Dear Church,
Thanks be to God, who chose His name, and named our congregation - a beautiful name at that - Hosanna Presbyterian Church. The Session of Elders at Bethany also agreed. In fact, they were very happy that we did not choose the same name - Bethany - as them for various reasons, which verified this was the LORD's direction from the beginning.
"Hosanna" is the Hebrew expression, "save us!" or "help us!" or "deliver us!" - and also when appealed to a specific person, it means, "Savior... Deliverer... Rescuer... Helper." Who else could this be, but Jesus Christ Himself, amen? No other church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has this name - except possibly a small African Full Gospel community in south Dallas, which does not appear to be operating as a church anymore. What I love about this name, is that since it is derived from biblical Hebrew, no matter what language you translate "Hosanna" - whether Korean, Spanish, Japanese, German, Turkish, Nepali, Greek, etc.... when hearing it spoken, it all phonetically sounds the same! Try it on Google Translate with any language (when you do, turn up your speaker and press the speaker button [as circled in red below, as an example]). There is no doubt when this title for Jesus is spoken, everyone in the world hears it the same way. Let Hosanna Church also be that same constant name that declares Jesus as Savior to every corner of the world!
Thanks be to God, who chose His name, and named our congregation - a beautiful name at that - Hosanna Presbyterian Church. The Session of Elders at Bethany also agreed. In fact, they were very happy that we did not choose the same name - Bethany - as them for various reasons, which verified this was the LORD's direction from the beginning.
"Hosanna" is the Hebrew expression, "save us!" or "help us!" or "deliver us!" - and also when appealed to a specific person, it means, "Savior... Deliverer... Rescuer... Helper." Who else could this be, but Jesus Christ Himself, amen? No other church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has this name - except possibly a small African Full Gospel community in south Dallas, which does not appear to be operating as a church anymore. What I love about this name, is that since it is derived from biblical Hebrew, no matter what language you translate "Hosanna" - whether Korean, Spanish, Japanese, German, Turkish, Nepali, Greek, etc.... when hearing it spoken, it all phonetically sounds the same! Try it on Google Translate with any language (when you do, turn up your speaker and press the speaker button [as circled in red below, as an example]). There is no doubt when this title for Jesus is spoken, everyone in the world hears it the same way. Let Hosanna Church also be that same constant name that declares Jesus as Savior to every corner of the world!
All in all, I want to emphasize even with a change in name that now cancels-out "English Congregation" or "Bethany" - we are not disaffiliating with Bethany Korean Presbyterian Church, nor are we becoming completely independent of each other. The vision that began this process has been: "One Family, Multiple Churches, One Great Commission" (MATTHEW 28:18-20).
We will be two yet one, and long to plant more (multiple) churches that go and make disciples of Jesus, as the Lord leads.
For now, however, we are just two churches co-dependent, co-partnered, conjoined at the hips through our common oneness historically and spiritually, as one family in Christ pursuing the one Great Commission that Jesus Christ left for us, to our respective target groups (Korean-immigrants and Korean-cultured people for Bethany plus the larger American/majority-cultured people for Hosanna). Much of the oneness and conjoining will be seen through our commitment to the blended areas we will continue to collaborate, shape, and share -
Therefore, we have become reformed in structure to co-dependency over two completely independent entities.
I think of the trinity that illustrates this unique reform - the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) - shows our structural commonness yet also differentiation. The Father is not the Son, nor is the Son the same person as the Spirit. They are three separate personal beings, yet we cannot call them three Gods. They are three distinct persons, yet so co-dependent and co-partnered in unison to each other that we can only see one God and call all three of them as equally God yet only one God. So also, we are one family under Christ (especially with Bethany), yet at the same time we are distinct as God's assembled church body - we've always been for the last 28 years - by the gift of English endowed and entrusted to each of us to be a farther and wider fulfillment of the Great Commission.
I believe this structural reform is a beautiful unity within diversity - a harmony that models after the very character of our triune God Himself as three yet one, whose image is in His church - for us here, Hosanna Church in co-partnership with Bethany Korean Church. I also believe this unique structure of ours can be a model for many other immigrant church contexts - whether Korean or of another ethnicity - to pursue and if done appropriately, will result in an expansion of God's Kingdom on earth beyond their ethnic-cultural spheres.
Hosanna and Bethany will take care of each other. They must, because we are reflections of each other, conjoined at the hips with our common blended ministerial and theological cores. We must pursue the success of one another to succeed ourselves. If for any reason Bethany Korean Church finds themselves in trouble one day, Hosanna will step in to bring stability, and vice-versa. We must both grow, yet also be sensitive to the dynamic of growth in a stronger established congregation (Bethany) versus the weaker planted congregation (Hosanna). Initially, should not the stronger pour into the weaker, so that the weaker can become stronger, and share the strength of growth together? I trust that Bethany will be immovably accountable to that spiritual responsibility to see Hosanna flourish, just as they had for the past 37 years with the Korean ministry. We must sharpen one another, and be sharp to slice into the target groups that can be reached uniquely by each church.
I pray this will clear any misunderstandings of vision, structure, oneness, and co-dependency.
The next step is a vital one - the formation of the Advisory Board.
We will be two yet one, and long to plant more (multiple) churches that go and make disciples of Jesus, as the Lord leads.
For now, however, we are just two churches co-dependent, co-partnered, conjoined at the hips through our common oneness historically and spiritually, as one family in Christ pursuing the one Great Commission that Jesus Christ left for us, to our respective target groups (Korean-immigrants and Korean-cultured people for Bethany plus the larger American/majority-cultured people for Hosanna). Much of the oneness and conjoining will be seen through our commitment to the blended areas we will continue to collaborate, shape, and share -
- the Christian Education departments (Infant to 12th grade)
- World Mission support
- Joint endeavors (sports, fellowships, local outreaches, etc)
- the same denominational umbrella under ECO (Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians)
- and most obviously - the same location here at the corner of Marchant Blvd and Hebron Pkwy
Therefore, we have become reformed in structure to co-dependency over two completely independent entities.
I think of the trinity that illustrates this unique reform - the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) - shows our structural commonness yet also differentiation. The Father is not the Son, nor is the Son the same person as the Spirit. They are three separate personal beings, yet we cannot call them three Gods. They are three distinct persons, yet so co-dependent and co-partnered in unison to each other that we can only see one God and call all three of them as equally God yet only one God. So also, we are one family under Christ (especially with Bethany), yet at the same time we are distinct as God's assembled church body - we've always been for the last 28 years - by the gift of English endowed and entrusted to each of us to be a farther and wider fulfillment of the Great Commission.
I believe this structural reform is a beautiful unity within diversity - a harmony that models after the very character of our triune God Himself as three yet one, whose image is in His church - for us here, Hosanna Church in co-partnership with Bethany Korean Church. I also believe this unique structure of ours can be a model for many other immigrant church contexts - whether Korean or of another ethnicity - to pursue and if done appropriately, will result in an expansion of God's Kingdom on earth beyond their ethnic-cultural spheres.
Hosanna and Bethany will take care of each other. They must, because we are reflections of each other, conjoined at the hips with our common blended ministerial and theological cores. We must pursue the success of one another to succeed ourselves. If for any reason Bethany Korean Church finds themselves in trouble one day, Hosanna will step in to bring stability, and vice-versa. We must both grow, yet also be sensitive to the dynamic of growth in a stronger established congregation (Bethany) versus the weaker planted congregation (Hosanna). Initially, should not the stronger pour into the weaker, so that the weaker can become stronger, and share the strength of growth together? I trust that Bethany will be immovably accountable to that spiritual responsibility to see Hosanna flourish, just as they had for the past 37 years with the Korean ministry. We must sharpen one another, and be sharp to slice into the target groups that can be reached uniquely by each church.
I pray this will clear any misunderstandings of vision, structure, oneness, and co-dependency.
The next step is a vital one - the formation of the Advisory Board.
For the next three weeks, let us pray that God will send to us the right people to lead Hosanna. I truly believe that each one of you are the answer to this. Would you consider opening your heart and life to God as an Advisory Board Member?
Board Advisors are not elite Christians with supernatural spirituality and exceeding gifted abilities. They are everyday broken people like you and me, who have a simple, genuine, flawed yet growing love for God and His people. They are those who know that a genuine expression of their love for God naturally outpours in a love for His church - His people - desiring to protect the church, nourish the church, and flourish the church for all.
All you need to be is - available, teachable, and faithful. Is that you? I believe so. We are seeking to add to the current Board (and our Texas Presbytery leaders are also mandating us to do so) with fresh new faces, passions, and insights from the LORD. There is no age nor gender limitation. A man or woman of God of any age - available, teachable, faithfully committed to regularly meet with other Board Advisors for the next two years to dream of LORD's church and make godly decisions that impact the congregation.
Although a Board Advisor/Advisory Board Member is synonymous to the office of "Elder" in the church, Hosanna Church will not be using the terms "Elder" or "Deacon" for church officers, as it carries unnecessary burden and unspoken misunderstandings on a young church like ours just beginning to form any sort of spiritual leadership team.
Instead, the two offices of Hosanna will be:
- Advisory Board / Board Advisor
- Team of Ministry Leaders / Ministry Leader
The Board Advisor is a temporary role (term of only two years). Once the term ends, the Advisor may step-down. With the exception of the Pastor, no one will be a permanent member of the Advisory Board. ***We desire everyone at one point to serve on the Advisory Board, so that we might be a church of shared spiritual leadership with everyone's unique contribution to lead the LORD's church.
In addition to the biblical qualifications for the Advisory Board Member as stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, the Advisory Board Member is (***or in process of becoming):
- Both baptized and confirmed (if infant baptized), and received into the congregation as a covenant partner
- A man or woman of God
- Proven personal testimony of salvation
- Faithfulness in sacred giving of tithes and offerings - however much or little, as God has entrusted to each one
- Passing pastoral examination: (1) availability before the LORD; (2) proven life of prayer and integrity; (3) motivation to take spiritual initiative-responsibility; (4) demonstration of teachable spirit in godly submission to ordained pastoral authority
- Elected by two-third’s majority vote of the covenant partners of the congregation
- Committed to a term of two years; may return for an additional one-year term voluntarily or at the request of the current Advisory Board; may be re-elected by the congregation for an additional two-year term; at end of term, he/she will step-down as an Advisory Board Member
- Those who reach the age of 65 and have served five or more full two-year terms will be honored with the title “Distinguished Board Member Emeritus”
Let us pray fervently for the formation of our Advisory Board. And, won't you consider answering the call yourself as well? Offer your time and spiritual gifts, and let's get Hosanna up on its feet to walk and run in expanding God's Kingdom!
The church can only be as strong as its leaders. Let us pray for the next three weeks for God's choice leaders! As Jesus said, find a place to pray where no one can see you except God, "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (MATTHEW 6:6). In this secret place, we trust that God's calling will become apparent, and He will choose and send you.
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
- Isaiah, Prophet of God
(chapter 6, verse 8)
Prayerfully,
Your Co-Laborer in the Kingdom work,
Brother Chester