Greetings from Bishop Gilbert Filter (Cape Town, South Africa)

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)

Dear Rev. H. Siebert,
on this day of your induction as Director of the ELM, I greet you and the ELM community with
the watchword for Pentecost.
What a wonderful reminder that, in being called into servant leadership, you are not alone in
this calling. The Lord is with you; He fills and guides you as you serve in and through His body,
the Church.
Servant leadership is not about might or power, but about serving God's people and His
creation with a caring heart as they live in a broken world. The ELM has served in this way
over many decades and has reached many nations, bringing hope and peace to people. There
have been moments where reliance on might and power has failed, yet these have led the
ministry back to the realisation that we are called to serve with love and care, and to bring joy,
peace, restoration, and reconciliation.
May the ELM continue to grow in vision and servant leadership as you, together with your
team and partner churches, discern what God is calling His Church to be in an ever-changing
world.
We value our partnership with the ELM and look forward to journeying together.
Heartfelt greetings from Cape Town, South Africa.

Kind regards
Gilbert Filter
Bishop