Remembering November 5, 1990

Here is a note I wrote in our November church newsletter about my pastoral anniversary.

It was a Monday night. It was a church business meeting. It was a vote to decide my father’s successor. These were all good reasons for me go to bed early, as I had planned. But I decided to go to the meeting anyway. I had even determined the person I was going to vote for that night. Several hours later, I left the meeting as the newly elected pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. I was only 17-years-old. I was in the senior year of high school. I was absolutely clueless about what the next seventeen years of my life would bring. But here I am, by the grace of God.

At this point, I have served as pastor of MSMBC for more than half of my life. This is literally the only job I have ever had! And I praise the Lord for it. After my salvation and my family, I am most grateful to God for giving me the privilege of serving this wonderful congregation. If God wills, we will celebrate together these seventeen years God has blessed us to serve him together as pastor and people next month (12/7 & 9).

I pray that the Lord will bless this time of celebration to strengthen and encourage us for the coming days of ministry. May the Lord grant us the most fruitful season of ministry this congregation to the glory of God. And continue to pray that God will make me into the man that I need to be to lead this congregation both to and at its next season of growth and fruitfulness.