What I Learned From The Churches I Served: Part Two

The last time we met around my musings I spoke about the first Baptist Church I ever pastored and some of the people and what I learned from them and during that Ministry. When I left Highland Park Baptist Church it was not because I was looking for a place to go. I was, as some say, “fat and sassy” where I was. However, in 1977 Clyde Thompson invited me to preach a week long series of revival services.

During that week a committee from the First Baptist Church of Lomax came to hear me preach and to talk with me about whether or not I would entertain an invitation to preach at their church with the view of a call to be pastor of their church. Suffice it to say I agreed to come and preach for them and they extended a unanimous call. On the way home to Kilgore Susan and I knew we would be saying some hard goodbyes as God moved us to a new place of ministry.  So in 1977 I became pastor of the small struggling First Baptist Church of Lomax.

As I think about this small group of people the phrase that comes to my mind was a “merry band of
believers.” Up until I came to Lomax (FBC of Lomax will simply be called Lomax from hereon out) I had no idea the significance of fellowship to church growth.  Oh to be sure I knew that it was important for God’s people to dwell together in peace but what I didn’t know was that fellowship could be a powerful tool in God’s hand to effect growth in numbers and spiritual maturity. Lomax taught me that.

It is a strange twist of fate but this church like Highland Park Baptist Church had only five deacons (James Boddie, James Furlow, Jack Roachell, Dudley Andrews). I was beginning to doubt that law of Baptist life that every church should have a minimum of six deacons as outlined in the Book of Acts.  But unlike the influences in Kilgore those in Lomax did not focus in the Deacons. In fact with the exception of one or two exceptional people of faith the story in Lomax is “The Church.”

Lomax had been through some real highs and deep lows prior to my coming. From preacher preaching from the roof of the building to preacher preaching in an empty building. However, what I discovered when arriving was that process had served to winnow the congregation down to a strong interdependent group of people who wanted nothing more than to have a joyous Christian experience and see people saved.

Like my previous church they were not afraid of hard work. Indeed I had to use care when making suggestion because they so readily took to the tasks.  They canvased the community regularly; they made sure I knew who lived in every house in our community. Visitations came and went but all were fully supported. These are all things I learned to use as we set the church on a course of growth.
However, the thing that was most powerful was their winsomeness. These people loved to fellowship. Too be sure other churches would have “fellowships” and many of them were extraordinary experiences.  In Lomax these same “fellowships” were just plane fun. Laughter was a common place sound around the campus.  The membership of this church when taken as individuals were just common people but put them in a group setting and they were extraordinary.

Lomax taught me that while church is serious business it doesn’t need to be, indeed should not be, an experience akin to persimmon sucking.  Seemed at least twice a month something was happening in the way of a “fellowship.”  Church members freely invited family members, neighbors and others to these gatherings. Fellowship is one of the tools God has given us to help people realize what they are hungering and thirsting to have.

We held fish fries, Memorial Day fishing trips, Old Fashioned Days, and just plain fun days. In fact, our Old Fashion Days often involved costuming.

One year (see photo) I dressed in an 19th century parson’s suit and preached excepts from Jonathan Edward’s famous sermon, “Sinners in Hands of An Angry God.” People came from near and far just to hear that address. The fact that we had a lot of great food didn’t hurt.

It was also while serving this church as senior pastor I became a professor of religion at San Jacinto College and began my work on my Doctor of Ministry Degree (received in 1983).  This teaching experience re-introduced me to the academic world which proved to be a genuine growth experience.

So the big lesson I learned from the precious people is not just the value of genuine fellowship but also how to use that fellowship as a major tool for growing a church.

However, before I leave Lomax I must refer to a few people who played a major role in my ministry
there. I simply refer you to my earlier blog, Another Giant has Ceased His Labor, about the death of Jack Roachell. Suffice it to say that Jack was a living and breathing incarnation of Jesus Christ. Jack, and you can read about it there, was a living breathing example of what a Deacon is supposed to be and is was from being with him that I came to expect a great deal more from my deacons than simply caring for the business of the church.

Of all the churches I was privileged to serve as senior pastor, this was the one that was the most fun.  The biggest mistake I ever made in ministry was leaving this church ahead of God’s timing. Sometimes knowing God’s will and knowing God’s timing are not the same. This is why a church should be very careful in forcing a pastor’s resignation. It may be God’s will that the pastor move on to another work but it may not be God’s time for it when we decide we must act.

Jack wasn't the only person who was such a joy to work with. There were other men like Jack Briggs, Dudley Andrews and the Furlow brothers. All who added their unique spiritual gifting to the work of the ministry here. One of the biggest and most demanding was our bus ministry. I guess you could say these folks challenged me to think outside the box.

In my case, it had nothing to do with the church itself or any of the leadership. I was convinced then and remain convinced that God was in the process of closing down our ministry at this precious church. What I didn’t know was God’s timing. I missed it by about a year. Believing I was doing what God wanted I walked through the first door to another ministry that opened but come December God opened the door he wanted me to walk through. Another lesson learned . . .one about waiting upon the Lord.