Last week, the Church of the Gold Coast came together to worship God, pray, and fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ, united in our calling to serve Him across our city. At the Annual Mayor’s Christian Prayer Breakfast, we set aside our denominational distinctives and ministry preferences to gather as One Body, bringing glory and honour to God.
This year, we invited champions of the faith to share into the theme, “Anchored and Advancing” – a reflection on the journey of the corporate Church over the past three decades and beyond, and a call to continue advancing with purpose as we raise up and release more workers into the harvest.
It was a glorious morning filled with powerful testimonies, heartfelt prayer, and inspiring reminders of the enduring foundations upon which we stand. The importance of faith, prayer, the Word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit resounded deeply in our hearts and minds.
For your encouragement, I have included the message I delivered on the morning. My prayer is that it will inspire in each of us the same spirit of honour, gratitude, and faithful stewardship as we continue serving God’s purposes in our generation.
May we remain anchored in Christ and steadfastly advance His Kingdom together.
The following passage paraphrases reflections attributed to the missionary pioneer David Livingstone about his ministry in Africa. It is not presented as a verbatim quotation:
We don’t see very many conversions. There is very little light on our path. No one is interested in our message… Many years from now other missionaries will come and they will have more light than we have. And when they preach, sinners will be converted in every meeting… When that day comes, may they not forget us, the watchmen of the night.
That phrase, “the watchmen of the night,” captures the essence of Christian leadership.
Many of the spiritual blessings we experience in our city today exist because previous generations of pastors and Christian leaders chose to stand and serve as Watchmen.
Watchmen who planted churches, discipled believers, served the poor, prayed over families, counselled the broken-hearted, visited hospitals, conducted funerals, celebrated weddings, and proclaimed Christ faithfully year after year.
This morning as the Church of the City gathered here in one room, I believe the mark of spiritual maturity is not only celebrating what God is doing now but also honouring those through whom God worked before us.
Honour – it creates continuity, unity and releases blessing from one generation to the next.
When we fail to honour those who have gone before us, we risk believing that the story began with us.
But when we honour our spiritual predecessors, we position ourselves within the larger story of God’s work across generations.
So, we arrive at the theme of this year’s MCPB – Anchored and Advancing.
We are looking back and looking forward –
- Anchored in gratitude, we honour the faithful ministry of those who have gone before us and those who continue to serve today.
- Honouring the past does not mean remaining there.
- But rather we are anchored in what has been built for the Kingdom, recognising that what we inherit today has been built over many years.
- And together, we are also advancing, discerning what God is doing in this new season, strengthening relationships across the Church, preparing emerging leaders, and positioning ourselves with faith and unity for what is yet to come.
Therefore, I encourage every pastor who has recently arrived in this city:
- Learn the history of the spiritual pioneers.
- Listen to their stories.
- Celebrate their sacrifices.
- Pray for them.
- Partner with them.
- Speak well of them.
- Build upon what they have established rather than ignoring the foundations they have laid.
For one day, you too will become the seasoned leaders that the next generation looks to with gratitude.
And just as Livingstone hoped that future missionaries would remember “the watchmen of the night,” may future generations remember all of us as faithful stewards of the Gospel in our time.
The Psalmist declares in Psalm 145:4:
“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”
This is God’s pattern.
One generation testifies to the next.
The flame is passed, not extinguished.
The mission continues, not restarted.
This morning can we celebrate the faithfulness of those who have gone before us and recommit ourselves to the same Gospel mission.
And may future generations be able to say that we too were faithful watchmen and watchwomen of the night, who prepared the way for a greater harvest than we could ever have imagined.
And may God get all the glory.
Amen.
