Pastor

Some may say, “He didn’t have a choice. He was destined to be a preacher.” Third generation Apostolic Pentecostal, the family converted in 1948, the Apostolic Pentecostal lifestyle being all I ever knew may seem to put me on course to minister. But I did have a choice as we all do. And when I was 15 years old, I made the right choice. I wanted to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and the infilling of the Holy Ghost obliged me in that endeavor. The next 18 years were spent learning, growing and working for God in my home church. From prison ministry to nursing home, youth work to Bible Studies, the work of God was paramount. The life of a Christian was turning out to be a terrific and incredible experience!

 

In November 1996, at the age that Jesus was completing His ministry, 33 years old, I was beginning my pastoral ministry. Pastoring has revealed God to me in unimaginable ways. Mercy and grace, compassion and long-suffering, awesome and powerful, miraculous and mind-blowing!

 

Upon a life-changing encounter, John Newton, a slave ship captain of the 17th century, penned the words to a time-honored hymnal. He could have borrowed from the great English playwright of the day, William Shakespeare. He could have sought a recommendation from wordsmiths of the era. Instead, he carefully chose a word to accompany his song about grace – AMAZING!

 

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…. That is how I feel about this God I serve, the life I live, the blessings bestowed upon me -AMAZING! I serve an amazing God! I have amazing children! I am surrounded by amazing people! I pastor an amazing church! I live in an amazing time in an amazing region! I am on the cusp of an amazing revival! The word may not have the same impact on someone else. The dictionary may fail to provide an adequate definition as te relates to my life. But to me it is carefully selected and appropriately applied. All I have from God is nothing short of AMAZING!