me to have a relationship with other pastors and laypersons who had experience. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel—I wanted to learn from the experience of others. Also, I needed their support and encouragement.

Now, 10 years later, I am the one with experience and encouragement. Outside of a few pastor (both Senior Pastors and Associates) in large churches, I have more urban experience than almost any other pastor in OKC or Tulsa (in the UMC). When CUP was floundering and looking for leadership, I believed that God was calling me to share my experience with others. That is why I stepped up to take over as Executive Director of CUP.

I am committed not just to the organization, but to the ideal that it represents. I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ works better when we work together than when we work separately. That principal has lead to our involvement with Streets of Shalom (the interdenominational group of churches that minister in our neighborhood) and with the new community organizing project lead by IAF. The strength of togetherness is what motivates me to work to establish a relationship with St. Andrew’s UMC in south OKC (a relationship that hasn’t been fully established just yet, but that is still on the burner). It is also why I am currently working with other UM churches in our area to develop joint ministries. While one of us alone might not be able to have a strong program (take youth, for example), four churches working together can afford and support a strong program.

The writer of Ecclesiastes recognized the value of togetherness when he wrote in the 4^th chapter:

9Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

May the Lord, working through us and other churches, create cords that cannot be broken!