Tuesday of this week I had the privilege of taking the train to Baltimore for a partners meeting with The Gallery Church Baltimore. It is hard to believe that a church that is still in church plant mode itself could be instrumental in planting another church, but that is exactly what The Gallery Church of Manhattan has done. Church Planter Ellis Prince and his wife Ginger along with their kids moved to NYC for about six months for training and have now been in Baltimore about 9 months planting The Gallery Church Baltimore. Ellis is a man’s man yet with visible compassion for the people of Baltimore. God has already begun to establish the work of their hands in a variety of wonderful ways. It was thrilling to sit in TGCB’s partner meeting Tuesday hearing testimonies and updates at what God was already doing. It is amazing what God does, when a group of people commits to living for the glory of God, the advancement of the gospel, and the good of a city while persevering through whatever comes their way. It takes missionary resolve. God has granted Ellis and his team just that as he shared at their partner meeting,
“We have had vehicles broken into, bikes and scooters stolen, home windows smashed, children rushed to the hospital because a junkie left a needle in a play area, people shot outside our homes, drugs sold from our steps, work environments from the gates of hell, and marriages challenged…our team has weathered and is weathering these types of storms.”
Maybe you are considering planting your life in a strategic urban center like Baltimore or New York. Pray that God will give you missionary resolve like Ellis and his team in Baltimore have. Should we expect better treatment than our master?