I am prayerfully seeking God’s direction for the next step of obedience in my life. For some time, I have had a growing awareness and sense that God has another avenue of ministry and service for me that will allow me to make a stronger, deeper, and wider impact for Christ and for eternity in the last 15-20 years of my ministry. This awareness has been clarified since the death of my friend, Pastor David Mercer, December 9, 2012.
I found myself at Hillside Wesleyan Church, Port Huron, Michigan, watching as hundreds of people passed David’s casket. I stood among 1500 mourners at his homegoing service. I grieved with them. I found myself praying, "Lord Jesus, help me to maximize the impact of my life for your glory in the closing years of work and ministry."
The Lord has allowed me a breadth of experience that I believe he wants to draw upon. My passion is preaching holiness. I love pulpit ministry and evangelism. I also have skills and a wealth of experience in working with people, administration, counseling, accreditation, planning and assessment, development, fund-raising, public relations, and teaching. I have written countless policies, procedures, assessment documents, and evaluations. God has gifted me to see through complex situations rather quickly and reach some kind of evaluative assessment, and construct or direct others in creating a path forward. People respond to my leadership. I enjoy bringing people together to find solutions and accomplish tasks.
Beth and I have raised our children. Nathan and Melissa are happily married and in ministry together at Hillside Wesleyan Church, Port Huron, Michigan. Katie and Peter are enjoying raising a young family and pastoring a small congregation in Monticello, Mississippi. Beth can retire with full benefits in August, 2014, but have a flexible timetable. I am ready, willing, and able to mind God and do whatever I can to advance His Kingdom. My precious wife is my helpmate and friend. She supports whatever direction God has for us as we are seeking His leadership.
My life and ministry at Kentucky Mountain Bible College has been full and rewarding. We have invested in eternity, and do not want to stop doing so. I have lived without a living wage salary, living by faith in God and faith in Beth to provide for our material needs. God has done so abundantly. We have blessings that rich folks cannot afford, for which we are thankful; however, we hold all the material resources loosely and seek to use them to advance Christ’s Kingdom. But in these latter years of work and ministry, I would like an opportunity to work in a capacity that I can be a good provider for my wife. I feel as if it is my turn. I have been a full-time volunteer at KMBC for 21 years, starting here fresh out of Graduate School. To do so, I have nearly taken a vow of poverty, although God has seen to it that our family has never done without necessities, often providing extra blessings! Our cabin in the woods, good cars, lovely home furnishings, retirement accounts... all have come as a blessing from HIM! We are blessed. I praise the Lord for His provision! I will continue to praise Him with investing of my time, talent, and treasure in Kingdom building!
I am seeking God’s direction. John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer speaks profoundly to me.
I am no longer my own, but Thine.
Put me to what Thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee,
exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am Thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
I think that I can pray most of Wesley’s prayer sincerely. I stumble over being "laid aside for thee." I do not sense called to being "laid aside" at this season, nor do I relish that thought when the time comes. I have lived the prayer "Let me have all things, let me have nothing." I consider a major life change only because of a deep stirring in my soul, which I believe to be ordered by the Holy Spirit, as best as I understand His leading.
I have enjoyed the years of work at KMBC. I have enjoyed working with Dr. Speas, Mr. Lorimer and my colleagues here. I have been conscious that I am investing in eternity in the lives of our students. I have played a good second and even third fiddle in the orchestra of ministry here. Personal growth opportunities have been many. Dr. Speas has allowed me tremendous latitude of opportunities in ministry with evangelism and accreditation work with ABHE. For that, I am grateful. Now, these years of ministry appear to be coming to a season of completion. I have done my part. I have completed this phase of eternal investment. A sense of fulfillment and release is upon me.
I am looking forward with a sense of hope and anticipation. I believe that God has something fresh, new, challenging, fulfilling, and eternal ahead for Beth and me. I face the unknown future with faith and confidence in God, and wholehearted desire to do His Will. I want the remainder of my effective years of service to be spent maximally for Him. I want to live with maximum eternal impact for Christ. My sense is that God is calling me to some change of service and ministry in order to effect the fulfillment of this God-given desire in my heart.
I will obey. I just don’t know the path. I don’t know if this path is pastoral, a university chaplaincy, evangelism, consultancy, denominational administration, or a mission agency. My passion is to preach holiness and to help people to get established in that grace. I don’t want to pursue this path of change with secular self-promotion. I want to pursue this path of change with trust in God and obedience to His direction. I purpose to seek Him and His direction. I will obey.
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