Urban Ministry Live And Unplugged: My Resignation

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

My Resignation

In my 20th year of ministry here, I have tendered my resignation. This was presented to the members on Sunday. I previously served our Church as a Church Planter and as Assistant Minister -- 22 years in all. With kind permission, I am putting up my resignation on the right. You may click on it to enlarge.

NOTE: The resignation is, however, tied to a mutual Memorandum of Agreement -- in other words it has not been confirmed.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...: Why are there no comments? Why does no-one say, "22 years is an unbelievably triumphant success by any standards, and a reason to rejoice and thank God that there are faithful men out there who can achieve such a milestone to God's Glory & Honour".
You make us proud, dear Thomas, and your ministry at Sea Point has been a credit to the Kingdom of God.; July 4, 2013 at 5:46 PM
Anonymous said...: and i say aye aye captain you have steer a boat that was not easy and still God will use you to the glory of His Kingdom.; July 4, 2013 at 10:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Doing the Lord's work is never an easy task so to achieve 22 years doing the work as a 'job' is a massive achievement. Your faithfulness to the Lord is to be credited and for that He will richly bless you as you seek to use your gifts elsewhere. God bless you as you continue working for the Lord.; July 5, 2013 at 7:39 PM
Anonymous said...: We always wanted to attend a service at Sea Point ministered by you during our next trip to Cape Town. I guess we are to late now. It must be hard to leave a place where you have achieved so much and that is so deeply connected to your family. We are pleased to learn that you have been called to a new duty and hope you will find joy and gratification in your new position!; July 11, 2013 at 7:56 PM

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About This Blog

I have spent ten years in suburban ministry, twenty-two years (total) in urban ministry, and seven years in country ministry. My involvements in ministry continue, now reduced.

There are a few reasons for this blog: 1. To help people form a picture of what ministry is about -- in particular urban ministry -- not least seminary students who may be destined for urban ministry. I have found that the image and the reality may be far apart in academia. 2. My experience in ministry may be (and, in fact, often has been) an encouragement to other ministers -- alternatively, a cautionary tale, as the case may be! Many notes of thanks have been recorded on this blog. And 3. Friends have simply told me how interesting reports of ministry are.

This is not a "parochial" blog. Only a tenth or so of readers are local (in South Africa). Outside of my home country, this blog is most read in Europe and North America. Russia is no. 4 on the list, and there is some interest in Muslim nations. At one point, this was the most authoritative Religion blog in Southern Africa (I now do not know how it is ranked).

With all of the above in mind, the purpose of this blog is simply to record urban ministry "live and unplugged", in the form of accounts. This blog is not a "church blog", but a "ministry blog". For the most part, I don't intend to share my views. The emphasis is the experience of ministry and the various events that surround it.

A definition of “live” is “actually being performed at the time of viewing”. A definition of “unplugged” is “without amplification or modification”. However, see my Posting Policy below.

Posting Policy

This blog may be unique with regard to its degree of transparency about urban ministry. Many people have written to me to say how they cherish the help they have received through this. However, this means that special attention needs to be given to confidentiality in particular. I use the following guidelines for posting on this blog:

I apply the following questions to posts: Are they posted in good faith? Are they balanced? Are they compassionate? Are they informative about ministry? Do they help one better understand a problem or issue?

I consider a post to be unproblematic if a person's identity is unknowable in the post, if the facts are public knowledge, or if a change of particulars (name, place, date, and so on) will truly protect privacy. If I consider that anyone who was not involved in an incident would recognise those who were, then I do not post. If a post could compromise the safety of those I blog about, then I make a post safe, or I do not post.

I believe that these measures should enable me to continue to be "open" about urban ministry while not compromising privacy.

In 2013, ninety percent of the posts on this blog were removed. I then put the question of the freedom of the blog to the South African Human Rights Commission. The position is this: if a post is legal, it is legal. Essentially, all of my posts were OK. There is freedom of expression in South Africa.

Having said this, if any post should even cause discomfort, it will be removed from this blog immediately. This has always been the position. One does need to contact me for that, best through an e-mail or a blog comment, and I prefer to see a name on it. The post will be put back up only if there would seem to be compelling reason for it. It is hoped that there will be the assumption that I wish to address any discomfort satisfactorily, compassionately, and efficiently.