Time Will Tell

There are many things that we, as a Fellowship, take for granted, that were lessons learned through faith and overcoming obstacles by pastor Mitchell and the Prescott church in the early days. Church planting was not done the way we do it now until pastor Mitchell tried something that seemed to line up with scriptures. Discipleship instead of ministerial school training. These and a hundred other smaller issues were begun by someone taking a great leap of faith.

Some of the things we do we gleaned from our previous association with Foursquare. Our liturgy was not unique to us. Our church structure was patterned after Foursquare. Pastoral leadership, church tithing, and many other things we learned because that was what pastor Mitchell was save in. I learned things as a new convert the same way that Wayman learned them as a new convert.

When pastor Mitchell says that discouragement is a failure of the will, he is speaking from personal experience first, and experience dealing with new pastors second. The indigenous church principle of self governing, self supporting, and self propagating was an idea that Foursquare knew in theory but pastor Mitchell learned to practice in the Prescott church and in time, throughout the Fellowship.

Time and time again pastor Mitchel reminded us that this is a work of God and not a work of man. Over time the proof of that sentiment has been proven over and over again. The Prescott church has overcome betrayal, and rebellion, and mutiny, and discouragement, and is still flourishing today. They have dealt with the death of their founder and are still staying true to his vision. The principals that pastor Mitchell forged in the fires of adversity still work around the world today.

Only time will tell how this story ends.