I’m excited to be attending my first MidWinter Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church (“ECC”, or, the “un-denomination”) in a few weeks in Chicago. I’m excited for this and pause for a moment to re-trace my steps as to how I have grown in affiliation with this denomination.
2006 – Begin convos about church planting with the Covenant under the coaching of Quest Church in Seattle and Pastor Eugene Cho.
2007 – Go to the ECC Church Planters assessment in Detroit, MI. The assessment results? We’re certified bonkers for wanting to plant a church. No, jk. Actually we pass, conditionally. The condition – continued coaching under the North Pacific Conference and Eugene, and the completion of my MDiv. I would complete the latter in three years. Coaching is lifelong, and now continues under the MidSouth conference, although Don Robinson, Eugene Cho will continue to be people I hold in the highest respects, admirations, and seek out for advice.
2008 – I go on the ECC’s Journey to Mosaic, a bus ride visiting sites of racial reconciliation but also injustices, e.g., Japanese Internment camp, ICE detention center in Tacoma, WA, MLK Blvd (now gentrified) in Portland, to name a few.
2009 – with advice from ECC leaders on both coasts East and West I take the church plant a different route. Hence begins a season of focused study. Receive deep words of encouragement and affirmation from ECC’ers top-down. Begin my ordination process with the ECC.
2010 – take a call in Houston, TX. Begin relationship with Midsouth conference and Garth Bollinder. Words of affirmation from national director of church planting Peter Sung.
And, 2011 – MidWinter. So I’m looking forward to it. If any folks from Harvest want to go, my room has some openings for a few days. Couple of Harvest guys are thinking about coming out. Hit me up if you want to go with!
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