By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC
Our 135th Annual Meeting last week in Bellingham filled me with renewed hope.
We are living in a time where uncertainty and division seem to press in from every side. The world aches with grief, fear, and a longing for something steady, solid and dependable. It would be easy, even understandable, for the Church to retreat—diminished by discouragement, distracted by conflict, or silenced by fatigue. We are human after all.
But that is not who we are.
Our 69 churches are not merely groups of people who gather on Sundays. We are the living body of Christ in the world—a people formed by grace, anchored in love, and commissioned for hope. We were never promised easy days. What we were promised is the very presence of the Holy Spirit, the victory of the cross and a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Now is not the time to dim our light. It is the time to shine.
Our calling is not to mirror the anxiety of the world, but to proclaim the peace of Christ. Our role is not to echo despair, but to radiate resurrection hope. While the culture grows weary, we grow deeper in prayer. While trust erodes, we show up with integrity. While isolation spreads, we build community. This is how the Church thrives—not in comfort, but in witness.
The darker the night, the more visible the light.
Let us be a people who refuse to be defined by what is broken, and instead be known by Jesus’ renewing work. Let us not merely survive these days, but embody the hope of Jesus in the middle of them. Let us act justly and love mercy as we walk humbly. Let us not be diminished by the headlines, but emboldened by the gospel.
Hope is not just an idea we carry—it is a power we live. It is the story we tell with our lives, our worship, our generosity, and our love. Hope doesn’t deny hardship; it declares that hardship doesn’t have the last word. Let’s remember to always hold onto Paul’s trinity of taproots he gives us in 1 Corinthians 13:13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
I ended my superintendent’s report citing this Gallup Poll that found what people want most from their leaders. Significantly more than trust, compassion and stability, people wanted hope. I surely need it. And we know that Jesus is our blessed hope. He is the Light in the darkness.
As we heard stories of changed lives, churches involved in their communities, a new member church in Boise, our children and youth catching fire, awakening and revival growing…I am filled with renewed hope.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25 NIV)
PacNWC 2025 Annual Meeting Highlights:
PacNWC 2025 Annual Meeting Resources Page:
- Annual Meeting Report
- Annual Meeting Agenda
- Superintendent Greg Yee’s Report Slides
- Superintendent Greg Yee’s Letter to Churches
- President Tammy Swanson-Draheim’s Letter to Churches
- PacNWC Constitution and Bylaws
- Annual Meeting Virtual Ministry Fair
- 135th Annual Meeting Recording