Moderator's Report, 2007-2008

It has been a great joy and privilege to serve as the moderator of the Northern Atlantic Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches since March of last year. I have endeavored to lead us as churches according to the purpose of this association of churches, “to encourage and unite member churches in obeying the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ(Matthew 28:18-20): And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
My job description has included four primary responsibilities. The first was to lead our executive committee in preparation for today’s annual meeting. We have met quarterly since last April, and I trust that you are finding our efforts satisfactory.
The second is to preside at this session of the annual meeting. You may remember that last year I gave a challenge in the evening session at Telford, in view of our rather flat growth rate in past years. My challenge was to trust and obey Christ’s command to make disciples of all the nations from the northern Atlantic, just as we read the first disciples did in the book of Acts.
Connected to that challenge was my direct challenge to each of our churches to be so intent on obeying Christ, that each church would return this year with a daughter church to join our regional association of churches. Since that time I have sought to visit each church for encouragement and prayer, and have been with most of you during this past year. This has surely been the highlight of my service as your moderator.
Today I must confess that my challenge was somewhat unrealistic and ineffective. Unrealistic, because the necessary organizational guidelines make this nearly impossible to accomplish within one year. Ineffective, because we have not added a single new church to the NAF this year.
Third, I attempted unsuccessfully to initiate a committee to bring to our annual meeting today a plan to see more active church planting in the large portion of our region north of most of our churches, in New England. Perhaps this is best left to our cooperating mission organization, Northern Atlantic Missions. I will have a recommendation in that regard at the end of this report.
Fourth and finally, the moderator is responsible to publish highlights of the annual meeting. Each of our churches received this report in June of last year.
I will close my report with a recommendation for each of the cooperating organizations of our regional association of churches here in the northeast:
 Ministerium, our ministerial organization responsible for the qualification of leaders to serve our churches: The things which we have heard in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (cp. 2 Timothy 2:2)
 NAYF, our youth organization responsible for the promotion of ministry to children and youth among our churches: Support families, so children will obey their parents in the Lord, for this is right…so sons and daughters will honor their father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with them, and that they may live long on the earth (cp. Ephesians 6:1-3).
 NAM, our mission organization responsible for vision casting and church planting within our region: Serve the churches, as we make disciples of all the nations (cp. Matthew 28:16-20).
Let us decide whether we will live up to our name or not. Let us either get serious about making disciples throughout the northern Atlantic region of our country, or let us change our name to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. May God grant us grace to lead while we can…
Your brother in Christ, Dan Jackson