I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:1-6
When I was interviewed by Station Hill Baptist church back in 2013 concerning my potential appointment as Minister I mentioned that I believed my calling was all about unity. Indeed on several occasions since I have referred to this and still believe that this is what I am called to do at Station Hill Baptist Church. Ever since my appointment I have been investing some of my time building relationships with the other ministers in our town of Chippenham; meeting with three other ministers every Wednesday morning for prayer; meeting with ministers individually for a coffee and a chat; engaging with Chippenham Churches Together (CCT) and promoting the importance of this in our fellowship. I have also started a unilateral initiative of inviting other Ministers from the churches in our town to preach on a Sunday morning.
Last night (Thursday 8th October) I was asked to pray at the commencement of the CCT Annual General Meeting and I prayed for unity amongst our ministers, churches, and our community and read from Ephesians 4:1-6. I share the vision of several ministers in our town who see us all as Chippenham Church, rather than Chippenham churches and try to promote this amongst all the Christians I speak to in our town. However something struck me in the meeting last night that related to my calling concerning 'unity', a calling that I now believe is not purely about our fellowship at Station Hill Baptist Church, but about 'unity in the body of Christ' in its entirety.
