40th wedding anniversary in Italy
My wife and I recently celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in Italy. We stayed in Rome, Florence and Monterosso on the Cinque Terre coast. We saw and heard more history and art than we will ever remember. (Our suitcases weighed many more pounds with the books we bought than they did going over there!) We saw all the sites you would expect us to see, but the guides and friends we met along the way also treated us to some quaint, out-of-the-way places that gave us a different look into the culture and people of the country.
As we flew home, I reflected on the wealth and power of the church during the Middle Ages and the same museum-like buildings of today that we saw. I wanted to say that all of the buildings, art, and programs were done to the glory of God, but I had this sense that most of it was driven by the motives of rivalry and power. Religion happened to be the ethos of the culture at the time, and everything reflected that. Don’t get me wrong. I know God was glorified and Christ’s Church impacted the lives of many for eternity, but I also saw how wealth, power and prestige could corrupt the mission of the church. I sure do understand the reasoning and actions of Martin Luther and the Reformers after seeing firsthand what they saw and experienced.
Returning to my work with you as B. H. Carroll, I am challenged to make sure our mission to equip men and women called to serve Christ and his church is the focus and motivation of all we do. We cannot let buildings, finances and recognition be our primary goals. Our work is part of the Mission of God to build up Christ’s Church and mobilize his people into the world as missionaries where they live and serve. I hope you will keep the same focus in the assignment God has given you.
I want to invite you to join us on the Seven Cities of the Revelation Tour this fall. You could not be hosted by a more qualified and experienced leader as Dr. Bruce Corley. I plan to learn from him and the Carroll faculty as I always do when I am with them. Make your reservations now. You will not be disappointed.
I also want to welcome Karen Martin to our staff as Director of Development. We received a grant from a foundation for the position, and we are grateful to God for leading us to her. You can read more about Karen and contact her at kmartin@bhcarroll.edu. She has already brought excitement and new friendships to Carroll. Drop her a line. She won’t ask for money on her first reply, I promise.
Serving with you,
