Seriously, it doesn’t really bother me at all that Rev Joe and others refer to me as “old”, so don’t feel sorry for me!  You see, in Old Testament culture, “old” equates with “wise”, so there! I am indeed old, and I have been blessed in a great many ways.  One of the most important to me is to have been chosen to be one of the Elders in Journey Church!  In fact, that allows me to use the title of “Eldest” … a badge of honor.

In case you are a little shy on what the role of an Elder in our fellowship really is … go to 1 Timothy, 3:1-13 and you will get a sense of an Elder’s role that is really sobering, at least to those of us carrying that responsibility.  You can also ask our Administrator Joy Herring for a copy of Journey Church’ Constitution and By-laws … which will further enlighten you.

So, who am I and why am I privileged to be one of the leaders of Journey? To start with I am indeed old … 73 as a matter of fact.  In those years I have been a little like Peter, I have had moments of worshiping Christ and moments of denying Christ. The good news is that my frailties have tended to diminish and my moments of positive worship have increased as I have grown in the Word and in my walk with Jesus Christ.  In spite of my frailties and failures God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Joann, 4 children, and nine grand children.  He has allowed Joann and me to create a business and bring two sons and a daughter and a granddaughter into a daily business relationship.  One son now is COO of our company.  It is a true blessing to be able work with these kids each day.  My profession is as a private sector economist and housing market analyst.  Our company develops and analyses data about the housing market.

Each of the Elders and Advisors in Journey Church bring special qualities to the Elder table.  My role, other than being “wise”, seems to have evolved into a passion for missions and outreach.  In a previous church fellowship I learned that a fellowship is richly blessed when it focuses on service and outreach to its members and its community, including the unbelievers in its community, instead of being all about the grand and comfortable building, trappings, and image of the fellowship.  Jesus walked among us in humble clothes and preached the Word in humility.  Journey can minister to those seeking God from similar humble surroundings.  Our impact for God is not a function of our cathedral, trappings, and appearance, but of the strength and truth of our teaching of the message and the example that we as members project.  I believe that Journey Church will grow and prosper if it is true to the Word, not because of its appearance. 

In these troubled times we can make Journey Church more than just a place to worship God, it can be the place of refuge for those believers and non-believers who are desperate, lost, and seeking help.  You and I can actually do this … with God’s help.

RL Brown