We’ve all heard about the “summer slowdown.” That’s the time when ministries and non-profit organizations may slow their pace for vacations or even the malaise that comes with seasonal heat and humidity. At the Francis Asbury Society, we believe in biblical rest. The writer of Hebrews says that “there is a rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9–11). From the beginning of God’s covenant relationship with Israel, his followers have been commanded to rest and keep the Sabbath holy (Exodus 20:8–11). Even God rested on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:1–3), establishing that maintaining balanced patterns of rest and work is restorative for believers. Although July is normally the epicenter of the summer slowdown, and though most of our staff members took advantage of well-deserved vacation time, it was a very productive month for FAS. Here are some highlights:
- Many of our staff, approved evangelists, and members of the FAS Board of Directors were preaching or teaching at camp meetings, including John Oswalt and Chris Bounds, who as usual were in demand on the camp circuit.
- Josh and Kelly Hallahan once again ministered at Delanco Family Camp in New Jersey, the place where they met as youth and where they enjoy fruitful ministry each summer.
- Vic Reasoner, our associate director of publishing, taught a week-long class for ministerial accreditation in the Evangelical Methodist Church.
- Indian Springs Holiness Camp in Flovilla, Georgia, established in 1890 and going strong, enjoys a long and rich relationship with FAS and both Asbury University and Asbury Theological Seminary. The camp was blessed with the anointed preaching of Dr. Andy Miller III, one of our board members, and Dr. Lane Loman, an FAS-approved evangelist. Steve Luce, another of our board members, has been president of Indian Springs Holiness Campmeeting for 14 years and retired this year. Cricket Albertson, director of Titus Women, led prayer each day during the camp. I was also afforded the opportunity to bring greetings as president of the Francis Asbury Society and experienced a warm welcome and many expressions of support.
- Jerry Coleman and his ministry assistant, FAS Fellow Raj Mariyanandam, traveled to Ethiopia, where they led holiness conferences for a week with an outstanding response.
- Jerry and Jan Coleman were involved in the General Conference of the Free Methodist Church in Orlando, Florida, where Jerry led a four-day focus group on the topic of biblical holiness. We also congratulate Jan Coleman for her re-election to the Free Methodist National Board of Administration.
- FAS began a Zoom seminar on biblical holiness with a group of about 25 pastors in India that is designed to last six weeks. John Oswalt, Bill Kierce, Jerry Coleman, Josh Hallahan, and Raj Mariyanandam are involved in leading sessions.
- Josh Hallahan and I were privileged to consult for two days with leaders from the Lebanon Presbyterian Church in Ohio, who came to our Ministry Center in Wilmore, seeking help in designing a ten-week course on evangelism for their local church. It was a fruitful time for planning and for building ministry relationships beyond our normal circle of influence. Working with congregations in these kinds of settings will become more commonplace for FAS as we move forward. I am convinced that effectively resourcing the local church is a critical component to the vitality of our Society.
- The Francis Asbury Society received approval from Asbury Theological Seminary to serve as a mentoring organization for Master of Divinity students completing their required credits for supervised ministry starting in the Fall semester of 2023. In addition to the benefit this allows us to provide seminary students, it also moves our mission substantially forward by creating a pipeline for FAS to identify and develop next-generation leaders who are outstanding communicators with a passion for evangelism.
- At the end of July, Andy Miller III’s book Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude was released. And we also released Conservatives in the “Great Deep” by Glen Spann.
That’s not bad for a slow month during the “summer slowdown.” As I outline the above activities and reflect upon the significant opportunities that God has given the Francis Asbury Society over the last thirty days, I am humbled both by the way God is using FAS and by the future that awaits us.