“Faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass” (I Thessalonians 5:24). That was Pastor Glenn’s refrain as he thanked God, his family, the CGBC church body, and the many visitors who had come to watch his installation service.

The theme of forbearance and faithfulness ran throughout Pastor Glenn’s closing speech. He spoke of a time when, in the words of Pastor Steve Lawson, he was “kicked to the curb”. He was a “pastor without a parish, a clergyman without a church, a preacher without a pulpit”. It was difficult season for Glenn and his family as he wrestled with his future in pastoral ministry. During that time, God taught Glenn and his family the hard lesson of forbearance and faithfulness: of patiently waiting on God even when you can’t see the outcome; of leaving your future completely in His hands and knowing you are safe.

The installation service was a powerful reminder of how God had brought His faithfulness to pass. We saw His faithfulness as various brothers, now faithfully serving in the ministry, spoke of Glenn’s influence in discipling them. We saw His faithfulness in the preaching of His word as Glenn’s mentor, Pastor Mick, charged him to pursue the heart of a leader as Nehemiah did. We saw God’s faithfulness in the installation service itself and what it signified–that God had provided a parish for a pastor, and a pastor for a parish.

Forbearance is hard, but the difficulty of forbearance magnifies the joy of God’s faithfulness. God brings us to our knees so that we might depend on Him alone. But, in our weakness, God never disappoints. He never lets us down. When we trust in him, he always comes through for his glory and our good.

Romans 5:1-2 gives us this encouraging reminder as wait upon God, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5 ESV)

As we press forward with Pastor Glenn to do God’s work, may we continue to forbear by believing in his faithfulness. He will bring great things to pass.