Aug 29, 2017
Rev. David Stall, Senior Pastor
First Hopkinton Seventh Day Baptist
Excerpts from Saturday evening installation message…
I am thankful and humbled to be your Conference President! I understand that some of you are concerned. I wouldn’t have chosen me either.
Before I get caught up in other things, let me mention that I have an amazing wife, family, and church who are all supporting and working on this with me. I would be lost without them!
I hope you will visit the Seventh Day Baptist “Facebook Livestream” page and check out the installation message. There you will hear all of my acknowledgements and testimonies about how God has worked to bring me to this role. I’m a product of Seventh Day Baptists. I grew up here. SDBs invested a lot in me, at the risk of that not being a good investment. I owe a lot to SDBs. As Christians, (and as SDBs), God isn’t calling us to talk about evangelism, church planting, church revitalization, church discipline, missions, education, spiritual disciplines, spiritual gifts… God is calling us to DO them! Less talk. More action. It seems like God is saying…I need you to stop talking about what it means to be a Christian, and actually do it.
In 2015, as I started my doctorate degree, things came to a screeching halt. During a period of intense spiritual formation, God made it painfully and plainly obvious to me that my ministry calling and activities had already exceeded the limits of my Christian character. I had sin issues, character issues, personal issues, and relational issues that needed fixing. This required a sabbatical, repentance, work, and ongoing accountability. God has been so good to me in this. The last couple of years have been absolutely amazing.
As I crawled out of that tough season late in 2015, God gave me, very specifically, this Conference theme. A few days later, I was asked to be President of this Conference.
It seems right that God gave this theme of “Less Talk. More Action” as that is what He has continually asked of me. With moves across the country, and into different ministries, God has spoken and God has called me. My job is always to listen and then follow. God generally doesn’t call me into discussions. He calls me to action!
The greatest experiences in my life and ministry were a result of stepping out and acting on faith. So, let’s stop talking like Christians, and start living like Christians!
