Steve McElroy

 

Who am I?      I am Rev. Steve McElroy.  Lori and I have been married since 1982 and we have two boys, Ben (born in 1989) and Josh (born in 1991).  I was appointed to my first church in 1987 and was appointed to Christ Church in 2006.  I am a graduate of Asbury college were I received a BA in Bible.  I am also a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary were I received a Masters of Divinity Degree.  I have extensive training in new church development and had the privilege of founding a church.

 

What do I do at Christ Church?        As Senior Pastor I am responsible for developing all of the worship services at the church.  I have a talented staff that assists me in accomplishing this task.  I preach the sermons during the three morning services a majority of the time. I rely on my associates to help me develop and lead worship at these services as well as their help with preaching at the evening service and the out door service held on the village green.    I perform weddings, funerals, baptisms, visit the sick and counsel hurting and confused people.   I am also the pastor who is responsible for making sure the administrative duties of the church are accomplished.  I guide and mentor the staff, develop new ministries, keep on eye on finances, and make sure our facilities are maintained.  I am also the pastor responsible for casting the vision for our church and for setting the theological tone.  Beyond Christ Church, I have many responsibilities within the broader United Methodist Church.

 

Something interesting about me is:   I love the beauty of God's creation and my desire to see it unfold has lead to several hobbies.  I love to walk in the woods and try to journey down one of my favorite trails as often as I can.  I enjoy the ocean and love paddling through the waves on my kayak and delight in the quite freedom of a small sailboat.  I also love to garden and have created waterfalls, ponds, outdoor rooms full of flowers and planted more trees than I can count.  My confession is that I do not take near enough time with any of these things that I love.

 

My favorite Bible passage is: During this past year I have meditated more on First Corinthians chapter thirteen than any other passage.  These poetic words are most often read at weddings and are referred to as the "love" chapter.  But the thing that strikes me most as I read these words are the comparisons and contrasts between love and other good things.  "If I speak in the tongues of men and angels" - "If I can fathom all mysteries" - "If I give all I posses to the poor" - but have not love, I am nothing.

We here in Chapel Hill, North Carolina are generally well spoken, intelligent and giving people.  But the scripture tells us that all of the attributes we posses must be infused with God's love in order to have any meaning at all.  This passage reminds us that the real answers to the conundrums of life are found in the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus.