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Greenidge, Lessard Yielding Worship Leader Roles

CHICAGO, IL (September 30, 2005) - When Paul Lessard and Henry Greenidge led worship at numerous national Evangelical Covenant Church events, part of their preparation discussions invariably would include how to transition through the worship experience.

These days, the two men are considering their own transitions as they cede the leadership that has inspired thousands since 1998 at ministers' conferences, annual meetings and The Feast. It's time, they say, to let younger leadership rise up as well as for the two to follow where God is leading them next.

"This next generation needs to be invited in," says Lessard. As they have led worship over the years, they have been mentoring those who have played alongside them to take the reigns. Some, such as Daniel Martinez and Daniel Sesay, already have begun leading worship at major Covenant events, Lessard notes.

Lessard says he has enjoyed planning the worship services and seeing the fruits of the labor when everyone is gathered together. "You're planning for two months ahead," he says. "Intellectually you know who is going to be there, but you never know how the Spirit will lead."

Lessard says Greenidge, pastor of Irvington Covenant Church in Portland, Oregon, has been the "pastor emeritus" of the worship teams. "He has been the guiding spirit." Lessard says Greenidge has a gift for sensing what the Holy Spirit has been doing in the service "and then moving the service in that direction in ways that may not have been planned."

Now the two men say that they are being guided in different directions. "I definitely feel like I'm in the in-between place," says Lessard, who is the pastor of Hope Community Covenant Church in Strathmore, Alberta, but is now preparing to accept new responsibilities as the new executive vice president of Covenant Bible College. (To read more of that change, please see Lessard. He has helped guide Covenanters in worship at one level or another since traveling with Heartsong in 1980. He also was the executive director of Covenant Bible College-Colorado prior to accepting the pastorate at Hope Covenant.

Greenidge is helping to plan a gathering of pastors who lead Covenant multi-ethnic congregations. Details of the gathering in November are being finalized, but Greenidge will be working with the pastors in the area of planning multi-ethnic worship.

"I think it's a large theological issue," says Greenidge. "North American Christianity has existed in outright sin and rebellion" when churches do not reflect the multi-ethnic diversity.

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