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Strength in the Body of Christ

Published Date: June 20, 2014

by Bishop Mark J. Webb, United Methodist Church (1989, MDiv)

It was over 25 years ago that I arrived on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, certain of my call to pastoral ministry, ready to begin my seminary experience and eager to see what God had in store. 

My time at Asbury was foundational not only to my ministry as a pastor, but more importantly to my journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  While Asbury molded and shaped my mind, my spirit was deeply shaped there as well.

When I reflect upon my time at Asbury, I certainly give thanks for the amazing theological education that I was privileged to receive.  Asbury Theological Seminary provided for me the foundational tools that would shape my leadership and other pastoral skills

 But even more, I celebrate the relationships and the authentic community that I was blessed to encounter.  Through relationships with friends, fellow students and professors, I  experienced what it meant to be a person who is growing deeper in their relationship with Jesus Christ first.  As Asbury provided me theological and practical tools for the practice of ministry, it also offered me new ways to discover my standing as a beloved child of God and taught me how to allow that calling to always be primary. 

One word that has always defined Asbury for me is community.  Yes, a community of students, eager to be shaped and formed for the task of mission and ministry, but even more a community of sisters and brothers, seeking to go deeper in relationship to God through Jesus Christ.  It was a community that was willing to be vulnerable, accountable, and live among one another the joy of being loved by God, loving God, and to extend that love to others in practical ways.

As a pastor, district superintendent, and now a bishop of the Church, I have been – and am – blessed to work with amazing colleagues, congregations and fellow followers of Jesus Christ.  It was at Asbury Seminary that I learned how to be in the midst of God’s grace and in the midst of community.  That reality continues to shape how I live out my spiritual life as a disciple of Jesus Christ and how I function as a leader within the Church.

Serving with the people of the Upper New York Area of The United Methodist Church is a joy.  God is doing amazing things in and through the gifts and ministries of each leader and congregation.  I am committed to leading efforts that will strengthen mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”.  These efforts include the practical: the increase of Spirit-given gifts, the formation of strategies for transformation and vitality.  Beyond that, I am committed to allowing the Spirit of God to use me in any way to help us know the beloved community of God, which is so rich in spirit and deep in grace.

What impact has Asbury Theological Seminary had upon my life and ministry?  Asbury demonstrated for me the strength found in the Body of Christ, when we truly live as the Body.  Asbury allowed me to stand on a foundation anchored in the essentials of being with God and with one another – a state of being that allows Jesus Christ to transform our lives and use them to be in the midst of the world for the sake of His Good News.   Thanks Asbury!  Thanks be to God for Asbury Theological Seminary!    

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