January Newsletter 2023

A New Year.

I recently came across this quote from a minister that God used mightily in days gone by. He said, “If you are not making people mad or glad, there is something amiss with your ministry. If there is not a war on, it’s a bad job for you.” This quote was encouraging for me. For although I have received much positive feedback from members of my church, I have also made quite a few people upset. In fact, the first month of this year has already been quite a challenge. I’ve had to part ways with a staff member, there has been contention among some members of the church, and some of the leadership team isn’t happy. I’ve been told by experienced pastors that this is no extraordinary thing. Some of my mentors have shared similar stories of difficulties in their early years. I even heard of a pastor who received great opposition to his leadership at the beginning of his pastorate, with one parishioner attempting to burn down the church in protest! This pastor went on to build a church of thousands.

I do not pretend to in any way match the ministry of Jesus, but it is remarkable that as perfect as He was, He did not make everyone happy. Indeed, He was clear to state that was not His goal. He said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). Many pastors and ministers fail to adopt this attitude in their ministry. The great temptation of being a pastor is to ‘keep the peace,’ to upset as few people as possible. And while I certainly do not think that we should be the cause of contention for its own sake, we should not shy away from it when the truth of God is at stake. We ought to be bold proclaimers of truth, as Jesus was. He offended many people in His ministry, but He never apologized for it. When His harsh rebukes upset the Pharisees, His disciples said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended…?” What was His response? “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted…” (Matthew 15:13). The disciples were concerned with what the man thought. Jesus was concerned with what God thought.

As supporters of this ministry, I want to make you aware that I have endured, as of late, some trying times. I’ve been lied about, misrepresented, slandered, spoken of as evil, made the source of endless gossip, undermined by leaders in the church, made a public spectacle, called a liar repeatedly, accused falsely of indiscretion with money, and more. Most of this has happened in the last month. However, I want you to know that in the midst of these difficulties, God has given me peace. I’ve had difficult days, but most days I’m not worried or upset. God has given me thick skin and a soft heart. I just want to be faithful in preaching and teaching the Word of God. My greatest concern is to be found faithful in doing that. Often I pray, “Lord, I don’t mind these troubles, only let me be found faithfully preaching the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. I cannot live if I cannot do that.”

The Chaffee Family

I’m happy to announce that I have moved up to the next level of my credentialing! My wife and I traveled to Lakeland, FL, to our district office, to meet with the presbyters where I was commissioned as a Licensed Minister with the Assemblies of God. I still have one more level to go, and I will be pursuing that over the next two years.

Our children are doing tremendously in school. They all love attending the private Christian school in our area. Katee and Spencer recently participated in a speech competition, with Katee getting second place countywide. Baseball season is starting soon. We are excited to see the kids play ball. Please pray for us as we get ready for a really hectic schedule!

Please also pray that we have the strength and the wisdom to accomplish the work that God has called us to. Pray that God would give us ideas for outreach and wisdom for discipleship. Also, please pray that God would provide us with a house! Pray that the Lord’s will be done!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We love and value each of you!

Many Blessings – Hal