After opening prayer conducted by John Hood, devotional singing was led by Mitch Reed just prior to the presentation on Pastoral Health and Care by Matthew A. Lewis, D.Min., Asst. Professor of Practical Theology; Director for Excellence in Leadership, Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio.

Dr. Lewis spoke about the issue of self care particularly as it pertains to protestant parish ministers. He noted that the protestant parish ministry was found in 1950 to be the healthiest of the professions in the United States, but that in our era it has become, based on medical statistics, the least healthy of the professions in the United States. He cited the inability/unwillingness of clergy to engage in an ongoing process of self care, including having persons in whom the pastor can confide anything and everything in absolute confidentiality. He also cited two key requisites for maintenance of pastoral health: 1. pastors must avoid dual/multiple relationships, which quickly tend to foster conflicts of interest, e.g, the pastor cannot safely both minister to a parishioner and also confide his own issues to a parishioner; 2. pastors and their wives need to identify and engage in new spiritual formative processes, including partcipating in small groups not connected to their parish, where they can find both support and accountability in an atmosphere of complete confidentiality. Dr. Lewis conducted the presentation interactively, receiving questions as he went along, making for a very helpful presentation as he sought to target the felt concerns of his audience. Thank you, Dr. Lewis, for generously giving of your time and expertise in the area of clergy self care!

Following a wonderful buffet style lunch provided by the members of First Congregational Church of Lodi, the afternoon business meeting was held. Balance in the treasury is currently $1638.23. Rev. Dr. Franklin Shannon provided a report on the current situation for evangelical Christians in Russia. In short, they are being mercilessly persecuted at the behest of the Russian Orthodox Church, which can result in homeless, unemployment, and assassination for Christians who refuse to conform to the Russian Orthodox Church. Please keep Franklin in your prayers on his upcoming trip to Russia, as well as remembering our Russian brethren in your prayers. Next, it was decided that the Fall 2012 meeting will be enfolded into a training seminar to be conducted by Rev. Dr. John Kimball of the national CCCC office on the topic of Peace Making, to be held October 26 and 27, 2012 at First Congregational Church, Lodi, Ohio. Following this announcement, national CCCC Area Representative Rev. Steve Carmany proivided an update churches in Ohio, including those seeking pastors. Then certain pastors present requested prayer for the tenuousness of their current situations, and/or for the situations of family members, including a request for financial support by Phil Ross on behalf of his son and daughter-in-law, Justin and Leah, Justin currently enrolled at Covenant Theological Seminary, and Leah unexpectedly became unable to hold employment, thus interrupting their cash flow needed to maintain themselves while Justin is enrolled in seminary. An open letter concerning this was provided the attendees by Phil, which is available to those who may wish to provide financial support.

Finally, Mr. Michael Kager, a CCCC Licensed Minister on staff with Faith Community Fellowship, Massillon OH, successfully sustained a Vicinage Council examination on 04/21/2012 in pursuit of ordination. It was announced by Rev. Dr. Dave Kimberly, Pastor of Faith Community Fellowship, that the Service of Ordination for Mr. Kager will take place at 5:30 pm on 05/20/2012 at Faith Community Fellowship, the Lord willing. We pray the Lord’s continued blessing upon Mike, his family, and the ministry to which the Lord has called him!

Minutes compiled for the Ohio Association of Conservative Congregational Christian Churches:

By: Rev. Marshall Pierson, Pilgrim Fellowship, Bellefontaine, Ohio

Members of the Secret Service are drawn from the cream of the crop of American society, the best of the best that America can produce. The best what? The best people measured by intelligence, ability, focus, loyalty, honesty and integrity. The American SS is most assuredly not composed of ordinary Americans.

So the recent scandal regarding the drunken abuse of foreign prostitutes by members of the American SS demonstrates the extent of the disease of sin in American culture. Like any other contagious disease, sin is not simply an individual infection, but is a cultural infection and spreads just like any other disease—through exposure. The fact of the SS scandal points to the extent of the infection in American culture.

You may not like the language of equating sin with disease, but the point is that sin is a kind of rot. And the SS scandal indicates that there is rot at the top of the cultural pile in America. This should come as no surprise because it is everywhere obvious. The only “shocking” thing that I am saying may be that the rot is a function of sin. And such a suggestion is only shocking because we have been taught from kindergarten that sin is an illusion, and we are free to do and be and have whatever we want. The American SS agents were simply exercising their Constitutional rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—their own happiness on their own time. So, what’s the problem?

Contemporary American Christianity has been woefully inadequate in her attempt to eradicate sin. This does not mean God or Christ or Christianity have failed in this regard. It only means that the contemporary American strain of Christianity has so failed.

And why has it failed?

I’m glad you asked.

Let me address the issue with a medical analogy, since healing is a central element of historic Christianity. As I said, this analogy suggests that sin is a contagious disease of the human soul. It is not simply a disease of the body, nor of the mind, nor even of the heart. Oh, it is a disease of these things, but not merely so. It is primarily a disease of the soul. And to understand both the disease and its potential cure, we must understand what the human soul is and how it works.

Just as medical cures of the body require biological knowledge of the body, its various parts and how they work together, so spiritual cures of the soul require spiritual knowledge of the soul, and its various parts and how those parts work together in a healthy humanity.

“And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” ASV, Gen. 2:7). The man, Adam, was made of dirt, but only became a soul as God breathed into him. So the first breath of the soul is the breath of God. Note also that Adam didn’t “get” or “receive” a soul, he became one. So, having become a soul, body and soul are not different things. Rather, soul is the breath of God in man, in Adam. The soul is, then, the life (breath) of God in the life (breath) of humanity.

I use the word humanity rather than man as the translation of Adam (אדם), which can be translated in either the singular or plural. However, the plural is not men, but Man or humanity. It is a singular plural because it refers to a kind (γένος), genus or species. Individuals are an instance of humanity. Or we would say that what makes individuals “human” is the reality of their humanity. I’m not playing with words here, but am expressing a truth so basic that it mostly goes unnoticed. And the reason I’m doing this is to indicate the character and reality of the human soul. The soul is not a thing, but a characteristic, image or reflection of God’s character.

Return with me now the recent Secret Service kerfluffle, and notice how it illuminates the state or condition of the soul. It damages the character of the human soul because it harms the image of God and the reflected character of God in humanity.

So, why did this happen? What caused it? What allowed it to happen?

The reigning opinion is that it happened because there were insufficient policies to keep it from happening. So, additional policies have been generated to plug the hole, so to speak. But this kind of cure works to close the barn door after the horse has escaped. And the ongoing problem is that the barn door cannot be kept closed perpetually and horses tend to escape.

The root of the problem is the judgment of the SS agents who faulted on their integrity. They were simply unable or unwilling or uninterested in making what most Americans would call “proper judgments” regarding drunkenness and prostitution. And why is this? Because no one ever sufficiently taught them about making proper judgments, or judgments related to character, honor, honesty and integrity.

The problem is that our public schools, colleges and universities have been undermining Christian character and proper judgment making for at least fifty years, and probably much longer. And this trend began at the very top of the educational chain—Harvard and Yale—during the Second Great Awakening, as historic, Trinitarian Christianity was undermined by Unitarianism. (I’m conflicted about whether to capitalize the “U.” Capitalizing it suggests that the Unitarian denomination was actively involved, and not capitalizing it suggests that the culprit is unitarian (non-trinitarian) theology. In fact, it was both.)

Public or governmental education has been teaching people to be non-judgmental, tolerant and accepting of every idea, value and lifestyle for a couple or several generations now. And we are reaping the fruit of this policy. The truth is that the ability to make good, right and proper judgments is at the very heart of human health and sustainability. And toleration and acceptance are important social skills to learn, but they have limits. The real concern regarding judgment, toleration and acceptance pertains to their limits, not to their reality or existence.

The best people that America currently produces are experiencing the failure to make proper judgments about character, honor, honesty and integrity. The cream of the crop of the contemporary American educational system is showing its colors. Lord, have mercy.

First Congregational Church
Lodi, OH 57 ft SW
(330) 948-1109

Dr. Matthew Lewis will lead our morning gathering. He is the Director for Excellence in Leadership at the Sandberg Leadership Center, and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Ashland Theological Seminary.

One of the CCCC Seven Key Outcomes addresses pastoral health and self-care. Dr. Lewis will share with us an hour on this subject and an hour on spiritual formation.

It would help Dave Dake with lunch preparation if you would email him that you plan on attending and any others you are bringing. pastordake@frontier.com

View Larger Map

I will need your reservations by Monday February 20.More details on the program and music will come in the first of the new year. This is just to let you know so you can put it on your calendar and let your church and friends know.

John

Here’s new Christmas song.

10/29/2011

The CCCC Ohio Association Meeting was held at Faith Community Fellowship in Massillon where Dave Kimberly is pastor. Following coffee and donates the morning session was opened with prayer, devotions, and a hymn sing led by Dave Kimberly. We spent the rest of the morning sharing personal and church information followed by prayers. The ladies of the church served a delicious lunch. The following business meeting was from 1-1:45pm.

Opening prayer. The minutes of the meeting held last Fall are posted on the CCCCOhio.org web site. There was no Spring meeting since most of us were involved in the CCCC Family Conference Local Arrangements Committee which met at Lodi, April 26.

• John thanked everyone for the excellent job they did in hosting the annual family conference which was moved from Cleveland to the Signature of Solon Country Club at the last minute when the air conditioning went out at The Crown Plaza where it was to be held.
• John breifly reviewed the CCCC vision for church renewal.
• John mentioned the new website CCCCOhio.org and encouraged its further use.
• John mentioned supporting Steve Carmany’s travel to a CCCC area representative meeting.
• John met with the three churches Phil Ross at Putnam to update them on the new CCCC Vision. They will start a cluster group of CCCC pastors.
• Dave Brand is having preparation for surgery.
• Dave Lippert has resigned as treasurer.
• Rod Edwards had memorial services today for his mother-in-law.

Business

1. Officers
   1. John asked if anyone would like to be considered for an officer position. No one was interested.
   2. Pat suggested combining the secretary and treasurer positions.
   3. Dave Dake and John Hood encouraged keeping the positions separate.
   4. The currently filled positions were unanimously re-elected.
   5. Ryan Hobbs will fill the role of treasurer at this time.
2. Winter Banquet
   1. Discussed the location of the next winter banquet.
   2. Dave Dake suggested Malone College and Amish Country as possible locations.
   3. Steve C. encouraged Malone College and we decided to meet again at Malone.
   4. Pat suggested having the Executive Committee plan the details.
3. Spring Meeting
   1. Marshall Pierce asked for the Fall and Spring meetings be held on a regular date.
   2. The 1^st weekend of May was selected for the Spring meeting. (Saturday, May 5^th)
   3. Dave suggested Matt Lewis for discussing the topic of “Healthy Pastors”
   4. Dave Dake suggested his church hosting in Lodi.
   5. Lodi was selected.
4. Mission Reports and Updates
   1. No mission reports or updates.
5. Church Planting in Ohio
   1. Ryan Hobbs reviewed the vision of The Spring Community Church
   2. The Spring is no longer under the financial umbrella of the Ohio Association
   3. Ryan encouraged prayer and financial support, especially for The Spring’s campus minister.
6. Salem’s School of Ministry
   1. Pat gave an update on Salem’s school of ministry. whch meets from 6 to 9 on Wednesday nights.
   2. Pat reviewed the school’s topics and discussed future topics.
   3. There are currently five students.
7. CCCC 2011 Annual Family Conference July 25-28
   1. John thanked the Ohio region for its leadership.
   2. Next year’s conference is in Colorado.
8. Connected in Christ…Changing Communities 5-year Campaign and Steve Carmany’s Ohio representative report.
   1. Steve C, John H., and Dave D. have contacted most of Ohio’s churches for the 5-year campaign.
   2. Steve listed the churches that have been contacted by himself, John H, and Dave D.
   3. The campaign is about re-kindling existing churches and planting new ones.
   4. East Oberlein and Jones Road currently have open pulpits.
   5. Jonathan Cheatham is the new pastor at Pittsfield.
   6. Steve mentioned Solid Rock camp and encouraged churches without a camp to find out more.
   7. Unanimously voted to pay $250 for Steve’s expenses to area CCCC representative meeting in Florida.
9. Other Old & New Business
   1. Deferred discussion of statutory agent.
10. Steve Carmany closed us in prayer

This Saturday is our Fall Meeting which will be held at Faith Community Fellowship Church , 1303 9th St., SW, Massillon, OH 44647, 10am-2pm. We will gather for coffee and update addresses at 9:30am.

I hope you and other leaders of your congregation will be able to attend. The agenda is below and also in the attachment. Please make a copy to bring with you.

You may find directions and information about the church on FCF’s web site: fcfellowship.org
During the morning, let’s briefly share what is going on in our lives and churches so that we can pray for one another. The first key of the Seven Key Outcomes is prayer: A Culture of Believing Prayer & Intercession. We will begin with this first key of prayer and during the ensuing meetings take the other topics for enlightenment, prayer, and action.

There will be a plate for contributions toward the lunch. Looking forward to seeing you in Massillon this Saturday.

Blessings,
John

Ohio Association 4C Fall Meeting

October 29, 2011 – 9:30 am – 2:00 pm
Faith Community Fellowship, Rev. David Kimberly
1303 9th St., SW, Massillon, OH 44647
For directions look on website Faith Community Fellowship
Church 330-830-9223; Cell 330-209-2748, pastordrk [at] cs.com

Officers:

• Moderator: John Hood – johnhood [at] roadrunner.com
• Vice Moderator: David Dake – pastordake [at] frontier.com
• Treasurer: David Lippert – revdlippert777 [at] aol.com
• Secretary: Ryan Hobbs  -ryan [at] delawarechurchplant.org
• Ohio 4C Representative: Steve Carmany – sccarmany [at] zoominternet.net
• Ohio Web Site: http://www.ccccohio.org Phil Ross  – par1 [at] paross.com

9:30 A. M. Registration & Fellowship
10:00 Worship Dave Kimberly
10:30 Personal & Church Sharing with Prayer
Embracing God’s Preferred Future – Seven Key Outcomes
12:00 Lunch
12:45 P. M. Business Meeting Opening Prayer
Minutes of last meeting are posted on our web www.ccccohio.org
Treasure’s Report
Announcements

1.  Vote on Officers
2.  Winter Banquet Date & Place ?
3. Spring Meeting Date & Place ?
4. Mission Reports & Updates
5.  Church Planting in Ohio -Ryan Hobbs
6. Salem’s School of Ministry -Pat Street
7. CCCC 2011 Annual Conference in Cleveland –
8. Connected in Christ…Changing Communities 5-year Campaign
9. Ohio Representative Report – Steve Carmany
10. Other Old & New Business: Travel for Ohio Representative Meeting in February

2:00 P. M. Closing Prayer & Adjournment