Moving

I have always been impressed by the way God walks so personally and uniquely with every person. No two walks with God are exactly the same! In recent days God has been giving me some specific direction which I would like to share with you. The essence of what God has been saying to me and to my family is that we need to relocate to the United States this summer.

I was born in the California while my father was a seminary student and pastor in San Francisco. Because I was born in the United States and my mother was an American, I was born as an American. Because my father was a Canadian, I was also born a Canadian. When I was eight, our family moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. For those of you who have read Experiencing God, you know the glorious experiences my siblings and I had growing up in that mission setting. Those formative years placed a love for Canada and the Lord’s work there deeply on my heart.

After spending six years in Texas attending seminary, my family and I moved back to Canada to serve as the pastor of a church in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I thought I would spend the remainder of my days serving the Lord in that wonderful church. Eventually I was contacted by the trustees of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta about being the seminary’s president. I settled in to serve in that place for the rest of my ministry. However, after thirteen years, the Lord clearly impressed upon me the need to leave the seminary and to serve with my father in Blackaby Ministries International. Because of my love for Canada and because my kids were all finishing up school there, I remained in Cochrane and began to lead the Atlanta based ministry from Canada.

Last year, I flew 200,000 miles and spoke on six continents. Most of the invitations I have been receiving to speak have been coming from the United States or internationally. Almost every week I flew from Canada into the United States to speak. With the increased security measures and having to pass back forth through customs each time made my travel quite demanding.

Recently the Lord impressed on my family that He is leading us to relocate to the Southeast United States. We have looked specifically at the Atlanta area as well as around Greenville, South Carolina. I still intend to serve as an advocate for the Canadian National Baptist Convention and its seminary, much as my father has for many years. I will continue to serve as the Chancellor of the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary and will encourage people to support that great school. However, for this time in my life, I will be based in the southeastern United States. We plan to move in August.

I would covet your prayers as I seek to find the exact place and house in which I am to live. I intend to be within an easy drive of Atlanta so I can be there often to manage the BMI office as well as to cash in on my mom’s cooking! My oldest son Mike plans to attend seminary in North Carolina. My son Daniel and daughter Carrie are looking at attending college in South Carolina. Phyllis, my long-time administrative assistant, along with her husband Ross, plan to relocate to the BMI office in Atlanta. Steve Parsons who oversees BMI’s Online ministries will remain in Cochrane and continue to work with the seminary in partnership with BMI.

Please pray for my family as they make major adjustments. It will be very difficult to leave dear family and friends in Canada. My kids are all dual citizens but have spent most of their lives in Canada. Pray that we would be able to quickly sell our house and find a suitable home. Please pray for Lisa’s immigration process as she is not a U.S. citizen. Pray also for Ross and Phyllis, as Ross is presently facing some health challenges and they will need to find a place to live in the Atlanta area. Pray for BMI as it is being inundated with requests to speak and teach around the world. Please also pray for the Christian work in Canada that it will continue to expand and flourish. My brother Tom, who oversees BMI’s international ministry, will continue to be located in Vancouver, Canada and represent BMI in Canada.

The Lord knows how to maximize every life. He knows how to fill it with richness and diversity. Following Him is never boring! I pray for you that you are enjoying the stretching, exciting, rewarding adventure of walking with and serving the Lord.

Posted by Richard Blackaby at 9:38 am