Pastor Announcement

Steve Chong announces leave of absence

29 January 2012

Dear friends,

Recently I approached the elders at Kirkplace to acknowledge that there has been sin in my life that I have not dealt with that has brought hurt to a relationship that should have been treasured. The relationship I am talking about is my marriage to Naomi. For a while now I have not invested in our marriage, nor taken responsibility for seeing our marriage grow in a way that pleases God. Where I should have been loving her as Christ loves the church (that is by laying His life down for us), I have instead consistently chosen to put myself and my interests before hers.

The truth is that while to many people the ‘front stage’ of my life appears to be all ok, the ‘back stage’ of my life is in desperate need of restoration and at the heart of it I need the Holy Spirit's work of renewal in my life to restore my relationship with God.

God has been merciful to us. While Naomi and I have significant issues to work through, we are not splitting up. There has certainly been no unfaithfulness and there has been no sin committed that would require me to leave the ministry.

Even so, given the risk that sin left undealt with poses for my marriage, I have asked the elders to consider supporting my desire for a leave of absence as the Lead Pastor of Kirkplace to which they have graciously given their support. I have not asked to be paid during this time as I recognise that there will be considerable burden placed on the church in filling the gap while I am away. The church leadership, however, has lovingly decided to continue to bless our family through financial support and the provision of the church manse.

During my leave of absence I will (in God’s strength and with your prayers) seek to restore my relationship with God, my wife, my kids and only then my work/ministry. In other words, it will be a ‘rebuild’ from the ground up. There are people who have already agreed to help me in being accountable to these goals. But until I feel these areas of growth are satisfactorily moving in the right direction I will not be involved in serving at Kirkplace, RICE or any public ministry.

I will be on leave from 30 January 2012 until 7 April 2012 and following that will take another 2 months to gradually ease back into work by 1 June 2012.

Praise God that he is a God of new beginnings and that even where sin has increased, grace increases all the more (Rom 5.20) Appreciate your prayers in this time.

In His overflowing love, 

Steve Chong
Lead Pastor Kirkplace
Director of the RICE movement