1 November 2018 | St Albans, UK [Victor Hulbert]
David Neal, Stewardship director for the Trans-European Division, today accepted a call to serve as Editor of the Stanborough Press, effective 1 January 2019. He follows in a long line of editors, the most recent, David Marshall and Julian Hibbert, who have impacted the lives of church members and the public, both in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and within the many countries and partnerships that the Press has around the world.
Pastor Neal joined the Trans-European Division in September 2016 having previously served as Irish Mission president, South England Conference Youth director, and as a district pastor. He has brought to the job a level of pastoral care and enthusiasm that, over the past two years has endeared him both to staff in the TED office, but also to members and leaders of the 22 countries that make up the TED. His consistent theme, ‘Faithful Stewardship, more than a merely optional Christian Grace’, has helped inspire a growth in commitment over the period, evidenced in practical terms by a 7 percent tithe increase across the Division to date.
“To serve in Stewardship Ministries has broadened, and deepened my interest in Christian discipleship,” Neal reflected as his change of role was voted by the TED on Thursday, 1 November. It has also broadened his horizons and his vision for service. “To serve and work with the Trans-European Division leadership team: Raafat Kamal, Audrey Andersson and Nenad Jepuranović, has shown me excellence in leadership. I will be sorry to leave the TED family, both in the office and the new friends I have made in Europe,” he stated.
During his time at the TED he encouraged positive Stewardship values using training programmes, enhancing the 1st quarter 2018 Sabbath School lesson, developing web pages and a blog. He may particularly be remembered for the innovative ‘Permission to Dream’ video clips that he developed for the European Pastors’ Council this summer.
Pastor Neal shares Stewardship principles during the 2018 European Pastors’s Council
“Pastor Neal has given extraordinary service developing Stewardship Ministries across the Division,” Raafat Kamal, TED president, stated. “We are grateful for his contribution, and though we are sad to see him go, we can fully understand why the Stanborough Press have made this call. His writing skills, his world view, and his incisive mind will undoubtedly be a missional blessing to the church.”
Writing on behalf of the Stanborough Press senior management, Julian Hibbert notes that Pastor Neal has “extensive pastoral, departmental and administrative experience, top-notch interpersonal skills and a deep passion for mission. We are confident that he will do a fine job as MESSENGER and FOCUS editor, along with the other editorial responsibilities that will make up his job description.”
Planning for the future
Looking to the future, Neal expands, “a wonderful opportunity has arisen to share the Gospel through the printed word, to both an internal and external audience, specifically through the pages of MESSENGER and as Editor of The Stanborough Press. As I reflect on this new assignment, I see it clearly as a pastoral role, helping the reader to grow in faith with the Lord. Whatever the nature of the content, I pray for three messages to shine through and inspire every reader, every edition:
1. Our story is His story.
2. That in our church, everyone can say, “there is a place for me.”
3. There is a bright future for the Adventist movement in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Neal has already met with the Stanborough Press leadership team and the TED vote today is the final step after his name was approved by both the British Union Executive Committee and the Stanborough Press board.
A
s he and his wife, Marci, move from St Albans to a new future in Grantham together, Neal expressed how much he is looking forward to joining the Stanborough Press team. “It’s quickly dawning on me that to publish MESSENGER and produce books that inform and engage, takes a committed, creative and devoted team. Under the leadership of Elisabeth Sanguesa, I hope that I can contribute to help the Stanborough Press brand grow from strength to strength.
Let me also pay tribute to the current MESSENGER Editor, Julian Hibbert, who will be retiring in March 2019 at the end of almost nine years as editor. I am thankful for the privilege of getting to work alongside him for three months to learn the intricate details of the job, help which will be invaluable, and fun!”
On behalf of the entire TED family, we wish Pastor Neal God’s richest blessings as he moves into this new area of service.
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, editor; Sajitha Forde-Ralph, associate editor
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tedNEWS is an information bulletin issued by the communication department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European Division. Readers are free to republish or share this article with appropriate credit including an active hyperlink to the original article.
