有人曾說過：「只要有兩三個人聚在一起，就一定會有衝突。」當我回望十多年的牧會旅程，心裡有一個很深的體會——教會的成長，總伴隨著張力。從三年多前剛來到多倫多，到今天我們的教會已經接近四百人，大多數弟兄姊妹都是近幾年加入的。這是神極大的恩典，但同時也是一份不小的挑戰。這幾年，我聽過不少弟兄姊妹分享他們過往的教會經歷，有人因為人事問題離開，也有人因為衝突、誤會、溝通不暢而受傷。當他們帶著盼望加入恩泉家，希望重新出發時，我向他們發出一個問題：我們如何避免過去的經歷在這裡重演？
尼希米在重建城牆時面對百姓埋怨，保羅和巴拿巴也因分歧而分開。衝突本身不是罪，逃避衝突才是危險。衝突是一面鏡子，讓我們看見自己的驕傲、恐懼與有限。如果我們願意讓神在其中作工，衝突可以被轉化成祝福。我們的語言、文化、價值觀都不同。有人重視效率，有人重視關係；有人想快點行動，有人希望多些禱告和討論。有時，我們會在資源分配、時間安排上有不同意見，但重點不是沒有分歧，而是我們願不願意在分歧中仍彼此相愛、仍同心尋求祂的旨意。神看重的不是進度，而是我們的心是否合一。
記得有位弟兄曾對我說：「牧師，我最感動的，不是教會多成功，而是看到有不同意見的人，仍能一起禱告、一起服事。」這句話我一直放在心裡。這就是教會的見證——不是沒有張力，而是在張力中選擇愛，在分歧中仍堅守合一。每一次衝突，讓我們都學會先安靜，問神：「主啊，祢要我學什麼？」有時神叫我們放慢腳步，有時祂叫我們聽多一點，有時祂要我們勇敢說真話。每一次衝突，都成為我靈命成長的土壤。
弟兄姊妹，我深信教會的成熟，不在於我們多快完成建堂，而在於我們是否在過程中更像基督。衝突會讓我們流淚，但也讓我們學會謙卑；張力會讓我們疲憊，但也讓我們更深倚靠神。教會的力量，不在於財力，而在於合一；教會的榮耀，不在於建築，而在於神的同在。願我們的教會在衝突中被更新，在建堂的歷程裡，成為神榮耀的見證，成為多福市這地的一道清泉，流出生命、真理與愛的祝福。
Choosing Love in the Midst of Tension
Someone once said, “Whenever two or three people gather together, there will be conflict.” As I look back on more than a decade of pastoral ministry, I’ve come to deeply realize that church growth always comes with tension. When I first arrived in Toronto just over three years ago, our congregation was still small. Today, by God’s grace, SGBC has grown to nearly four hundred people—most of whom joined within the past few years. This is an incredible blessing, but it also brings significant challenges. Over the years, I’ve listened to many brothers and sisters share their past church experiences. Some left because of relational conflicts; others were hurt by misunderstandings or poor communication. When they joined our church family, filled with hope and a desire for a fresh start, I often found myself asking: How can we avoid repeating the same painful patterns here?
Nehemiah faced complaints and opposition as he rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas parted ways because of their differences. Conflict itself is not sin—avoiding conflict can be far more dangerous. Conflict is like a mirror that reveals our pride, fear, and limitations. Yet when we allow God to work through it, conflict can be transformed into blessing. We come from diverse backgrounds—with different languages, cultures, and values. Some of us prioritize efficiency; others prioritize relationships. Some like to act quickly; others prefer more prayer and discussion. At times, we may disagree over how to allocate resources or plan ministry schedules. But the key issue is not whether we have differences—it’s whether we are willing to love one another and seek God’s will together even in those differences. God is far more concerned about the unity of our hearts than the speed of our progress.
I once heard a brother say to me, “Pastor, what touches me most about our church is not how successful we are, but that people with different opinions can still pray and serve together.” I’ve carried that sentence in my heart ever since. That is the true testimony of the church—not the absence of tension, but the choice to love in the midst of it; not the absence of disagreement, but the commitment to unity despite it. Each conflict invites me to first be still and ask, “Lord, what do You want me to learn?” Sometimes God tells me to slow down. Sometimes He reminds me to listen more. Sometimes He calls me to speak truth with courage. Every conflict becomes the soil where my spiritual growth takes root.
Brothers and sisters, I truly believe that the maturity of our church is not measured by how quickly we complete the building project, but by how much we grow to resemble Christ along the way. Conflict may bring tears, but it also teaches us humility. Tension may wear us out, but it draws us deeper into dependence on God. The strength of the church does not lie in its finances, but in its unity. The glory of the church is not found in its building, but in the presence of God among us. May our church be renewed through every moment of tension and conflict. And as we move forward in the journey of building God’s house, may SGBC become a living testimony of His glory—a spring of living water flowing through Stouffville, bringing life, truth, and love to our city and beyond.