Of callings and contracts

When I received the call to serve as pastor of the Lucknow Community Christian Reformed Church, the call was extended as a three year contract. This was done for various reasons, not the least of which was the uncertainty of the future of this church. After three years the contract could be terminated by either the church or the pastor. Yesterday we voted for office bearers, and on the bottom of the ballot was another question on whether or not my call to ministry in Lucknow should be extended indefinitely, making it a "regular call" (my elders didn't like that term, but I'll use it here anyway!). A number of people expressed surprise that we were dealing with this already - could I already be in my third year in Lucknow? The results were tallied and announced after the service: by an overwhelming majority the congregation voted to extend my contract indefinitely. God has blessed my work here - I am humbled and honoured to continue to serve him as pastor of the Lucknow CRC.