In August some ten years ago I moved to this city at the invitation of the church here to take up the pastorate, both my and the church's first. My duties began on September 1 and the first Saturday in October was taken up with my induction service. As I look back over the years, a number of things spring to mind. One is that my 'job' marks my longest single period of employment. I spent exactly ten years at a Comprehensive School but have been on the payroll here for ten years and one month. In similar vein, my wife and I have lived at this home longer than we have lived in any other property since we married in 1976. One obvious change is that we came here with two children, and gained a third during our first year of service.

On the whole I am agreeably surprised that I am still here. I entered the ministry acutely conscious that better men than I had left churches after brief and unhappy settlements. Others had seen productive ministries unravel almost overnight. Who was to blame? The pastor, the church or some combination of factors? Anyway, I have always thought it likely that you would find me out sooner or later. You are either very gullible or very patient. Certainly our covenant God is very gracious.

In some respects, this church has changed in the meantime. Certain familiar faces are no longer seen among us. In part, this is because the ranks have been thinned by death as valued friends have been taken from us, transferring their membership from the church militant here on earth to the church triumphant in heaven. I knew when I first came that, all things being equal, I would soon grow to love certain people only to have to bury them in due course. Others have moved to other parts of the country and some now live abroad. There has also been the sadness of seeing some put their hand to the plough, only to glance backward and then turn out of the gospel furrow altogether.

On the other hand, the church has been enriched by new arrivals. Some came to work; others to study; all have proved welcome additions. Twenty-five church members called me to this congregation. Certainly the church is larger now than it was then and although progress has not been uniform, when allowance is made for the church plant project the general trend has been upwards. All of this has been gratifying and gives us much cause for gratitude to God. Nevertheless, I still find myself fretting over a number of things. What can I do to inject greater evangelistic drive and impetus? This city is a Niagara of human souls pouring in a huge cataract over the brink into eternity. What can I do to encourage a greater sense of dependence on God that will lead to a more consistently fervent corporate prayer life? And how do I square the difficult circle of being loyal to the faith of our fathers without being stuck in a time warp? And how do I exercise a ministry that is truly contemporary on the one hand without becoming shallow and cheap on the other?

Most of my ministerial frustrations are to do with myself. The temptations I grapple with today are the same ones which troubled me when I first came here. I do not feel an inch more sanctified or an ounce more holy, but I often feel battle-weary. I could not now do anything else for a living, but am constantly troubled by the thought that I do not actually do it all that well. A tenth anniversary provides me with an opportunity to offer the church here my heartfelt thanks. First of all, I still cannot get over your original invitation to come and be your teacher in the things of God. That in itself is a high compliment. Although it demands more than I can give, it is a lovely job. After all, I am brought face to face with the Scriptures on a frequent basis and have regular opportunities to commend a supremely attractive Saviour to the world at large. On my first visit to you, I noticed that the congregation listened well. I am pleased that this is still the case. It is one reason why I feel that I have found my niche here. It is a congenial environment for a man who wants to serve the Lord as a preacher.

I am also grateful that you have allowed me to be myself. All too many pastors are made painfully aware of the fact that they are continually failing to meet the expectations of different segments of their congregations. By and large, that has not been my experience. My own conscience can be a hard taskmaster, but you folks let me off comparatively lightly. Nobody has attempted to force me into a mould that I do not fit.

In the same breath, I am grateful for your treatment of my wife. Whenever I talk with men under consideration for pastorates I say: 'Make sure you find out exactly what they expect of your wife.' Some churches have wholly unreasonable expectations. You, by contrast, have allowed her to find her own niche as a church member. In the same way, some congregations seem to think that 'preachers' children' ought to have a special dispensation, which exempts them from the effects of the Fall. My children have been allowed to get on with being boys without the added burden of having to live up to an unrealistic ideal of impossibly stringent piety. I am very grateful! I must add that the family have stood by me simply by being themselves. If I have achieved anything in my time among you, they deserve your thanks for keeping my sense of proportion reasonably intact.

Incidentally, I might add that I have always felt that I have had a square deal in financial terms. Throughout my time here the church has made a yeoman effort to manage its support for me along biblical lines. No minister of my acquaintance lives in the lap of luxury but some have the added burden of feeling that their churches are not really trying all that hard. You folks have done everything within your means to provide a decent level of maintenance for your pastor and it is very much to your credit.

You have also been generous in allowing me to serve the wider church in a variety of ways. When I first came here I never expected commitments to mushroom in the way they have. I expected to remain anonymous, buried in provincial obscurity for the foreseeable future. When I am fit and feeling on top of things, I actively enjoy being involved up to the hilt. Equally, I often feel that I am slowly sinking in a quicksand made of committees, paper and correspondence. Nevertheless, on balance, I feel that it is good for the church to be involved, through me, in support for the Christian organisations which I have been called to help with. Believe it or not, I do sometimes say 'no' to invitations and am trying to do it with more firmness and frequency.

I have taken a lot of pleasure from the way that the church plant has made progress since its inception. Ten years ago, if anyone had predicted that a new church would be emerging in a nearby area, I would not have believed it — and to think that this outreach has been sponsored by a church which was itself just over ten years old! Let us ask the Lord to give us a sense of vision. Where next? Some other town nearby?

At my induction service, I said that I would like to be like Bunyan's portrait of a gospel minister. Do you remember him?

A very grave person ... He had eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books was in his hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind his back. He stood as if he pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over his head.

Only you can gauge whether I have come even close to resembling this ideal. One thing I can say is that ten years down the road, if you will still have me, I am still willing to try.