Grasping the Vision

Vision arises out of our burden to know the will of God, to become whatever it is God wants us to become.
Everett "Terry" Fullam

In a corner of Terry Fullam's office sits an architect's model of a large sanctuary, gathering dust. It is a silent reminder that visions do not always become reality.

"That's what we thought God wanted us to build five or six years ago, when our present building was first filled up," the bespectacled rector recalls with a grin. "The place was packed; we were having four morning services — time to build a bigger barn. It was going to go right out on the front lawn. The vestry and congregation were all unanimous.

"But when we went to the city fathers for approval, they were just as unanimous: NO. Our plans would be a massive overdevelopment of this wooded area, they ruled."

Only then, says Fullam, was the church ready to comprehend an alternate vision. It came as a message from the church's senior warden: "God wants us instead to build the living church, to give ourselves ...

Subscriber access only You have reached the end of this Article Preview

To continue reading, subscribe to Christianity Today magazine. Subscribers have full digital access to CT Pastors articles.

Tags:
Posted:
Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

From the Magazine
Christians Invented Health Insurance. Can They Make Something Better?
Christians Invented Health Insurance. Can They Make Something Better?
How to heal a medical system that abandons the vulnerable.
Editor's Pick
How Codependency Hampered My Pastoral Ministry
How Codependency Hampered My Pastoral Ministry
Part of the emotional drain I felt during the pandemic came from trying to manage my members’ feelings.
close