Published Jan 02, 2018
California lost two great leaders in December.
Don Overstreet left a legacy of church planting, and Tom Belew left a legacy in his work with California Southern Baptist Convention children’s ministry.
Don was credited for having started 20 churches a year in California for some 20 years.
Tom was serving as leader of the small church initiatives team and had begun to research and lay the groundwork for addressing the needs of the many small churches in California.
I have been asked by several people, “What will you do now?”
The answer I give is that we will press on. We will honor those who have
given their all for the Kingdom but we will do so by continuing to do what was so important to them and what we too are called to do for the Kingdom. To do anything less would be to dishonor these fine men and their work.
Much groundwork has been laid in the last half of 2017 to allow the work of the Convention to be conducted effectively and efficiently. The structure has been changed to focus on evangelism, small churches, revitalization and starting churches in strength, not just in survival.
Although Tom was the leader for the small church team I am confident God will, in His time, raise up another person who will carry that banner.
We will press on.
Our staff has been subjected to great stress and uncertainty, but they have proven their love for Christ and for His Bride. They have adapted and will continue to do so as time passes, and together we will press on.
A new year is before us. We have been given a clean page God will use to write His story. This will be a year to begin to flesh out the new structure and empower churches to do what churches are designed to do.
There will be things we expect and things that surprise us — but we will press on.
I am thankful for God’s call on my life to be involved in California and face the challenges of distance and diversity with each of you who give yourself away every day for the sake of the cross. 2018 will be an exciting year and we have the opportunity to live it for the Lord and see God’s handiwork as we press on.
See archives of Dr. Agee’s previous Insights.