Lead Pastor Arabic speaking
Resume:
First Assembly of God
Jerseyville il 62052
Dear Saints of God,
I am sending this to you hoping it finds you enjoying God’s fullest blessings in this new Year. I wish to introduce myself briefly because I want to ask you to prayerfully consider me for the position of lead pastor at Jerseyville A/G. I cannot but guess at what things might be of interest or importance to you in this serious matter, so please forgive the length of the letter.
I grew up in a small town in north Central Illinois and my wife of 36 years grew up on a hog farm in north West Illinois. God called us to missions and after a few years if effective youth ministry in Rock Falls Illinois we went into DFM and spent 24 years in missions in the Arab Muslim world we planted both underground churches and Casablanca International Protestant Church.
That was in a context where almost everything we did was accomplished where it was illegal, no public advertising was allowed at all and with overt government restriction and some persecution. We praise God for those fruitful but challenging years. After our house was firebombed and I was threatened with death and there was a kidnapping attempt on our kids, we returned to the USA and the IL district. We tried first to rebuild a terribly wounded church in Chicago but failed. We grow that church from a very discouraged 14 people from the original church plant to 65 people in 2 years. But the finances and energy were too low and the pall of discouragement from the church’s founding pastor’s wife’s moral failure haunted the minds of the church and community, and I decided tearfully to disband and close this church. Then former Superintendent, Griswold then asked us to put in order a struggling church up here in Chicago. He called it the shout out at the O.K. Corral. We were able to deal with the major issues and return the Church to a healthy state but as it is in a Spanish speaking, Latino area of Chicago, we felt that the long-term best interest of the Church to have a Latino pastor and God brought to us a wonderful couple to replace us and they are still serving there.
At which point we went to a dying church in Kewanee, IL. We had 17 people 14 of whom were over 65 years of age and $250,00 of debt on three building two of which had significant repair needs On our first Sunday. Scandal and division was a roiling cauldron of problems in the background of the Church, but I felt that as the city of 25,000 people had no other gospel church I could not let this church die and leave the city without a gospel witness. We spent 5 years there and the work grew to 85 in regular attendance, Then I significantly misjudged an issue with my youth minister and a woman member, I told the District that I thought I was not in a good place to slave the problem. We brought in a replacement, under Sectional leadership the spiritual warfare was too great for him and his wife was sexually unfaithful They left, divorced and God brought a good young couple to the Church.
Through all these steps I have continued to minister and evangelize Arab Muslims. I am an associate pastor in an Arabic congregation up here in Chicagoland. A few weeks ago, I was shot at 5 times about 3 blocks from my house up here on the West Side in Chicago. After which I thought that at 55 years of age I should perhaps not live in the area of Chicago with the second highest rate of homicides much longer. I am looking for God’s next assignment for me. My next 15 years or so.
I am an ordained A.G. minister for over 25 years, but I should mention a few ways that I am not quite in the mainstream of the A/G.
A.) I believe that spiritual gifts, healing and casting out devils are vitally important aspects of and effective church life and not to be sidelined.
B.) I believe that the Church is called to go into the whole community and invite people to Repent and believe the gospel and not just hope for walkins to enter for service.
C.) I teach that the believers are the priesthood of Christ and so we should expect and accept ministry from them when we gather, “When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” (1 Cor. 14) The church service should not be coming to hear me give a religious lecture 50 weeks a year.
D.) I teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is vitally important, is evidenced by speaking in tongues and power for sharing the gospel.
E.) I believe that Sanctification is both a crisis experiences and an ongoing work and is to be sought and encouraged.
G.) I believe that a Church that is not evangelizing its community and sending missionaries is out of God’s will and deficient in love.
If you are interested, I ask you to contact me at your earliest convenience. I will happily answer any Questions you have about me.
Christ is All,
Rev. Darrell Pack
4223 W.West End Ave. Chicago, Il 60624
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