No Need to Fear

Editorial by Charles A. Tapp

When someone reaches the age of 100, we refer to them as a centenarian, and we celebrate this tremendous milestone with much fanfare. This year, the Potomac Conference will turn 100. And as a conference, we, too, will take the opportunity to celebrate. But our celebration will take on a little different tone than merely observing that we reached this important landmark in our journey as a conference.

Instead, we plan to take these next 12 months to pay homage, not only to our past and present, but also, with great anticipation, look to the bright future God has in store for us. We will continue to look for new ways to “Move Beyond the Walls” while remaining faithful to our mission of “growing healthy disciple-making churches.”

As we look toward our future as a conference of nearly 39,000 members, I cannot help but be reminded of the inspiring words of Ellen White when she wrote, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 10).

So, as we begin this journey of celebration, we do so not in a spirit of fear for what the future holds, but in a spirit of anticipation. Because as hymn writer Ira F. Stanphill once said, “I know who holds our future, and I know who holds our hand.”

Charles A. Tapp serves as the president of the Potomac Conference.