I grew up in a small town. My dad was manager of the Anthony's Department Store. My parents were believers, but didn't go to church much. A lot of times, my younger brother and I went to church by ourselves. My dad became more faithful in church attendance later on in his life before he passed away.

During Vacation Bible School my 6th grade year, our Associate Pastor talked to me and my younger brother about accepting Christ. I wasn't really interested in knowing Christ, but I couldn't let my little brother "outdo" me. So I walked down the aisle when he did and was baptized. My life didn't change. During my junior high years, I couldn't get along with my family and was getting into some fights at school. During my sophomore year of high school, God got a hold of my heart, and I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.

After I accepted Christ, I wanted to get involved in everything at church. Our Associate Pastor was a big influence in my life. He would take me with him to our local hospital every Sunday morning at 8:00, and we would visit every person in the hospital. After our visits, we would go to the local park and have a prayer walk. Then every Saturday morning, we would go to the local county jail and visit the inmates there. I didn't realize that God was molding me; but He did, and that's all that matters.

At church camp in 1975, I felt the pull or tug of the Holy Spirit. It is hard to describe the feeling and emotion of that moment, but I felt like I needed to go to the front of the sanctuary during the invitation. Later on, I talked to our youth minister. He asked me about where God was working in my life. He knew the things that I was involved in at church and how God was working in my life. The next night, I felt the call to go into "special service," not sure about what all that might mean. I went down front again during the invitation, but this time I went to talk to someone about "special service." I don't remember the person who talked to me. All that I can remember is that my heart was heavy toward studying God's word, visiting people, and discipleship or helping others in their walk with God. I was counseled to continue in my walk with God and serve Him as much as I could, whenever I could.

Later on that year, I was asked to preach at local churches in our association. I wasn't old enough to have a driver's license, so I had to have someone drive me to the different places to preach. I eventually formed an evangelistic team called the "Patriots". We would go around preaching, singing, and sharing testimonies. I did the preaching. I also taught a grade school boys' Sunday school class when I was a senior. Our Youth Minister taught me the importance of discipleship. That became one of my passions in life. So my first group to disciple was a couple of 8th grade boys. One of them is now a pastor of a church in Arizona.

By the time I was 19, I was pastor of a country church. I knew that I would be a pastor one day, but God had me start off working with children and youth, then as an Associate pastor in charge of youth and education. My first full time pastorate was when I was 23 years old. I just followed God's leadership to serve in any capacity that came up and where I was needed the most. God used this all to shape me for the pastorate. I have dealt with just about every area of church life. God knew what I needed to be a pastor.

God has blessed me with a passion for discipleship, administration, preaching/teaching, and caring for people. He has and is still using these gifts where I currently serve as pastor. Recently, a tornado destroyed our town. That was a time of trial and error that showed me that, just when you think you've got ministry figured out, God is about to teach you something else. I was able to use the gifts and talents that God gave me through that experience. God was able to strengthen me through the gifts and talents of other people as I saw them serving during that time.

I have also been a church planter. While I was pastoring in one state, God begin to lay His word on my heart to plant a church in another. In 1995, He gave me Romans 15:20, which reads, "And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation." Then, in 1997 He gave me Romans10:14, which reads, "How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?"

I would never trade my church planting experience for anything. It was tough starting a church from scratch, but God taught me and my family a lot about trusting Him and relying on Him for the resources and strength to build His church. God blessed the church richly.

My relationship with Jesus Christ is the only reason that I am in ministry. He is my life, my strength. He leads me, guides me, teaches me, and loves me no matter what. Only when I allow myself to be weak and let Him work through me do I really have the strength to go on. If I am not spending time with Him, then that affects my ministry. I sometimes try to handle situations on my own, and the ministry loses its power and does not bring glory to God.

God has a purpose for your life and wants to see you fulfill it. It has been thirty years since God called me into vocational ministry. He has never let me down. Yes, there have been times when I wanted to quit and throw in the towel, but God has always been there for me. He has surrounded me with his people to give me wise counsel and encouragement. Remember, everybody is called into ministry. All ministry is special and important in God's eyes. All He wants for us to be is faithful, teachable, and useable for him. To God be all the glory, honor, and praise!