The coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on the many churches who were looking to appoint a new pastor earlier this year. Yet in Jersey, there is a story of God’s provision at just the right time:
Quennevais Evangelical Church (QEC) called Leon Coates to be their pastor on 8 March. Leon was formerly Assistant Pastor at Dewsbury Evangelical Church in West Yorkshire, some 380 miles away, so a visit was arranged for the whole family.
They arrived on 12 March for the weekend but, having stayed a week longer to support the church, the UK then went into full lockdown.
It was clear the virus wasn’t going away any time soon, so the elders at both Dewsbury and Quennevais agreed with Leon to move the start date from September to begin immediately! An answer to prayer that arrived at the perfect time.
‘Straight away I was able to provide online services from the church, including the midweek prayer meeting. It was encouraging for people at QEC that I was there with them in Jersey – streaming from the church building itself’ said Leon.
He was also able to mail out services on a CD to those without Internet access and to take shopping to those that were in self-isolation.
‘The most difficult part was not being able to mix with people. When you move to a new place you just want to get stuck in – having people over for dinner and going to theirs. But we could do none of that,’ he said.
Yet God was still working in the situation.
‘It has been a great blessing to be here for the people of QEC, to keep pointing them to the Saviour during this time, when otherwise they may have struggled for pastoral direction,’ Leon explained.
It’s an encouraging example of two FIEC churches partnering together for the gospel.
The role of pastor was seen as essential by the Government of Jersey so the church in Dewsbury was able to oversee the delivery of the Coates family’s possessions from Yorkshire to Jersey to complete the move.
A joint service between the two churches was held in May – hosted on Zoom of course – to officially induct Leon as pastor.
Leon remembered: ‘This was such a joyful occasion, recognising the Lord’s timing in all of this. While we were sad to leave Dewsbury, it has been evident to all of us that this was where the Lord wanted us, and now’.
In a unique time to become the new pastor of a church, Leon shared two positives to take from the lockdown:
‘There have been people tuning in online that would probably never come to church otherwise. We pray the Lord saves them.
‘Lockdown has also forced us to think hard about what church is and how to do it in the current environment. I’m not saying it has changed – Scripture remains the same on this – but we pray that the Lord would purify His church through this process.’
