(Presbytery pastoral reflections continued)

Fourth, don’t be overly Presbyterian in the same way as Ecclesiastes warns you not to be overly righteous. Presbyterian government did not fall out of heaven; it did for the Israelites and they still messed things up. Government needs godly men who implement it. Be holy men and don’t use the polity to grind other men down or get your way. Rather, overlook sins and be patient with each other. Build the kingdom and let Jesus have the final say. Don’t get distracted with legal issues; church ‘wanna be lawyers’ are very discouraging!

Fifth, stay out of elected politics. You are already a politician as you trump the kingdom of Christ. Remember that good laws don’t change hearts, but love and worship and God’s word does. So focus on leading your people into God’s presence weekly, feeding on Christ in faith, and practicing the commandments of Jesus as taught by you and your church’s leaders. Focus on the joy of life in Christ; that’s what changes a culture. A society becomes what it worships.

Lastly, love your wife. She is your helpmeet and brings wisdom to the table. So pick her brain as your personal Lady Wisdom. God gave her one to help you. Of course, she also is your closest friend, being one body with her. So date her weekly, romance her, and set up the date yourself by getting a babysitter, etc. Lead! Practice love by serving her. She needs you up close and personal; make the time. Also take her overnight at least once a year, just the two of you unless you have a nursing baby. Be creative; expensively or cheaply, but do it. Most men leave the ministry over sexual issues or because of bad kids; don’t join them by loving the one you’re with! (2 Timothy 4:1–5; 2 Corinthians 2:16–17)

Pastoral reflections I shared with fellow presbyters at our recent Presbytery meeting.

“First, don’t maliciously attack other Christians. They are not the enemy; Satan is. Immorality is. Unbelief is. Other religions are. As a pastor, build the kingdom/church by respecting Christ’s other soldiers with different units. Jesus is pleased to have many different stripes of Christians around the globe. So honor him and don’t attack them because they aren’t aligned with your exact views of theology or interpretation or practice. Work for unity among Christ’s people.

Secondly, while growing in depth, remember that much of your flock needs the basics of the Christian life reiterated on a regular basis. People really need encouragement to faithful and consistent in Bible reading, daily personal prayer, loving their wives and respecting their husbands, not exasperating their children, throwing off anger and replacing it with kindness and patience, the Golden Rule, Etc etc. So regularly come back to those things in your ministry.

“Thirdly, I don’t think I’ve ever argued anyone into the kingdom with apologetics. But hospitality is a different story. People are lonely and want community; having people into your home, or taking them for coffee or lunch, opens the doors to what you have to say and lowers the barriers. Then use apologetics bring them along in a loving and caring manner. Encourage and teach your congregation how to do so by having them in your home. Encourage singles to be hospitable and to bring food to people’s homes, and not always be moochers. That is not a ministry calling!” (to be continued)

Today we have the privellege of hearing the word from Pastor Gary Vanderveen. Here’s a little bit about him: He has served as founding and senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, since helping plant the congregation in 1999 (langleychurch.org). He completed seminary at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and his ministerial internship at Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA) under the care of Rev. Brent Bradley.

Garry and his wife, Nicole, have six children and fourteen grandchildren. In 2025, they purchased ten acres together with their second son, his son’s wife, and their three children, where the families are developing a small hobby farm.

Pastor Vanderveen serves on the executive committee of the Joint Eastern European Project and travels regularly to Japan and Eastern Europe. In 2025, Knox Presbytery formed Boniface, a provisional presbytery, the first CREC presbytery established in Canada, and Pastor Vanderveen serves as its Presiding Minister. Named for Boniface, the eighth-century apostle to the Germans who felled the oak of Thor, the presbytery seeks to live up to its name. As Canada’s totalitarian—leaning government becomes more hostile to the church, Rev. Vanderveen and Boniface have spoken out against measures that would restrict the church’s liberty to preach the gospel, most recently in a “Pact of Obedience” responding to federal legislation that undermines that freedom. It can be found at rejecthatred.ca