On Sunday, April 16 as part of the morning gathering, we shared some news from our elders on behalf of Pastor Wally…
We’ve been inviting you to join in a celebration of Wally’s ministry to and among us this Saturday, April 22 as his time on pastoral staff is coming to a close and we want to honour him, thank God for the investment he has made in us. We are asking you to sign up online or in app and register to bring a dessert or fruit.
We’ve also been asking you to pray for Wally as he seeks what is next for him in terms of vocational work. Wally and Sylvia have chosen to stay at JRCC as part of this church body for the time being after his duties on the pastoral team have stopped.
Today we are asking you to pray for Wally, Sylvia and their family in a special way because of a new health concern that Wally is walking through. He has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called paraganglioma. He has a tumor in my abdomen that requires surgery. We as Elders are committed to caring well for Wally throughout this health journey and part of this involves ensuring that he has time for the rounds of testing and treatment that will begin in earnest in May. So his last Sunday actively at work will be April 30" and then he will be on medical leave.
The immediate prayer requests are for the upcoming test to determine if his cancer has spread and what surgery will entail. Also prayer for the speed of setting the surgery date. And prayer for peace and provision for their family as they navigate this. James 5:14 calls us to action in this space when it says, “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.” So we will do this on behalf of the church this morning and we invite you to stretch out your hand as a sign of connection with Wally and join us in prayer for his healing.
(You can watch the video online here)
