These notes were sent together in an e-mail to the Doulos family on August 30, 2022! In case you are not on our e-mail list or missed the e-mail that day, we wanted to put them here for you to read!
We pray that you will be encouraged as we continue to work together to empower the indigenous to take the gospel to the ends of the earth!
A Note from David
Good morning, Doulos family.
I write this note to you with a touch of a heavy heart and yet with genuine excitement. Josh Clarke let me know his intent to leave Doulos on Tuesday, August 23rd, to become the Missions Pastor at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. We have walked through this process together and I have total confidence that Josh and Courtney both feel that this is the next phase of ministry that Jesus has for them and their family.
One of the things that I have come to expect over my 66 years is change. In the Christian journey, the Lord asks us to do things that require great faith, even if it does not always make sense. That is certainly part of Josh’s story, which is below for you to read. I am excited for him as he starts this new journey and look forward to the ways that Doulos, Shades Mountain, and the Clarkes can continue to serve together.
Just to put your minds at ease, there are zero problems in the Doulos camp and you guys can talk to either of us at any time. Josh and I are as close today as ever and there are no relational or professional issues between the two of us. Change does not always come in this kind of harmony, but it truly is the case with us. His last day at Doulos will be September the 30th.
Thank you for your incredible generosity through your giving, praying, leveraging relationships and going to the field. Josh and I have so loved serving side by side together and with you. Please be in prayer for the entire Clarke family as they embark on this new calling.
Yours and His,
A Note from Josh
To My Doulos Family,
A little over six years ago, the Lord ordained a conversation with David Johnson and allowed me to join the incredible team at Doulos Partners! It has been one of the greatest joys to serve alongside you as we worked together to empower indigenous leaders worldwide to take the gospel further and faster to the ends of the earth! I have seen God’s hand move in ways that I could have never expected and witnessed, firsthand, the miraculous every single day. You have prayed for us, celebrated with us, overwhelmed us with your generosity, and encouraged us with your friendship. Through it all, you have shown me exactly what it means to be a part of the body of Christ!
One of the hardest lessons I have learned from Scripture is that there is a season for everything under the sun. As we serve a God who calls, equips, and sends- I am currently living out that seasonal change even as I write this note to you. God has brought to close this current season of service with Doulos as He has placed a clear call on my life and our family into a new season of ministry. Over the last couple of months, we were invited to engage in a season of prayer for the possibility of joining our local church as their Missions Pastor. As Courtney and I prayed through that unexpected invitation, the Lord began to draw us deeper into the conversation of what He could have next for us. As we went before the Lord, sought wise counsel, and went through the interview process, it became abundantly clear that He was calling us to this new position and season in ministry. A significant moment for us in this process was sitting in a church a few weeks ago in Honduras with one of our ministry partners. After I had finished speaking to a group of local pastors, our leader for Honduras stepped up to begin training on a new initiative to mobilize local churches and equip their members to go into the local neighborhoods to pray for the people, share the good news of the gospel and invite them to be a part of the local body. As he was going through the training and challenging them to take hold of the Great Commission, the Holy Spirit washed over me as I realized that this was what I had been invited to be a part of right here at our home church.
So what is next? I will be serving the Kingdom as Missions Pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church here in Birmingham! I will be following the call that God placed on my life over two decades ago into a new season of mobilizing, equipping, sending, and helping people live out the Great Commission in their everyday lives so that every person in every place gets to hear the gospel! One of the many exciting parts for me is that my work with Doulos isn’t ending, it is just taking on a new look in a new season. I look forward to building on my relationships with Doulos and our ministry partners through this new role as we link arms together for the advancement of the Kingdom. Because eternity really does hang in the balance, and there are still people who need to hear the good news that Jesus saves!
I want to challenge you as I have for the last six years- to pray for God to move as He draws people unto Himself for salvation, continue to be a part of what God is doing around the world by empowering the indigenous, and remember that you are the indigenous right where you are, so share the gospel boldly every chance you get!
Know that I am praying for you now and in the days ahead! Should you need me at any point, I am always only a phone call away!
For His Glory,
