Pastor Dan Serb, President of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Ireland and Northern Ireland has issued an open letter in which he calls for all members of the Irish Mission and supporters from around the world to unite in prayer around a list of specific issues. He proposes that churches set aside time for prayer and fasting on 4 and/or 11 May to seek the Lord's guidance and intervention. The letter is reproduced below.
9 April 2019
Dear Irish Mission family,
I have recently taken on the road a message from Mark chapter 9: Jesus’ healing of a demon-possessed boy. The story is both encouraging and rebuking, a paradoxical mix of glorious divine power at work and human failure and doubt, affirming that all is possible while tragically highlighting the disciples’ inability to cause change. Even though the outcome calls for celebration – the boy is made whole – it ends with the unavoidably frustrating question: “Why couldn’t we…?” The answer Jesus gives is simple: Prayer!
In the last couple of months, I have come to the realisation that much prayer is needed for the Lord’s work to go forth here, in the Irish Mission. Yes, we hold numerous meetings and prayerfully strategize every step we take, but I believe that the time has come for collective, unified prayer and fasting so that we can together seek the Lord’s guidance and His intervention. This is not a call to collective coercive bargaining with God, but rather an acknowledgment that only He can truly provide the answers and solutions best suited for the advancement of His work on this isle.
I thus invite you all to join me on the 4th and/or the 11th of May to pray and fast and seek the Lord’s guidance and intervention on the following matters:
- Re-registration of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ireland (SDACI) Charity. We began this process almost three years ago and there seems to be unnecessary delays in reregistering the Charity.
- The 2nd Dublin Building Project. It has proven extremely difficult to find land or property for sale in the Dublin West area. We have come close, but presently the process is stalling. We need guidance on how to proceed; we need the Lord to open doors; we may need to rethink our strategy. Please join us in prayer and feel free to contact me if you were to know of any possibilities or have thoughts on the matter.
- Irish Mission Pastoral team. There will be changes coming soon and we seek the Lord’s guidance in identifying the people called by Him to serve in the Irish Mission.
As part of this short message I would also like to highlight two more needs and seek your assistance:
- At the last Executive Committee meeting held on Sunday, 7 April, we have managed to assign a considerable (but not limitless) amount of money for the sole purpose of evangelism and community outreach. We call on all the churches and church groups within the Irish Mission to forward to us prayerfully thought-out proposals for outreach work so that the moneys the Lord has blessed us with can be put to good use in addressing the immediate needs and contributing to the eternal salvation of many.
- At the same meeting, the Committee has agreed to purchase (in the near future) two minibuses meant to assist the youth work within the Mission. We are now seeking qualified drivers.
I look forward to your feedback on any of the matters raised in this letter and I count on your support and participation on the 4th and/or the 11th of May.
Yours in His service,
Dan Serb
(dan@adventist.ie)
