RMCNews with Shayne and Gabriela Vincent – Lexington, Kentucky … After the hustle of preaching at their churches on June 18, Pastor Shayne Vincent and wife Gabriela made their way to the Denver airport from Wyoming for a 3 a.m. flight to Lexington, Kentucky. This was their first quinquennal North American Division (NAD) pastoral meeting, and it was a huge blessing.
Shayne met with old friends he had not seen in nearly two decades. Gabriela visited with her family who pastor there in the NAD. They also enjoyed meeting with friends they had come to know only through social media. More than 5,000 pastors and their families came from all over North America.
Among the many daily classes provided, issues from technology in ministry to budgeting in pastoral families were covered. Classes were also tailored for the pastor’s spouse and for their children, which led to 14 baptisms among the pastors’ children.
Gabriela stated, “I was blown away by the transparency and the willingness of our denomination to address tough issues such as mental health, LGBTQ, equality, and balancing family life in ministry.”
And Shayne noted, “I was encouraged to see so many pastors in the tech session who had successfully made community the center of their churches and online ministry. It reaffirmed that I am on the right track and gave me many new ideas for my own ministry”.
Along with the many break out classes, there were also main auditorium presentations that highlighted many well-known Adventists, including George Knight. Pastor Ted Williams from the Southeastern Colorado District shared with Shayne, “It was such a blessing to see the exclusive focus of the convention be Jesus!”
The convention ended by noon on Wednesday, affording enough time for many pastors to travel an hour north to “The Ark Encounter,” where they were blessed to experience a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark. “It had the size of a cruise ship if you smooshed the top down,” commented Shayne. Inside were four massive floors, each one exploring a different aspect of the animals, the judgment in the Bible, and a deep dive into creation science.
The RMC Pastors were blessed with a luncheon put on by the Conference where we met and took time to fellowship together, break bread, and remember Pastor Tom Tupito, who sadly passed in his hotel near the beginning of the convention.
Both Pastor Shayne and Gabriela are grateful for those who made this possible. It is encouraging to see such Christ-centered leadership at the North American Division that prioritizes not only the holistic needs of pastors, but also the needs of their spouses and children, Shane and Gabriela expressed.
RMCNews with Shayne and Gabriela Vincent. Photo supplied.
