An Update from the Director of Ministerial Relief

God has blessed my wife Laurabeth and me with six children. Our youngest three were adopted through the California foster system. Becoming a foster and adoptive parent opened my eyes to see people in a whole new way. Seeing kids from traumatic backgrounds separated from their parents and moved from home to home with no choice in the matter makes your heart ache.

There are a large number of people facing hardship and difficulty due to circumstances outside their control!

Over time, God showed us something very important: it was in our power to help them! These kids couldn’t control their situation, but we had the ability to do something for them. While we could not meet the needs of every child, we could make a real difference for some. Laurabeth and I decided to adopt three of these beautiful kids into our family and give them a permanent home. Our family has experienced God’s grace in new ways welcoming Molly, Sam, and Xander into our home.

Last summer, my family and I moved across the country in order to help a different group of people: the men and women who work in PCA churches along with their families. In the six months I have been in this job, my eyes have been opened. Every week I see pastors and ministry leaders experience hardships and difficulty due to things outside their control.

• I’ve watched wives lose husbands and children lose fathers to cancer, car collisions, and even drowning.
• I’ve talked with families who have unexpected medical bills, job loss, and other unforeseen circumstances that bring financial hardships.
• There are more people working in PCA churches than ever before, which means church staff and their families have more financial difficulties than ever before.

Almost monthly, the wife of a retired PCA pastor becomes a widow, left to navigate her future without her husband and with limited financial resources.

As the body of Christ, we have the obligation, privilege, and ability to “supply their need” (2 Cor. 8:14). The PCA’s Ministerial Relief exists to come alongside pastors and their families, as well as other PCA employees, to provide assistance when they face financial hardship. Thanks to generous donors like you, we are able to provide financial assistance to pastors, their families, and their survivors.

We need your help! We need you and your church to give $25, $50, or $500 to support this important ministry. Every gift provides financial assistance to PCA pastors, their families, and their survivors.

I also want you to know about two important additions to Ministerial Relief.

• We’ve added counseling services for pastors’ wives. Through listening to these women, it became apparent that counseling was a very tangible way to assist and strengthen families active in ministry. We are financially subsidizing this and have seen many women utilize it already!
• We’ve also added Christine Zurbach to our team as Director of Philanthropic Giving. Chris will lead our efforts with churches and individuals who want to make sure this ministry continues and grows as a ministry of mercy to those who serve the church.

Your prayers are as important as your gifts.

• Pray for our team as we consider and decide how to provide financial assistance.
• Pray for those who serve in the church and their widows that they would be able to trust God especially when facing adversity.
• Pray for the PCA, that God would supply the funds needed to assist ministry employees, their families, and their survivors.

If you have questions about this ministry or how you and your church can partner with us, don’t hesitate to contact me (jon.medlock@pcarbi.org) or Chris (chris.zurbach@pcarbi.org). Thanks for all you do to serve.