Sunday, February 21, 2010

Dr. Ryken to Wheaton

Announcement to the congregation, February 21, 2010

The following announcement was made to the congregation on behalf of the elders of Tenth Church after the 11:00 am service on the Lord’s Day, February 21, 2010.

“It is with deep regret, but also with our blessing and a deep sense of God’s sovereign call to direct our lives as he best ordains, that the Session announces that our Senior Minister, Dr. Philip G. Ryken, has accepted the presidency of Wheaton College, beginning July 1. The Session will be meeting this coming Tuesday to begin planning for this transition in the life of our church.”

We realize that God’s ways are not always our ways. We acknowledge that the Lord is doing a special and unique work in Dr. Ryken’s life, in the ongoing ministry at Tenth, in the ministry of Wheaton College, and in his kingdom worldwide. From a young age God had begun to prepare Phil Ryken for this strategic role in God’s kingdom. God has certainly endowed him with very special gifts: the gifts of teaching/preaching, administration, resolving interpersonal conflicts, as well as gifts of faith and prayer, all of which God has used in building the ministry at Tenth. The Lord has now called Phil to use these gifts at Wheaton College.

Though Dr. Ryken’s departure is a loss for us, we can also consider it our privilege and blessing to send Dr. Ryken and his family to the new work our Lord has planned for him. At the same time, we are confident the Lord has not forsaken us at Tenth and has already begun to prepare the one who will assume the role of Senior Minister here. Last year, Phil Ryken taught us through a series of sermons on I Corinthians 13 about the nature of love, and as each of us well knows, he has taught us in very practical ways from his own life the meaning of love. Now it is our turn to give back to him and Lisa what we have learned about Christian charity and seen in them over the last 15 years of their ministry at Tenth.

Please join us in praying for Dr. Ryken and his family as they begin this transition to Wheaton College and for Tenth as we wait for the Lord’s provision of a new Senior Minister to lead us.

“My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. . . . The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore—Psalm 121:2, 8 ESV.

George K. McFarland, Clerk of Session

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