Some Pastors have made you believe that they have not done anything wrong while starting a church or currently pastoring a church, but I’m not that guy! I believe the more honest I am about what I did & do wrong God will give me the grace to overcome.
First Mistake – Listening to people instead of being led by the vision God gave me.
The first location we started having our DNA bible studies was picked because someone on the team at the time said they would pay half the rent if we held it there. Well, needless to say I didn’t want to meet there because it wasn’t in our demographic, but I went ahead with it anyway. That same person left the church two weeks later & we were stuck at that location for 6 months. I learned a lesson to stop listening to the promises of people & go where God told me to go!
Second Mistake – I’m a tremendous people pleaser.
Don’t get me wrong, the Equation Church is doing some amazing things, but I believe that we could be a lot farther if I wouldn’t have been such a people pleaser. Not wanting to hurt feelings, not asking for things that we really needed, or asking for a deeper level of commitment from people on the team. I’ve learned – You have not, because you ask not!
Third Mistake – I neglected my family!
Yes the cardinal mistake! Don’t act like I’m the only one who has done this! I got so busy with the church that I didn’t spend a lot of time with my family or even time for myself for that matter. The demands of ministry sometimes overwhelmed me & it took off so fast that I couldn’t manage it at times. I am learning to slow down, stop trying to control everything, & allow the church to be number 2 in my life & not number 1. I have to learn to let Christ build His church & not me.
Ok that’s enough confessing for the night! I have more that I will share!
Love God. Help People. Change the World!
He gives grace to the humble – you are officially on my prayer list. God bless you and keep you balanced to do His will and send along laborers who are deeply committed in Jesus name.
Being a leader causes us to take risk, we have to so we can learn from our mistakes and be able to share with others so they want make the same. The EC Team does not expect you to be perfect. Just remain true to who you are. You have always been transpsrent and honest with us. We respect that and that’s why its so easy to follow. We love you Antwain!
Thanks so much for your honesty!!! We so need more of this from leadership.
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence … I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:12;16-19
Be encouraged, man.