Trip Down Memory Lane…30 Years In The Ministry Continued…Faith Baptist Church
While serving as pastor of FBC Shady Grove, Laurel, MS I was invited to come to Fouke, AR and preach a revival at New Hope Baptist Church. My Dad was pastoring the church there and it was a good chance to share the Word and get to be with my parents for a week too. My family had other obligations such as school and work in Mississippi so I made the trek alone. The first night of the revival I was told that “several churches had come together to help with the revival effort”. It seems several churches came together to help form a choir and one church had even supplied a piano player. The crowd wasn’t exactly huge that first night but one thing I did notice was that it got larger and larger as the week progressed – I was ignorant as to why. On Thursday night of the revival, while shaking hands after the service, a man came up to me and asked if he could talk to me when I got through – of course I agreed to do so. He and a small group of people stood with me in the auditorium area and they shared with me that they were the “pulpit committee from Faith Baptist Church in Texarkana, AR” and that they felt God wanted me to be their next pastor. I was totally blown away for several reasons. 1. I didn’t even know there was a pulpit committee that had been visiting in the services all week. 2. I was NOT Southern Baptist at the time – I was BMA. 3. I had never really heard (or so I thought) of Faith Baptist Church. I shared with this committee that I was perfectly happy where I was at this time. They encouraged me to “pray about it” and I agreed to do so. I shared with them that I was not Southern Baptist and one of the men simply said, “If you become our pastor you will be.” — hmmm he was right.
The next night following the revival I made my way home, back to Laurel, Mississippi. I had no intentions of even seriously considering Faith Baptist Church – but God had other plans. After much prayer, wrestling with the Lord and more – I began to “check out” Faith Baptist Church. As a matter of fact, I even called the pulpit committee and asked if we could “meet with no strings attached”. They agreed. They graciously wanted to “put us up” in a hotel while we were here for that “no strings attached” meeting but I wouldn’t agree to them doing anything – didn’t want to be obligated to them in any way. The day we met, Cindy and I met a group of people who formed possibly the most honest, upfront, pulpit committee that I’ve ever been associated with. They shared with me how they felt God wanted me to be their full time pastor but they didn’t have a house for me to live in and didn’t know if they could afford to pay me a full time salary or much of a salary at all. The “amount” of what they could pay was never even discussed and we didn’t know how much we would receive even the first few weeks we were there. Many of my family members and friends thought I was crazy for not knowing how much the “salary amount” would be before we took the step of faith to move and begin this new ministry – but God is/was faithful and will never lead you where HE can’t provide for you.
The story is long – so suffice it to say – after much prayer I agreed that for some reason God wanted me to move to Texarkana and become their pastor. The Chairman of Deacons assured me that they were going to “buy a parsonage” before we moved. We gave two weeks notice at FBC Shady Grove and by that time the church in Texarkana, found (that’s a story to be told also), bought (another story) and moved us into the new parsonage in just two short weeks . It was really a miracle and step of FAITH. The church family had already taken several steps of faith by calling us, making commitment to provide house and salary for us – and they really didn’t have it. But God did! In a short 10 1/2 months the church family paid for that parsonage IN FULL and it was a great home to my family and I for almost 9 years.
Over the next almost nine years – I saw a congregation that was hungry for God to do something in their midst. They had FAITH like you haven’t ever seen. Faith without works is dead and that little group – which grew steadily – had LOTS of FAITH and WORKS. They pulled together, worked hard, prayed hard and EXPECTED God to show up and show out and HE DID. Every step of the way we took steps of FAITH together to go to the next level of ministry. We went from around 70 or so in worship to almost 500 on a regular basis. This church stepped out in Faith to build a building (amount doesn’t matter) that many said they would never be able to pay for or fill. They never missed a payment while I was there (even payed ahead on the note most months). For almost 9 years this church followed their pastor as he sought to follow God. My family and I are totally blessed to have experienced the love, support, prayers and deep FAITH that the good people at Faith Baptist shared.
Time won’t suffice me to share almost 9 years of stories with you – but here are a few things I remember:
1. The old fashioned altars and how God filled them almost every service – with souls being saved, folks being baptized and lives being changed – in that old building. (8 foot ceilings and all!!)
2. The people working hard to reach people in the community and grow a church for the Lord.
3. The people being willing to follow their pastor as he tried to lead them. They were so supportive.
4. The church sharing, eating, laughing and crying together through all the things God was doing in our midst.
5. The church family being willing to tear out walls, move classrooms and “pack in” together just to make room for new people to come worship.
6. The love and support of the deacons and church family.
7. The way the church operated by FAITH and not as some do – focusing on money.
8. The way that people worked hard and in unity to get the job done….fried pies and all!!
9. The sign – “GOD DID IT” being erected and the truth of it. NO ONE can take credit for the souls saved, lives changed and growth at FAITH Baptist Church – except God. Many prayed, may plowed, many planted, many watered – but GOD gave the increase. I long to someday see a sign on that hill that says “GOD IS STILL DOING IT!”
When Cindy and I resigned last April from Faith Baptist Church it was with full hearts, sad hearts but excited hearts over the next stage that God has for us in ministry. We love the people of Faith Baptist Church and pray God will use the next pastor to lead them to even greater growth (spiritually and numerically) than they have ever experienced. Pray for their search committee as they seek the man GOD would have them have and pray that they will once again operate by FAITH and not by sight. God has the right man out there and I pray they will find him, follow him and never stop operating BY FAITH. It’s easy to walk by sight but it takes REAL FAITH in GOD to trust HIM and walk BY FAITH! We will never regret our time there and we will always love the people of Faith Baptist Church. While some (as in every church you resign from) didn’t understand why we were leaving – it was time. God has His time and it was time. God has proven to us in this last year time and again that this new church plant (Life House Church) in College Hill was HIS will for us and it was the right time to plant a new church. God has HIS seasons for his servants and our season at Faith is one we will never regret and never forget. I’m thankful for the years there and I pray that in the days ahead God will bless the great people at Faith like they’ve never been blessed before.
Thanks Faith Family for being a church through the years that walked by faith. Thanks for loving my family and me and showing it. Thanks for taking care of my family and me for all the years we were there. Thanks for being willing to follow your pastor as he tried to follow the Lord. Thanks for being willing to love your imperfect pastor and your perfect Jesus with all your heart. Pray for us and know that we love you all and pray only God’s ”good things” for you now and in the future. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for FBC in the days and years to come. Keep on walking in FAITH and God will bless like never before. Much love – and prayers. Pastor James
P.S. – I could write a book filled with many memories – and just might do that someday soon! We were blessed to have known and loved some great people that have gone on to be with the Lord while we were at Faith. Many faithful people passed through the doors of that church and touched the life of Faith Church and our lives as well. I’m glad that someday we will be able to see them again. In all honesty …through all the years we were at Faith there were lots of good times, times filled with laughter, times filled with tears and times that weren’t so easy. Through it all – I thank God for allowing me to have served at Faith Baptist Church – Texarkana, AR.