Dear Prairie Flower Church Family,
What a blessing it was to walk through the process of ordination. The preparation was grueling and the study intense, but I was able to make it through the process just fine. In the end, I found that the process itself was the most beneficial aspect (i.e. the preparation and study), not the ordination itself (i.e. the ordination weekend event). I thank you for praying with me and for me as I prepared myself for over 3 1/2 hours of verbal examination.
For those of you who attended my Ordination Examination Day on Saturday, September 19, I thank you. I (for one) was not disappointed with the questioning. They asked some pretty legit questions! I trust that you were blessed and encouraged with the questions and answers. Isn’t it wonderful to know that the Word of God is so marvelously complex? That’s why we should read God’s Word and study it every day!
For those of you who were able to attend and participate in my Ordination Service on Sunday, September 20, I am grateful. It was a beautiful service and we all were incredibly privileged to have Pastor Collings and Pastor Mann (two former PFBC Pastors) in attendance on that day. I trust that you won’t soon forget the challenge given to you by Pastor Collings, namely, you, as a church family, must remain faithful, be a people of vision, and be a loving community of saints. I personally won’t forget the challenge presented to me by Pastor Mann, namely, I (as your Lead Pastor) must be, by God’s grace, your Preacher, Protector, and Pattern. I am so grateful to God for these two dedicated servants who were able to lovingly and firmly energize us towards biblical action.
In the end, I just want to say a big “thank you” to you as my Prairie Flower Church Family. I love you all so much and find it a privilege to be your Pastor. Thank you for allowing me to shepherd your hearts and lives. I take this role seriously and with great joy.
With Thankfulness,
Reverend David P. Cotner III
P.S. Don’t call me Reverend 🙂