My Testimony - (the long version)
A BIRTH
Being the son of an Episcopal priest, as one would imagine, I was brought up in the church. I was baptized into the family of Christ as an infant. As a matter of fact I was baptized when I was a day or two old since I had to have surgery due to the bottom stomach valve was closed and needed to be opened. As I grew up in church, I learned the bible stories in Sunday School, became an acolyte (the people, usually older children, who help out with the worship service). In the Episcopal tradition, I was Confirmed, that is, I confirmed or made a statement of faith that I wanted to be part of this family of Christ I was growing into.
A MIX
When I was 11 I joined the boys and mens choir and learned to sing high church music from the Royal School of Church Music. When I was about 12, the charismatic movement was also part of the church, and I grew into that as well. I would sing high church music on Sunday morning and then shake the tambourine with the Sunday night bunch and sing Jesus music. I knew people who attended both services who were very much in love with God.
A CHANGE
A milestone of my Charismatic roots was when I was I decided I liked what the adults had, and asked to be "baptized in the Holy Spirit". I am not sure if I really got more Holy Spirit, but I do know that Holy Spirit got more of me. I was given the gift of praying in tongues, and a keen spiritual wisdom beyond my years. It seemed as if I was able to discuss the things of God with the adults as if I had been walking with Him for years (but then, of course perhaps I had).
Now I will not profess that I was living the holy life as a teenager. Even though I was in church for 3 services and two choir practices each week, from the age of about 13 on, I pursued alcohol, pot and the female gender when ever and where ever I could get some. For all practical purposes, I had my feet in both Kingdoms, the worlds and Gods.
WANDERING OFF
I eventually began to walk more and more in the kingdom of the world and less and less with God. I was determined not to miss out on the pleasures of the world, and so I "chased the world at 90MPH." I dropped out of church, married for the wrong reasons. Divorced after only 9 months of being married. Ruined my army career because of poor judgement, and continued down hill until I had a "come to Jesus" moment on my apartment floor.
COMING HOME
The decision I made that night was to go back to church and find the
relationship I had with God as a teenager, little did I know it would be
light-years better. That was in October of 82. I started attending the
Episcopal church in
DEAD PASTORS
We attended that Episcopal church. My new wife, an Army nurse, was of Baptist roots, and was taken aback with the their stand on alcohol as being OK if not abused. I started to talk with the priest there about personal relationship with God. He did not know much about it, but was generally a nice guy. We dialoged, but I came to the conclusion I had found a "dead" priest. I hope I was able to help Him, God and I started to get closer. I got out of the army, my wife stayed in, she was doing a whole lot better in it than I.
Angie, (her son Eric, now 12) and I moved to the
We moved to
We moved to
A NOTE ON ALCOHOL
I began drinking at age 13. My intake increased and was at a peak when I was
18 and slowed just a little when I was about 22. When I got married, my use of
alcohol started to taper to 2-3 per night. When I was 33
I quit drinking after several short trials. What I can say is that as I grew
closer to God as was being sanctified, I found that alcohol was getting in the
way of my relationship with Him. The problem manifest itself in that urge to
drink beer numbers 3 and 4 when all I wanted was 2
(and I had the grace to stop at 2). I did not like an urge in
me so I figured if I had none, the urge would never
come. I decided that there was nothing that was going
to get there, and so the alcohol had to go. It is strange, but I mourned
the loss of that urge. Sometimes I still cannot believe I quit drinking in the
Now, If I had been told I had to quit drinking when I started my re-search for God, I might have walked away like the rich young ruler. I could not have imagined my life without alcohol at that time. The most important lesson I have learned from this is that God meets us where we are. God was willing to accept my search with Him despite myself.
When we moved here, I was determined to get as discipled as I could. I led an ecumenical bible study, attended a large collective Protestant service and became a "deacon" in a lay-led charismatic service that met Sun PM where I was allowed to preach once. We also met weekly and prayed. I suggested we listen to God together, write down what He told us and then share it. When we did this, there was always a common thread, and this was the direction for the next weeks service. I also discipled with a Pentecostal pastor with MS. If someone needed spiritual help, his answer always ended up in deliverance, not that I have a problem with deliverance, it is just that it is not always the answer to our ills. I also attended Wednesday Morning Eucharist at the local Episcopal church. Oh yes, and I went through the United Methodist Disciple Bible Study program with an ecumenical group. I talked with as many people as I could about my relationship with God, and listened to as many as I could about theirs. What I have found is that God moves powerfully in many peoples lives with many different doctrines, and within many different worship styles.
SOME "REAL" SCHOOL
Our next move was to
A DENOMINATION SHIFT
I also changed to being a United Methodist (which is Wesleyan based). There were several reasons. Being married to a Baptist, the worship style was right between hers and mine. There was not a major theological change for me. Two of the most important reasons though were because, first they did not have evangelists in the Episcopal church and they do in the Methodist and I feel a call to evangelism and renewal. Second, you can pastor a church without a Masters of Divinity as a local pastor, which meant I could start pastoral ministry before Angie retired. In all, I believe it was the hand of God which directed me into Trevecca and the United Methodist church.
MY FIRST PASTORATE
As I was completing school, wrapping up the process of being licenced, I was called to be interviewed by the Bishop and cabinet on a Monday. I was told to make an appointment to see my District Superintendent on Thursday. On Thursday, I was told I would start at a church on that Sunday. I just love surprises. After much prayer and consulting God, I dusted off one of the less than five sermons I had ever given. We arrived, I preached, I went home, and knew by confirmation of my wife, that this was where we were supposed to be. It was a one point charge that paid just enough to where I did not need to take a second job. They completed building the new parsonage 5 months after I arrived and we moved in.
The church had been rocked with some dysfunctional clergy before me and was hurting. My mission from God was to bring His healing touch, build a spiritual foundation and begin to grow some disciples of Jesus Christ. God has done all of this, and in the process, I have grown leaps and bounds in my faith and walk with Him.
We were here for 3 years, due to the hand of God working in the life of the
Army and my wife. Se extended for recruiting for a year and then was assigned
to school in
At this point we are moved to
MOVING RIGHT ALONG
We moved to Ft Knox KY in the summer of ‘01. I attended Asbury Theological Seminary (2 hours away) with a full class load. I traveled there and stayed in a dorm room on campus during the week. I was also somewhat active at Radcliff UMC, right off post.
Our next move was to Fort Stewart Georgia. There were no appointments in the UMC so I completed my seminary on-line and then was hired by Hinesville 1st UMC to help with pastoral ministry and start a healing service.
On finding our next move was to