First Presbyterian Church Fort Dodge

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austin's update 6/21

Posted by Austin Hill on

You have to expect that I’ll write about my two-week trip to Israel in my first opportunity with the Newsletter…

            In short, the trip was amazing. There are so many ways that it was a rich blessing to Sara and me. We are still working up ideas for how to share the experience with each of you, and you’ll find out more details soon.

            The accommodations were incredible throughout the trip. We ate breakfast and dinner in our hotels and it was a feast. We lunch at local restaurants wherever we traveled. Everything was top-notch. About half way through the trip, there was one night that we discovered one of our hotels cost $270 per room, per night.

            This discovery was particularly astounding because Sara and I didn’t pay for this trip. All 28 of us went on a two-week trip to Israel, all expenses paid, because of a man named Tom Cousins. If you do some rough mental math, you can estimate the cost of a trip like this.

            Years ago, Tom decided that he wanted to help support and provide training for pastors. He worked with a Tom Tewell, former senior pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in downtown New York, to create a program called Macedonian Ministries. This ministry creates cohorts of pastors in an area of a three-year journey, culminating in a trip to the Holy Land. Additionally, the cohort covenants to meet together every month for prayer, worship, communion, a meal, and study of congregational leadership.

            Macedonian Ministries has been impacting a couple hundred pastors since its inception, all over the country. Each of these pastors has gone to Israel as part of their experience. Considering the cost of hotel rooms alone, based on the $270 a night, and you can figure that we’re talking about a large sum of money.

            To be clear, there have been other contributors to Macedonian Ministries, but Tom has been the principle contributor.

            It’s humbling to think of the amount of money Tom has given to support pastors and the impact his generosity has within all these churches. In our Presbytery alone, he has created partnerships and bonds between pastors that span theological and age differences, and inspire us all to be better pastors.

            This trip has reminded me of Luke 12:48: “…to whom much has been given, much will be expected.” I have been given much, and this trip has caused me to consider ways that I can give more.

For example, our Presbytery has started a fund to help new seminary graduates with paying down their student loans. Early today, our Presbytery examined and voted to ordain two new pastors in our Presbytery. It was a wonderful occasion and it led me consider how I might give to this fund.

Tom Cousins is one man who decided to live generously. Hundreds of people in North Central Iowa are now benefiting from his generosity. How is God similarly calling you?

Blessings,

Austin D. Hill

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