Pastor
Brian Gilroy,
High Prairie
Church of the
Nazarene.

As many of you know by now, my family and I are leaving High Prairie and moving to a church in the Maritimes.
It is an exceedingly difficult thing to do as we have invested ourselves in this community over eight years. You cannot invest yourself to the degree that we have and just walk away.
When I read the letters of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament and the Book of Acts in the Bible, I literally feel the pain and sorrow and yet at the same time the depth of his agape love for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
As with the Apostle Paul, my decisions and actions at times have been misunderstood, while some have taken issue with my stands [especially as a town councillor] yet throughout this time I have sought out God’s guidance in order to do my best in glorifying God in High Prairie and Big Lakes County.
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” [Colossians 3:16-17]
I have spent countless nights over the past eight years weeping and praying for those who live and work in High Prairie and Big Lakes County. I have prayed for both those who have been supportive of my ministry and for those who have either been opposed to my ministry or ignored it altogether.
It has been my soul desire to see the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ profoundly change each one of your lives – giving you hope, forgiveness, peace, healing, and a bright future instead of you focusing on the temporary values that are prominent within our society.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Messiah, and Risen Lord came to earth to die on the cross of Calvary that you might live eternally and not be afraid at the judgment seat one day. He had to die to pay a price for our sin that all the good works that we could do would never be able to pay for.
“How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our carry us away like the wind.” – Isaiah 64:5b-6.
Just as God does not want anyone to die in their sinful state and live an eternity separate from Him – neither do I. That is the reason I wrote faithfully in this column, I preached faithfully at the Church of the Nazarene in High Prairie; I served as a volunteer chaplain at the hospital and J.B. Wood; and the reason I served as a town councillor. I tried to set an example for you that showed that Christianity is all about a restored relationship with God and that life does not need to be dull or boring but that in the words of Jesus could be full and abundant.
Truth is we will all see each other in heaven at the judgment seat but it is my desire to spend eternity with you in God’s presence as a forgiven and redeemed person. God’s grace is available to everyone but is applicable to only those who believe and receive God’s grace.
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God — children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.” [John 1:11-13]
Please do not let anyone deceive you.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9]
As much as our family is heartbroken to leave High Prairie and Big Lakes County, it would be an even greater and deeper heartbreak to not see you in heaven one day. It is as easy as A,B,C to totally change your life.
A – Acknowledge your need for Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.
B – Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins – to pay the price that you can never pay.
C – Commit to a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Saviour, and Messiah.
Goodbye is not forever! We look forward to seeing you if not again in this lifetime, then in God’s presence.