News Hope Weekly 7/18/18

Dateline: Minneapolis

This week marks the 13th anniversary of my ordination as a minister and installation as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church. Not only have I served the church longer than any other place of vocation, I have been a pastor longer than any other occupation in my life. I am so thankful to our great God for this opportunity and look forward to many more years in this calling.

I remember asking Wayne Bandy (the director of missions at the time of my ordination) why the council chose to ordain someone like me, who had no experience or education. Wayne told me that the council agreed that although I lacked education and experience, I had potential.

Over the past 13 years I have participated in over 100 baptisms and professions of faith, written around 1000 sermons, preached to thousands of people at dozens of churches in several states, hosted over 2000 people on mission trips and went on 3 mission trips, completed 4 Bible college diplomas; 2 college degrees; 3 seminary degrees; and 7 college certificates (I call myself a "re-purposed" high school dropout), I have witnessed several of our adult church members complete college and seminary degrees and teenagers go from high school volunteers to college graduates, I taught half a dozen classes for MBTS as a guest instructor, planted 2 churches and sponsored a third, memorized 10 books of the Bible (okay, the 10 shortest books, but 10 books nonetheless), written dozens of songs for the church, served the city of Minneapolis as board chair of the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization, I got married to a Proverbs 31 woman I met in church, and we have a son who loves Jesus.

I know the previous paragraph may seem self-aggrandizing but that is not my intent. I bring those highlights up because 13 years ago a church and an ordination council took a chance on me....By the way, I truly believe it was a chance no other church or ordination council in the world would have taken. Because that chance was taken, I have been blessed to experience all these highlights and many, many more. For this I say thank you! To God and to God's people; Thank you for giving me a chance.

I also ask that each and every one of us would seek to see the potential in others. There are people in our churches who need chances, too.

I want to put special emphasis on the main thing I have learned over the past 13 years- The mission is God's and we just "work here"(the church could and/or would and/or should go on with or without any one of us). I have experienced our church survive seemingly impossible situations and persist despite the odds against her.... many, many, many times. The church is indeed the Bride of Christ. He will protect and provide for her. Jesus Christ is our reason, resource, refuge, and redeemer.