Our Sunday School lesson this morning was titled "The Call To Service."This lesson was looking at the issue of all Christians being called to do something and not just focusing on preachers, evangelists, and missionaries. Even considering that, I think that - considering his own calls throughout the course of his years of ministry - my Dad was very qualified to teach this lesson. I may be a bit biased, but, so be it!
After having served for quite a few years in the role of an assistant pastor(at the Lewistown God's Missionary Church), Sunday School teacher, fill-in minister, and nursing home ministry (which he feels was a call in itself) - he felt that God was leading him to step out into the area of being a pastor.
Let me point out here that there was no human reason for him to do this. He had a good job and was being offered a better job within the factory where he was working (the same factory where I am now working).
In the spring of 1988 we started going out for "trial services" (a very appropriate name!) in different churches.
To make a long story short, in July of 1988, we moved to Berwick, PA to pastor the God's Missionary Church there after God very clearly told Dad that's where he should go.
In 1996, after eight years at Berwick, God asked Dad if he would go to Lewistown to pastor. Dad, not knowing that the church at Lewistown even needed a pastor said yes. The condition that he eventually put on this agreement was that the people at Lewistown had to come to him - which happened a few months later!
Suffice it to say - in July of 1996, we moved back to Lewistown to pastor our former home church. This, despite our Conference General Superintendant's assuring the Lewistown people that Dad wouldn't leave Berwick!
Hopefully, after reading this, you can get a little bit of an idea - even though I left out a lot of details - why I said what I did about Dad teaching a lesson on "The Call To Service."
Thanks For Dropping In!
3 comments:
I feel bloggers should ask permission to post any pictures other than those of themselves.
Gene and I have discovered that God doesn't always use us in the way we would have expected. It's been quite an adventure!
look who's talking:) bloggers shouldn't post pictures..ta ta ta.
Hey Dwight, can you make audio available for these sermons or sessions. In general the message of service seems to be lost in a din of pomp and pretense at times. Your dad is one of the best speakers/teachers around but we don't get to hear him. We need it.
Don't let him know about this comment, he'll probably protest.
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