SO GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR OUR MAG

SO GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR OUR MAG

by Rich McDermott, recently retired from FPC of Arlington, Texas.

When I arrived in Arlington, Texas six years ago in the spring of 2015, I knew very few people in my congregation and few pastors in our large presbytery.  I had never lived or worked in Texas.  As many of you know, Texas has its own culture, style, approach, habits, instincts, language, food, etiquette, and atmosphere, of which I knew NONE.  So I was thrilled to find a small group of pastors in a Fellowship Community Mission Affinity Group (or MAG, for short) who at least shared a traditional and orthodox faith and sympathized with the plight of this new guy on the block. The Rev. Craig Sanders played a large part in inviting me, and I am very grateful he did!

I had previously been part of a MAG in Colorado, and I found the fellowship, camaraderie, missional orientation, mutual prayer, accountability, and challenge to one another life-giving for me. The same proved to be true in Texas.

During my six year tenure in Texas, we met monthly in person (except during Covid), we organized two regional Fellowship Community conferences and one marriage retreat, we helped out one another with preaching needs, we connected for projects, and I was able to find a terrific fellow pastor who eventually came on staff with me.  We also walked with one another through tough times, including cancer, a spouse’s death, hard times in ministry, and challenging cultural changes.  We continued to welcome new pastors who shared our essential commitments to Christ, Scripture, the Gospel and the Church, connections that often happened through the MAG and the Fellowship Community.

I would urge everyone to take advantage of the resources of the Fellowship Community in forming and committing to a Mission Affinity Group in your region/area or presbytery.  It will make you even more grateful to God, like it did for me.