Nathan E. Lewis

Several years ago, Cris and Margaret Simpson and their two children joined Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, Oregon. Both of them plugged into the ministries of the church. Soon it became clear to many of us that Cris is a gifted teacher. (At Evergreen we encourage every member to use his/her gifts to serve in the name of Christ. We do not consider the gift of teaching or the office of pastor to be more desirable than any other gift or office.) It just so happens that Cris has the gifts and personal skills to make a fine teacher and a good pastor. Our congregation nominated Cris for the office of ruling elder and after a year of training and prayerful consideration we ordained him an elder. For several years he has proved himself to be a faithful servant of the church.
After much prayer and planning, Cris decided to resign from his job at Intel and enter seminary. He applied and was accepted to study at Westminster Theological Seminary near Philadelphia. This summer the four Simpsons drove cross-country to their new home and Cris began daily Greek classes this August. The congregation of Evergreen already sorely misses Cris, Margaret and their children. However, we are delighted that one among us has risen to this calling, preparing for the ministry of the gospel. We are praying and hoping that Cris would return to help us in the Oregon Mission. Not only is Cris a gift to us from God, but we consider him to be our gift to the world, to some congregation, or school or community someplace in need of his gifts.
Please pray for Cris and his family and help us look for the right leads for his future placement.