Lower North Island Baptist Association
An update from Regional Leader Mike Warring for 2024.
Listen to Mike's update in The Lowdown podcast.
Reflecting on the last year, it is probably the hardest I’ve faced in my life. I’ve been trying to balance my commitments with the knowledge that my wife (Fiona), co-parent, and best friend had a terminal illness, and her time with us was running out. I want to acknowledge the generous and gracious way our association, and our movement as a whole, has walked with us on this journey. For the many prayers, generous gifts and offers of help, my whānau and I thank you. The way you have supported us has been amazing.
I thought I knew a bit about grief after pastoring for over 25 years, but nothing can really make you ready for the loss of your spouse. Nothing prepares you for the pain, for the loss, for the enormous hole that suddenly exists, for sitting with your kids who are crying out for their Mum, who desperately want to see her, talk to her and be held by her again. Nothing prepares you for their questions: Why would God let this happen? Why would He let my Mum die when she has done so much for others? Why didn’t He answer our prayers and the prayers of thousands of others across the world for healing? Why did she have to suffer in horrendous pain for over two years and lose the ability to do so much that was special to her? How can you expect me to follow a God who would let this happen to my Mum? These things just come at you. You have no control; you just experience them and so many others.
The best analogy I can give for what grief looks like is this: I am standing in the surf and looking at the shore. I am watching all the things in life, my kids, our world, and my ministry, and it feels as though I am doing ok. Then, all of a sudden, without warning, I am knocked off my feet, struck by a massive wave, and I am being tumbled, not knowing which way is up. I capture glimpses of the sky and the shore, only to be dragged back down as another wave breaks over me again. I feel like I am drowning. I am being dragged down. But then I come up for air, and I can see again. I can see the beach, I can see my kids, I start to get some perspective, and it feels as though I have got things under control. The sun is shining, and the water now seems calm, and I think, “You know what? I can do this!”.
But then, out of nowhere, another set of waves takes me off my feet again. This time, however, I recover more quickly, I am back on my feet, and I am ready for what is coming next. But am I? Am I really? Soon, I begin to realise these waves aren’t going to stop. They’re relentless. They will continue to roll in one after another. And as much as I would like to have control, I have to admit I don’t.
So how do you manage? How do you face this overwhelming situation? Well, you muddle through and make it up as you go along. But you also realise you don’t do this on your own. Others have walked this journey before you and are willing to help. They can’t walk this journey for you, but they can offer support as you face this difficult season. But more significantly, it’s about realising that your theology and understanding of scripture are essential for responding when things turn to custard.
My favourite scripture is Luke 4:18-21, where Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 and proclaims that the Kingdom of God is present, where Jesus says, “It has been fulfilled this very day!” So, if this is true, then why is there still pain, loss, grief and death? Why? Because we are living in this time of ‘the already but not yet.’ It’s a season where the wonder and goodness of God’s Kingdom are present in and through Jesus, but they have yet to be fully realised. We are living in a season where the words of Jesus from Matthew 5 are true: “For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” It’s a season where following Jesus doesn’t offer us any assurance that life will be easy or without hardship. But it is also a season where we are never alone, where Jesus has promised He will be with us until the end of the age. A season where we can experience the grace which Paul tells us is sufficient for us and the peace which surpasses all understanding spoken of in Philippians 4. It is in the understanding and embracing of these things that I find hope and experience peace and grace, which I can’t explain. But it is also in and through The Body of Christ, the local church, which surrounds us and loves us, who becomes Jesus with flesh on as we face our brokenness and pain.
This report will be nothing like the reports of the other regional leaders, but it has been and continues to be my journey. Amid this struggle, life continues, and many things are worthy of celebration within our region over the last year. We have continued to gather for our regional hui, a highlight for many—a place where we have found connection and deepened relationships with other churches and leaders in our region. One of the highlights of our hui is always the opportunity to hear stories of gospel renewal in each of our local churches. There is real diversity within our region, but we are able to come together. We speak about people encountering the Kingdom of God and finding hope in Jesus Christ. This last year has also been a year of facing our past and acknowledging that we can and do hurt others in our brokenness. This year has seen the beginning of a ‘setting your church free’ process for our association. This process will hopefully allow us to celebrate God’s faithfulness in the past and recognise things we could have done better at times. It will provide us with a chance for reconciliation and healing and to agree on who and what we want to be as an association going forward.
During this last year, we have started the process of strengthening local networks and pastor clusters. Others have stepped up to co-ordinate groups in their local setting as I have been unable to travel as much across our region. People in our association have been incredible in picking up things I was unable to in this challenging season. Rob Petrini from Hutt City Baptist stepped in as our regional leader when I was on leave, and our amazing Exec works behind the scenes to resource the churches in our region. It has also been a season of challenge for our region as we try to find a way forward with Easter Camp, which has such a rich history and provides a good opportunity for young people to encounter God’s Kingdom. I want to acknowledge Andy Beales-White and the many others who work to support our region’s youth.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the challenge of our current financial climate and the rising costs associated with running a church. This has placed a greater strain on the resources in our region and has meant that we have struggled to reach our targets for income for the association. I know we are not alone in this; in fact, all of our regions have struggled in this last year. These challenges force us to ask difficult questions about the sustainability of certain aspects of the association. However, ironically, this last year, we have also continued to distribute the phenomenal gifts we have given as an association to help rebuild and support the work of our churches in Hawkes Bay. Thank you!
So, it has been a year of ups and downs. There have been significant challenges, but it’s also been a year where we have experienced God’s faithfulness. It continues to be a privilege to serve as the regional leader for The Lower North Island Association. I am incredibly grateful for Charles as our National Leader and the other Regional Leaders who also supported me this last year.
This update is from the 2024 Annual Report of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, which you can view here.
Photo: From Mike Warring
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