It’s good to be back! After 47 years away from the valley, it is refreshing to be back. I see, after all these years, that some things do remain the same. Buildings are as I remember them. Roads and streets lead in directions that are familiar. But the sawmill, where I worked when I was a student is gone. I do recognize names and faces that go back half a century!
I left Creston in 1965 for Alberta and my theological training, which became the foundation for 39 years of pastoral ministry. After serving a church in Camrose, Alta., for 24 years, I retired from full-time ministry. This is where Creston comes back into the picture.
I received a request to help the Creston Baptist Church on an interim basis. I was most pleased to consider this request. So I arrived on Nov. 12, 2011. Because the position is interim, my wife and I continue to maintain our home in Camrose.
It has been a joy to be here, for numerous reasons. I have greatly appreciated the support and encouragement that I have received in the church and in the community. More than ever, I am convinced of God’s faithfulness toward us. In our failings, He is merciful; in our successes, He is gracious.
The Psalmist David recounts God’s blessing over a lifetime. He looks back, then, and with grateful anticipation says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Thank you for the welcome back. I look forward to my time among you.
Mark Morris is the interim pastor at the Creston Baptist Church.
