A Step Of Yes | The Reach October 2022

Philippians 1:3-6

One of my favorite poems over the past few years has been the well-known one by Robert Frost – The Road Not Taken. In it, Frost speaks about two roads diverging in a yellow wood and being regretful that he could not travel both. In some ways, my family and I have been standing at that proverbial fork in the road the last couple of months, longing to travel down both roads and questioning God about what our next path will be. Unlike Frost, perhaps, we have comfort knowing that God guides us down each road we take as we seek Him and follow His will. He is both sovereign and He is good.
 
It is with a mixture of joy and sadness that we bring the news that my family will be transitioning out of World Outreach at the end of this month. We are joy-filled because it is the LORD who calls us elsewhere, and we trust in His goodness and sovereignty.  But we are sad to come to the close of this rich season of partnership in the gospel.  This has not been an easy decision for us but one we have toiled over in hours of prayer and in concert with community.  With the LORD’s leading, we have decided to accept our local church’s call to enter pastoral ministry with opportunities to expand our local congregation’s global vision for the nations.
 
These past years working with World Outreach and getting to know so many of you has blessed and shaped me in many positive ways. We are a denomination that is full of gracious and obedient living in sincere partnership to each other. You all have taught me what it means “to count others more significant than yourselves,” in the ways you support and pray for our sent-ones of Gospel proclamation. Through my work with EPCWO, my vision for what it means to have a sharp focus on those with least access to the Gospel has increased. This will be a leading guide as I move on with a grateful heart for the honor its been serving the EPC in this role.

As our paths diverge for a season now, I am confident that our sovereign LORD will continue to use us all for His glory and even bring our paths together again for the sake of the Nations. I find it fitting in my spirit that a great saint, who passed onto the other side of the veil recently, left us this charge when we are standing, perhaps, at a fork in the road:

I asked this question 18 months ago during my final interview with the search committee before joining EPC World Outreach. A two-word answer came back to me, “Jason Dunn.” That answer has been validated repeatedly since my first day on the job. To work alongside like-minded, passionate people aligned with the greatest cause in the history of mankind, the fulfillment of the Great Commission, is all I’ve ever wanted to do since my freshman year in college. The Lord has been gracious to allow me to work with great, godly, talented men and women over the years and while I expected that to be true here in World Outreach, I didn’t have to wait a single minute to experience it through Jason. I thank the Lord for the time we’ve had to strive side-by-side for the faith of the gospel. As you read his announcement to follow God’s call to serve elsewhere you might experience the same mix of emotions that I had, sadness to part ways, but excitement for the opportunities God has in store for them. The contribution he has made, the investment in kingdom work and into the lives of all of us at WO and the EPC brings glory to His name and will bear fruit for years to come and into eternity. To God and to Jason I only have two words, Thank You!