Preparing my final message at Bedford Baptist Church.

I feel the need for our church to let go of some past conflicts and hurts, I know I need to.

This is a spiritual decision, a spiritual word if you like.
But how much detail do you need to go into, or should go into?

“Our church has had a lot of conflict in its years. I am the longest serving pastor by double, I have served here as your pastor for double the length of any other pastor. Joe Westlake, who in my mind looms larger than life, served here just under 7 years. Chris Robinson, who oversaw a great period in the life of the church was here just 3 years.
The average pastor has been here for only 2.5 years…and that does not include the part timers and interims.
A long standing secretary and someone who I have enormous respect for, who kept this church going during the dark times, told me once, that this church had a reputation for chewing up and spitting out its leaders.
This morning I am going to share with you all some of this stuff, and then you know what, we are going to ask God for forgiveness and we are not going to mention it again…There is great healing to be done in lifting the scab off, allowing the air to get in, and then allowing time to heal it. Unless asked, I don’t want us to talk about these things again. As we move on, all of us, and I include myself, need to move on from Bedford Baptist Church, and start making some new mistakes as Inglewood Church” (last comment said with a smile!)