 
"GOTTA PREACH" Guy Humphries, Compiler

Copyright 2011

ISBN 978-1-4580-0262-4

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This Ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment and inspiration. Since its primary purpose is to motivate men to surrender when God is calling them to preach, you may freely give it to as many other people as you can. Thank you for respecting the efforts of the compiler in his effort to inspire God's men to surrender to preach the saving grace of the Gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Guy Humphries, Compiler

DISCLAIMER:

"GOTTA PREACH" IS A COMPILATION OF TESTIMONIES OF truly-born-again-children-of-God like Jesus clearly defined in John 3, OF THEIR SALVATION EXPERIENCES AND/OR THEIR UNIQUE REACTIONS TO GOD'S IRRESTIBLE CALL INTO HIS SERVICE. They are presented verbatim as supplied by the testators. All are different but with a similar result, surrendering their lives to preaching the Gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior to lost-going-to-hell-Jesus-rejecters like Jesus clearly defined in John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is NOT condemned: but he that believeth not IS CONDEMNED already, (why?) because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." Some are dramatic. Some are very simple. All are genuine as validated by the subsequent lives of the testators.

God's Word stresses the need for preachers in Romans 10:13-15a, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How, then, shall they call on Him in whom that have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER? And how shall they preach except they be sent?"

CONTENTS - TESTIMONIES OF CALLS TO PREACH AND MISSIONS

Chapter 1 - Adams, Jim

Chapter 2 - Allen, Wade

Chapter 3 - Barton, Michael

Chapter 5 - Betts, Charles

Chapter 7 - Branham, Craig

Chapter 9 - Brown, Curtis

Chapter 12 - Chandler, Don

Chapter 14 - Cooper, H. D.

Chapter 15 - Cooper, Jerome

Chapter 17 - Crawford, Rufus

Chapter 18 - Crews, James

Chapter 20 – Dimatulac, Abel

Chapter 23 - Goodwin, Jerry

Chapter 25 - Harvison, Sonny

Chapter 28 - Heuerman, Paul

Chapter 30 - Hornaday, Leo

Chapter 31 - Hornaday Chronicles

Chapter 33 - Jacks, David

Chapter 36 - Johnson, Buddy

Chapter 37 - Jones, Leroy

Chapter 39 - Kidd, Jerry

Chapter 42 - Ladd, John

Chapter 44 - Lecrlec, Serge

Chapter 46 - Lewis, Keith

Chapter 47 - Lewis, Tom

Chapter 49 - Lunceford, Keith

Chapter 50 - Marrs, Tracy

Chapter 52 - McCreary, Harvey

Chapter 54 – Mulherrin, Leon

Chapter 56 – Osgatharp, Mark

Chapter 60 - Rice, D. B.

Chapter 62 - Rogers, Eldwyn

Chapter 65 - Simpson, Charles

Chapter 68 - Sparlin, Jon

Chapter 71 - Stephenson, Chad

Chapter 72 - Stephenson, Ed

Chapter 76 - Thompson, Olan

Chapter 78 - Totty, Wade

Chapter 80 - Triplett, Nile

Chapter 84 - Woodall, Bill

Chapter 85 - Wyatt, Johnny

PREACHERS OF YESTERYEAR
Chapter 87 - Cartwright, Albert

Chapter 90 - Truett, George W.

GOTTA TELL - TESTIMONIES OF SALVATION EXPERIENCES

Chapter 110 - Humphries, Guy

Chapter 112 - Kilcrease, Frances

Chapter 120 - McBroome, Norman

Chapter 122 - Pence, Janis Pinegar

PREFACE

This book is dedicated to John Edgar and Lillie Mae Humphries, residents of heaven, formerly Providence near Judsonia, AR. They were the greatest parents a boy and man could have. They taught me the plan of salvation. They prayed for me. They trusted me. They guided me. They loved me unconditionally especially when I was wrong.

Charles Spurgeon identified the first sign of God's CALL to the ministry as "an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work." He warned those who sought his counsel "...not to preach if he could help it. If he cannot help it, and he MUST preach or die, then he is the man."

When God truly CALLS a man to preach it is for a lifetime, there is no backing out. From His army, there is no discharge and no true soldier can go AWOL.

SCRIPTURES THAT REFER TO CALLS TO PREACH

Thankfully, most CALLS of God's preacher's are less than dramatic or few would be CALLED. In 1 Kings 19 Elijah experienced wind, earthquake and fire. In verses 12-14 the Bible says, "after the fire a still, small voice...said, What doest thou here, Elijah?...I only am left....the Lord said Go...I have left me seven thousand...which have not bowed to baal." Isaiah responded in 6:8-9a, "I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me and He said Go and tell this people...."

Jeremiah expressed "Gotta Preach" in 20:9, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name, But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forebearing, and I could not stay." God would not permit him to refrain from preaching.

In Matt. 9:37-38, Jesus issued this challenge to His children, "Then saith he unto his disciples, 'The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth (CALL) labourers into his harvest." We MUST pray that God will CALL preachers into his vital work.

Jesus told his disciples in John 15:16: "You have not chosen me but I have chosen (called) you, and ordained you, that you might go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:"

I "Gotta Preach" to whosoever would listen, was Paul's testimony. "The Holy Ghost said, 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have CALLED them." Acts 13:2

"I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision... (to preach to ) "...the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God (get saved) and do works meet for repentance (serving God to demonstrate to the world that they are truly-born-again-children-of-God).

From Acts 17. Paul could do nothing else but tell us Gentiles about salvation.

What is the foremost responsibility of men who are CALLED to preach? Acts 20:31 says, "Watch and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to WARN EVERY ONE night and day with tears."

Acts 26:17-20 Paul's call to preach first to the Jews then to us Gentiles. "Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I SEND thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision (CALL): But shewed first unto them (Jews) of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God (get saved), and do works meet for repentance."

Romans 1:14 "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am (CALLED) ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Preachers ARE essential to the dissemination of the Gospel. Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent (CALLED)? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by (preaching of) the word of God."

When we consider the Apostles, we are convinced that God CALLS the most unlikely men to preach His Gospel. "For ye see your CALLING, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are CALLED." 1 Cor 1:26

The common thread of the testimonies of men "called to preach," demonstrate that they can NEVER be satisfied doing anything else. Paul confirmed that in 1 Cor 9:16, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid (CALLED) upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!"

Paul wrote of one of his "Gotta Preach" testimonies to the Ephesian church in Eph 3:6-8 "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel whereof I was MADE (CALLED) a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

Referring to Jesus' giving of gifts in Ephesians 4:11-12, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." God CALLS and enables preachers to specialize as needed for the salvation of the lost and growth toward maturity of His children.

Some preacher said, "To have the opportunity of preaching the gospel of the grace of God is, outside our own salvation, the greatest gift God could give a human being." In 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Paul writes, "For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed (CALLED) of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts."

Paul confirming his call in 1 Tim 1:11-12 said, "According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting (CALLING) me into the ministry." That "ministry" "...which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24b

Hebrews 3:1 begins, "Wherefore, holy brethren, partaker of the heavenly CALLING."

Please share your favorite "CALL" scripture with the compiler at guy013@centurytel.net. It will be included in the digital republication of this book as more God CALLED preachers share their testimony.

Please share your CALL to preach. It will be included in a digitally substituted new version of "Gotta Preach."

For your edification, this digitally published book is free. I compiled it as a labor-of-love hoping that the testimonies of God CALLED Preachers might motivate others to a surrender.

You may reward my efforts with a donation to the Park Avenue Baptist Church, Youth Group, 211 E. Park Ave., Searcy, Ark 72143

Guy Humphries, Compiler

CALL TESTIMONIES

Chapter 1 - Adams, Jim

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Jim Adams Missionary to Grace Community Baptist Church, Eaton, CO

The Lord called me to preach in November of 1978 about 6 months after I first came to know Him as my personal Lord and Savior. During the 30 minutes it took to drive from San Leandro to the First Baptist Church of Warm Springs in Fremont, California, the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart. It began with a Bible verse that I could not get out of my head.

Matt 9:37 "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." What was unusual on this morning was that this verse was playing in my head like a familiar song. It would just repeat over and over again. I tried to think of other things, but it would not stop. The verse grew louder and more intense. It was like suddenly I understood that the Lord was speaking to me.

I began to pray asking the Lord to stop with the verse. It was too intense. It was overwhelming. The verse continued even as I prayed. Tears were now streaming down my cheeks. I told the Lord that whatever He wanted me to do that I would do it and the verse stopped and I felt better.

When I arrived at church, my first stop was at the pastor's office. There was a door that opened to the outside. When Dub Richey saw me, he knew that I was upset so he invited me inside and asked me what was going on. I told him what had happened on the way to church and that I felt that God wanted me to be a pastor. Now before I go on with this testimony, you need to understand that I did not even know that God called men to preach. I had only been saved for 6 months.

Dub told me that God called men to preach, but that churches called these men to be their pastors. I immediately understood that God was calling me to preach and told Pastor Richey so. Dub asked me if I wanted to preach that night. It was like the Holy Spirit jumped within me at the offer. I told him "yes!" My message came from Matthew 9:37-38 and the title was "The Lord of the Harvest."

Today, I see every opportunity to preach as a privilege and a blessing from my Lord! (1 Corinthians 9:16-24)

CALL TO MISSIONS: My call to missions was very different. As I attended Southeastern Baptist College and then seminary in Jacksonville, TX and also, Los Gatos, CA (San Jose campus for Western Seminary), God, at times, would make impressions upon my heart about church planting. After I graduated with my Master of Divinity from Western, I began to pray daily about how, when and where God would lead me to do so. At the time, I was not married (and had never been married). So here I was a single guy with a desire to plant a church, but also with a desire to be married with a wife and hopefully children to come.

It was in 1997 that I first met my wife Lori (Cook at the time) via email at the Christian Connection. CC (Christian Connection) is an Internet Christian Singles ministry. About 250,000 Christian singles around the US and Canada belong to CC. Each member is required to fill out a basic survey of faith/family/favorites and dislikes to belong. In addition, another essay answer questionnaire is optional. The questions in the essay part are personal. Many give direct insight into the individual's relationship with Christ and it would be very difficult to fake the answers. Lori actually wrote to me first, but when I checked her profile, I was impressed with her answers about her relationship with the Lord.

We wrote to each other for about 6 months without even knowing what the other person looked like. We talked on the phone twice. Lori asked me if I would consider coming to Colorado (Yes, we are planting a church in Colorado -- get the connection?). I told her that I would pray about it. I prayed about it for months. One day, I just knew. I booked a flight and flew to Denver where Lori picked me up at the airport and drove me to Eaton, CO (where God led us to plant the church 3 years later). During the visit, I stayed with my future in-laws. By the end of my visit, I knew the Lord was leading us to pursue the relationship, but a long distance relationship would not be easy.

We continued to write each other with an occasional phone call. One day, I discovered an Internet phone program called Media Ring and we began talking regularly when online. Lori visited me in California and stayed with my mother in August of 1998. I had appointments to preach both Sundays while she was in California. Just having her along praying for me was a new and a powerful experience for me as a preacher. By the end of her visit, I knew we were destined to be married. She had not come to that same conclusion, yet!

I visited her in Colorado in March of 1999 again and we discussed the possibility of getting married. I didn't actually propose, but we were both serious. It was getting harder to be living a 1,000 miles apart. We continued to write and to talk almost every night online. With the advice of her parents and her pastor, Lori came to visit me in California in the summer of 1999 for almost 6 weeks. They had told her that if she was seriously thinking of marrying me, she needed to see me for more than a week (to see if I was for real). Lori stayed with my mom. For the next 2 months, I had preaching appointments every Sunday including a wedding and a youth camp. I actually went in view of call at an ABA church in Oakdale, CA while Lori was visiting. God continually blessed with 8 professions of faith during that time period.

Chapter 2 - Allen, Wade

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS TESTIMONY OF Brother John Wade Allen, Missionary to the Philippines

Childhood - I was born on December 29, 1972, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to John and Linda Allen of Springdale, Arkansas. I am the youngest of three children. Both of my sisters are actively involved in ministry and each is married to a Baptist minister. My family attended Springdale Missionary Baptist Church of Springdale, Arkansas. I accepted Christ as my Savior in November of 1979. I attribute much of my spiritual growth to the Sunday night Youth Bible Study at Springdale Missionary Baptist, which was taught primarily by my mother, Linda Allen. I attended public schools in Springdale, and graduated from Springdale High School in 1991, in the top 5% of the class.

Call to Ministry - The summer before my junior year in high school, I was busy with football practice as had been my custom for several years. I loved football. I was built to be an offensive tackle; and I was a starter for the Springdale Bulldogs, who won the AAAA State Championship in Arkansas that year. Everything seemed to be going great, but this year, something was different. I couldn't explain why, but I felt that I needed to quit the team. My coach didn't understand, and my father definitely didn't either, but I decided to quit anyway. In retrospect, it is perfectly clear to me why I had to quit-- because God did an incredible work in my heart that next year. Less than one year after quitting football, I accepted God's call on my life to dedicate my life to the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a nutshell, I had to give up the one thing in my life which took a higher priority than Jesus Christ-- I had to give up football!

Education and Ministry Experience - In order to prepare myself for the ministry to which I had been called, I chose to attend Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas, in order to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Bible & Religious Education. While attending CBC, God provided an opportunity to be involved in ministry both as a church staff member and as a layman. Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in England, Arkansas, extended an invitation to me to work with them as their Minister of Youth and Music. Being my first experience in "the ministry", I am very grateful to this congregation and her pastor, Bro. Fred Vogel, for their love and patience with me as I was growing and learning about church ministry. After resigning from Landmark, I joined Antioch Baptist Church, in Conway, Arkansas. At Antioch, I was able to become involved in many different aspects of the children's ministry. This was also an opportunity for growth and maturity. On December 17, 1993, Joanna Reddin and I were married in that church. By 1995, I was able to complete my degree and graduate from Central Baptist College.

The week following graduation, I was approached by my pastor, Bro. Henry Horton, about working with the children's ministry at Antioch on a part-time basis. I was delighted by this invitation. God's blessings continued as He gave me the opportunity to teach at Conway Christian School that fall. I continued serving at both Conway Christian School and Antioch Baptist Church for the next three years. By the fall of 1997, I felt the leadership of the Holy Spirit to continue my education, so I enrolled in extension classes at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas. Having a desire to continue my education on a full-time basis, I decided to move to Texas to attend the BMA Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, Texas. We, including our one year old daughter Carly Blair, moved to Palestine, Texas, in the fall of 1998 to work with Sheridan Terrace Baptist Church. The church allowed me to be a full-time student at the seminary, so I was able to complete my studies within three years. In May of 2001, I graduated from the BMA Theological Seminary with my Masters of Divinity degree. Just two months earlier, our second child was born. His name is Caleb Elijah. Not believing that we had completed the work that God called us to do at Sheridan Terrace, we decided to continue our work there. The following year, the Holy Spirit impressed upon us that it was finally time to return to the Philippines to serve Him there.

Call to Missions - Many people have asked me, "How can you know for sure if God is calling you to be a missionary?" I am not going to pretend to have all of the answers to this question, however, I am able to relate the feelings and beliefs that I have concerning God's call on my life, specifically as it relates to being a missionary.

When I surrendered to the ministry, I did not know what God had planned for me. I believe that being a minister of the gospel is not exclusively a call to pastor, even though I have been honored to serve God in that capacity. I believe that I was serving as a minister of the gospel when I was a youth minister, a music minister, a children's minister, a short-term missionary, a Christian school teacher, and as a pastor. These are all different aspects of ministry, but all are ministry.

As far as a special "call" to missions, God has placed a special call on my heart for the unreached masses of the world, especially in southeast Asia. I believe that this is a special call in that He has called us all to make disciples of every nation. I have an unexplainable burden for the people of southeast Asia, and I feel that God has placed us here and equipped us for this work. Thus, I am compelled to "go" both by my burden for the people and by my Lord's command to reach the world with the gospel. I can understand why the great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, once said, "It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home."

You see, Christ commissioned the church to reach the world! What is the church? The better question is "Who" is the church? God has called you, if you have trusted in Him as your personal Lord and Savior. Jesus explained very simply His plan for evangelizing the world. He said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then the end shall come." Matthew 24:14.

Joanna's Story

On September 3, 1974, as a 2 year old little girl, I sat on my daddy's shoulders and waved good-bye to an airplane at the New Orleans International Airport-- and at that time, all I understood was that my Aunt Karen and Uncle Travis were on that plane and they were going far away. Little did I know what the significance of that day would mean for my future. You see, Travis and Karen Moore were the first missionaries of the Baptist Missionary Association of America to go to the Philippines. They were soon joined by Doyle and Linda Moore and many others who have helped to build the BMA of the Philippines. I spent the summer of 1991 with Doyle and Linda Moore as a Volunteer Summer Missionary. I came home after 8 weeks, but my heart stayed there. I knew at that point that God wanted me to return to the Philippines someday and help to expand the vision that began the day I watched that airplane leave.

Wade's Story

In the fall of 1991, I moved into the dorm at Central Baptist College to begin my freshmen year. The next evening, Joanna and I went out on our first date. It was also that fall that I had my first experience on the mission field by going with my father on a work crew to Mexico. As Joanna and I continued to date, we began to talk about our future plans and she shared with me her desire to be a missionary. I loved being on the mission field! So to better seek God's will, I went to the Philippines for 10 weeks the summer of 1993. After much prayer and seeking God's will, we both felt that God had brought us together to better serve Him-- and we felt that He would someday lead us back to serve together in Southeast Asia.

Our Story

Knowing that God's timing is perfect, we felt God's leadership to return to the Philippines in 2002. We are so excited that this dream is now becoming a reality. Would you please join with us in praying for the Philippines?

The BMA has such a strong base in the Philippines, but there are still so many areas that are un-reached. The region where we live, the Bicol region, is an area that has a tremendous need for new churches. Please pray that God will do a miraculous work among the Bicolano people

VISION - In seeking God's direction, we believe He has given us a vision to . . .

Plant churches among the un-reached peoples of the Philippines.

Equip those churches to plant new churches.

Encourage them to work together to reach out with the gospel beyond their national boundaries.

Network together with other BMA fields in Asia to carry the gospel throughout Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.

John Wade Adams 2006

Chapter 3 - Barton, Michael

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Missionary Brother Michael Barton

Missionary Evangelist to the lost in Quebec Canada.

Now before I start telling you about my calling I must go back and explain what led to it.

About 9 years ago I was wanting a wife from God. A true and devoted child of God who would be devoted to Him. So, I started praying fervently for one. This lasted about 2 years but in those 2 years the Lord provided a house for me instead that I was not expecting. (As He loves to do).

No wife in sight yet but a sudden desire came upon me to serve God in the mission field and I was attracted to the Asian countries.

Now what I thought was a desire to serve Him somewhere in Asia was actually a leading to where I would find my wife. Of course another 2 years went by and God made it clear to me that my wife to be would be waiting patiently for me in the Philippines.

Now that God had given me a most perfect wife, brought us back to Canada I was satisfied.

Two years ago, another desire in me was slowly growing to do the work of an evangelist. For two years it was not strong but still it was there.

Now why am I telling you all of this before I get to my calling, is that even though God gives you a burden for something and nothing seems to happen right away does not mean that it wont. It is always His timing and not ours. Notice I was praying for a wife and He gives me a house. Then I have this desire to serve Him in the mission field and He gives me a wife. I did not get these desires when I wanted them but He was still faithful to give them to me in His perfect timing.

Now the calling, so two years have gone by, having a light burden to do the work of an evangelist.

Now time has passed, but I will now go back in time a little bit. In June of 2006 something seemed wrong with me. Something inside of me that I did not understand. It was like a cold, before you know its a cold you`ve got symptoms. Well, thats what I had , symptoms in me that I could not understand, not knowing what these symptoms would lead to. My soul was anxious and weary. I had no direction or clue of what was happening to me but it did not feel right. I was pleading with God to show me what was wrong but He was silent. I was asking Him in tears if there were any sin in my life that I had not confessed, but still no answer. All of a sudden the great burden came upon me to be used full time. I kept asking and asking and pleading for months in supplication and prayer because I knew God had to call me (Divine calling) but still no answers. All was silent, God was silent, I felt like nobody could hear my cries. I said, ``Lord, I don`t understand why I have to be different form others. First, I pray for a wife, it took 4 years and finally you give me one but she has to be at the other end of the world which was not easy and sometimes painful. Now that I have a wife I would like to have a normal family like everybody else, but we cannot have children because of medical issues. And now this, I am in great pain and distress, I am begging you to use me in the ministry full time but your back seems to be turned against me, if it is not your will please get this burden out of my heart. Usually it is the other way around, when you call a man he usually refuses the first time. But I am willing and ready and still have no answers.``

Now this went on for 6 months but the last 2 months were truly painful and deeply agonizing to my heart, they were the worst. God was giving me two burdens that were on fire. The burden to be used full time and to see His power at work, to see souls saved and seeing backsliders come back to a Holy God. For two months God was putting me constantly on my knees many times a day crying out to Him to give me these burning desires that He had put in my heart. For two months I was crying to Him to be used full time and to see His Hand work in powerful and mighty ways through the lives of unbelievers and believers.

I said, ``Lord I refuse to be a powerless preacher, I refuse to be a dead christian, I refuse to be a fruitless child of God and I cannot live like this anymore. I do not want to work for the world ever but work for You fulltime and to see and show the dead Christians and unbelievers that you are a most powerful and Almighty God. If I am not used that way just take me home because there is no other way that I want to be used and live.``

"I know these words seem to be hard but they are the truth. You are the one Lord who has been pushing me,and touching me in tearful and agonizing ways to say these words, if it were just me I would never have the courage or boldness to say these words.``

Anyways, after two months now of wrestling with the Lord I woke up one morning and though I thought was the end of me, thinking that this day would blow up in defeat or depression. As I left for work not knowing that my wife was praying for me, while I was driving the Lord declared to me in a way that He only can do, my calling as a missionary evangelist. Right there in my car this burning burden that was torturing my heart was replaced with peace and joy (unspeakable joy!).

All day long I could not but praise His Mighty name for this great and tremendous blessing and privilege.

I truly thank God from the day that He saved me until now and forever, that He controls my life the way He wants because that is all that I want, His most precious and powerful will to be done in my life.

Now I will continue to go forward with these burdens and promises that He has given me a man who is unworthy and incompetent. But I know that everything is by grace and by His grace God will accomplish through me what He has gracefully asked me to do until my last breath.

Again when I thought everything was lost He showed me in His time that it was not. I now expect on Him for the future that He will accomplish in His time always the wonderful promises that He has rooted deeply into my heart.

Thank you Jesus and glory to You always, my God.

Michael Barton Missionary Evangelist to the lost in Quebec Canada. Written Februrary 27, 2007

Chapter 5 - Betts, Charles

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Charles Betts, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Vandalia, Ohio (now in Heaven)

I was quite an introvert as a child. I never saw myself doing such a public job as God called me into.

When I was a sixteen-year-old boy, living in Reeves, Missouri, God began to deal with my heart about pastoral ministry.

God never spoke to me in an audible way; it was much louder than that, but we had a nineteen-year-old guy who spent a week in our church. It was during that week that God put into my heart a burning desire to be involved in bringing people to Christ. I saw no way for me to follow that call because of several personal circumstances. For example, I was an introvert and could not see myself standing before a crowd of people. Also, I was in high school (I attended five high schools), and I did not see any way for me to further my education.

It was eight years later; I was married, had one child, and was working for General Motors in St. Louis, and we were active in an inner-city church. I had a pastor who took a special interest in me and helped me greatly toward taking the step of faith toward doing ministry. I preached my first sermon in the St. Louis Church in January, 1958, and was called to pastor a small church within driving distance of Hannibal-LaGrange College, a junior college at the time. I graduated there in December 1959 and moved to a church near the University of Missouri, where I attended and graduated in 1962. Then I moved to Grain Valley, Missouri, and pastored there until I graduated from seminary in 1965.

While in school, God placed it in my heart to go to what was considered pioneer work for our denomination. Immediately after seminary, we moved to Ohio where we have served for thirty-eight years in two churches. I have also served twenty-four of those years on our State executive Board and served several years as vice-president of our State Convention (and two years as president.) I served for nine years as trustee of the seminary I graduated from in Kansas City, and eight years as both a member and chairman of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of our denomination. This group has an office in Washington, D. C., and they deal with matters of religious freedoms, morals, and ethical issues on a national level.

I was saved during a summer revival at Providence Baptist Church, Judsonia, AR. Brother Johnnie Sloate was preaching. I was twelve years old. One day, I was walking from where I lived, just east of the church, to the Providence Store. I know now that the Holy Spirit was dealing with me. I felt like the dirtiest little boy in Arkansas. I stopped and knelt on the dirt road a few yards east of the church and gave my heart to Jesus, making the most important decision of my life.

Charles Betts March 7, 2003

Chapter 7 - Branham, Craig

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Craig Branham

IN HIGH SCHOOL I PLAYED ON THE B-TEAM, BUT ...

I'VE PLAYED IN THE BIG LEAGUE - I'm not talking about the Base ball or any other sport, I'm talking about THE MINISTRY , and no it isn't a game, it is real.

When I was eight years old in our country church sitting by my friend Cecil Wayne when the preacher said maybe if you'll move somebody else will move. IMOVED. I came down the aisle and pretended to be saved. I reasoned thatsince Daddy was a deacon and Cecil Wayne's wasn't he ought to be saved. Ithank the Lord that he convicted me of my sin and I was saved. I was savedat my mother and daddy's bedside, in the middle of the night. What a blessing to have godly parents.

THE DRAFT - As an early teen-ager as I sat in Church I listened to Reverend Robert Fling as he preached about Gideon's fleece, I became aware that God would show His will in my life. One of my earliest memories is when I would stand behind an apple crate and mock Brother J. S. Jones who was our pastor. My older siblings have told me that I would stand on a stump and preach. My call to the ministry wasn't like a bolt of lightening but that still small voice that I could not avoid. I knew that God wanted me to preach. That night I picked out a certain peach tree and asked God to let it be wet with dew the next morning and all the others be dry. I played sick the next morning. I already knew He wanted me to preach.

THE NEGOTIATIONS - I had never known a young preacher in my life. All that I knew anything about were grown and married with families. I was barely in High School and didn't want anyone to make fun of me so I began to try to bargain with the Lord. Lord, let me finish High School and I will serve you. Then I decided Iwanted to be a doctor. Nothing like stretching the time out is there?

I graduated from High School on May 23, 1946, started my summer as usual, but late in the summer I attended several revival meetings with a friend. When the invitation was given I would hold up my hand for prayer. Because Satan had convinced that because I had promised the Lord after I was saved that I would do anything He wanted me do, and knew that He had called me to preach and I hadn't responded to the call that I was surely lost. At one church the last night of an open-air revival was suddenly moved inside when a small cloud appeared. As I started out all exits were blocked, each by a preacher. Sizing up the situation I went out by the song leader, I thought he'd be the easiest to get by, who invited me into a room and tried to teach me how to be saved. Sunday afternoon they came by our house in force, but I had already run.

Every revival I attended, and there were several, it seemed that the evangelist had an extremely long fore finger, which he continuously pointed at me. The last one for the summer was at Bell Baptist Church, a country church near Troup, Texas, our church. I was so burdened that I stood in the morning services and asked for prayer that I would be saved. I wept through every invitation and feared that I would never be saved. Mama let me know that she was burdened for me and was praying for me. Daddy seemed untouched by it all.

Sunday morning he decided to get involved and insisted on helping me doctor a horse's hoof that I had been caring for, for weeks. When he poured a little liniment on the hoof he opened the gate and let her out. When I started out he blocked the way. He never said, son I want to help you to be saved; he said, "Boy, I want to know what's the matter with you." I told him God had called me to preach and he moved aside and I went into the house and to my room bawling like a baby. He didn't say another word to me until we pulled up under the old pine tree at the church and my sisters had gone inside. Daddy, Mama and I were left and his next words were, "Well what are you going to do?" I said, I reckon I'll preach. Mama hit the ground shouting. She and Mis' Mamie Lacy and maybe others disrupted Sunday school. Daddy later told me that he had felt that I would preach from the night I was saved. The next Sunday night I made my first attempt at a sermon. It was less than five minutes long, but I had started down a road that would be directed by the Main Office in glory.

Craig Branham 9-24-07

Chapter 9 - Brown, Curtis

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Curtis Brown, Heaven

My salvation:

As a teenager, I had lived a life of sin far away from God. After my wife and I were married in September, 1947 and after our first son, Dale, was born in November, 1948, God began to strongly convict me of my sins. God has a way of keeping the pressure on a sinner until he makes it right with Him.

Belleview Missionary Baptist Church was having a revival meeting in the Summer of 1949 with Brother Corbett Mask doing the preaching when I heard the truth about God's love for lost sinners and about His provisions that He made in His Son Jesus Christ for the sins of all mankind. It was in that meeting when I repented of my sins and put my faith in Him as my personal Savior. Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Spiritual freedom is mine in Jesus.

My Call to Preach:

It is not all that easy to explain. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 3:1, "This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a Bishop, he desireth a good work." Based on that Scripture, I have strong feelings that it is a matter of a man's heart that brings real satisfaction in the Lord's service.

I have tried several different avenues in the Lord's work with no real peace of mind. I came to feel like the Apostle Paul when he said,

"For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel!" 1 Cor 9:16

Since the feeling in my heart that preaching His Word was indeed my true calling, I made it known in the Summer of 1954 to the Belleview Missionary Baptist Church. The church, the same year on October 3, ordained me to that office. Some 49 years later, I am still preaching the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ my wonderful Savior. As long as He makes it possible for me to preach and Pastor, I am not making any plans to quit.

Outstanding Experiences:

The first one that I wish to share concerns my two years of Pastoral work with my home church over 40 years ago. Even though I was taught no preacher could be much of a success in the ministry in his home church and in the community that he was born and raised. This teaching was based on something Jesus said in Mark 6:4. Even though I am not exactly sure what Jesus meant in that scripture. My home church gave me the privilege of being her Pastor for two years. In that two years, I witnessed 41 professions of faith and baptized those 41 people into the membership of that church. Also, I saw the attendance increase from the twenties and thirties to over one hundred in the Sunday morning service. For this reason, I consider those two years the best years of all my ministry.

The second experience was when I pastored the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church near Hamburg, AR. I have thanked to Lord many times for giving me that privilege. It was eight good years in my ministry. It was a joy to be your Pastor, even though it was a short period of time.

A little sad note about my work there was when the church voted to build a new sanctuary in l980, the work was begun. After all the rafters were in place and the walls were nailed together, the whole structure fell on Sunday afternoon.

Even though some of it was sad, some good things came out of it. The church was brought together in Christian fellowship. We had a good revival that week. The next Saturday, while the women were cooking some good food, I counted forty-five (45) men on top of that building putting it back together.

It has been a great joy to work for the Lord. Curtis Brown 2003

Chapter 12 - Chandler, Don

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Don Chandler, Senior Pastor, Central Baptist Church, Conway, AR

I have been in ministry for 41 years, having answered the call in the spring of 1966. I was attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, contemplating Law school, when I began to think of ministry. After weeks of prayer and discussion with my pastor, Dr. Bob Batson, I made my call know at the Park Place Baptist Church in Little Rock. I preached my first sermon the same day I surrendered to ministry.

Don Chandler 6-22-2007

Chapter 14 - Cooper, H. D.

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF H. D. Cooper, now in Heaven

Written by Sister Sarah Alice Cooper, his widow, after 51 years with Brother Harvey Denzel "H. D." Cooper.

H. D. was not saved when we got married. He did not grow up in a Christian home. I have attended church all of my life and was saved as a teenager.

Shortly after we married, he made a profession of faith, and later realized he was not saved. At this time, we had left the farm and was living in Birmingham, AL. We lived one block from Temple Baptist Church (BMA). We began to attend and H. D. was saved. We united with the church and became active in l960. Brother Z. W. Swafford was the Pastor.

We looked back and could see how the Lord worked in our lives. Putting us where He wanted us and preparing us for the ministry. H. D. Worked with Barber Dairy in Birmingham as a wholesale delivery milk man. He had previously worked as a door-to-door delivery man. He said that was when he learned to meet people and that helped him later in his ministry.

In the fall of l962, he began to feel the Lord dealing with his life. He would get so disturbed. He would talk to me, then go talk with Brother Swafford. They would talk, cry and pray. He would feel better for a while and then it would start all over again. He said he couldn't understand why the Lord would call him to preach. He didn't have the education he felt like he needed. He was studying the Bible but didn't feel like he knew near enough to preach God's Word. The real reason was, he was afraid he would make a mistake.

This went on until April, l963. On Mondy morning after Easter Sunday, he went to work early as always. One of the tires on his truck was low of air. He didn't want to be late with his milk delivery so he drove up to the air hose to air up the tire with the intention of having the tire fixed when he finished his route. As he was putting air in the tire, the rim broke and hit him on his knee knocking him backward several feet. Someone that witnessed it told him he had seen that happen twice before and he was the only one that lived to tell about it. The man said the rim usually hit the head. H. D. had a chipped bone on his knee. A cast was put on his leg and he was sent home to recover. The next Sunday night he walked the isle on crutches and surrendered his life to preach the word.

He was a changed man. He felt like the Lord gave him a second chance in life. He was off work all Summer and spent much time in Brother Swafford's office at church studying. Brother Swafford would say he had to run him out of his office so he could study.

A small church outside of Birmingham call H. D. as pastor that fall. He was ordained November 22, l963.

He continued to feel the need for more education. A couple in Temple Baptist Church, Gene and Berta Fant, began talking to him about Central Baptist College in Conway, AR. I thought they were out of their minds, thinking H. D. could quit his job and move his wife and children to Conway.

But, I learned what a great God we serve. God opened the way for us to move to Conway in August, 1964. I was given the job of House Mother (I think it is Hostess now) in Bruce Hall, the girls dormitory. My salary was $78 per month with an apartment for my family to live in. Our faith grew more in those four years that anytime in our lives. Many times when it seemed we did not have money for groceries or to pay a bill, I would go to the Post Office and there would be a check for just the amount we needed or H. D. would get a preaching appointment.

One highlight in H. D.'s ministry was while we were at CBC, Mt. View Baptist Church on Wolverton Mountain call him as pastor. Clifton Clowers was a deacon in the church and H. D. baptized his daughter. You may remember the song about Wolverton Mountian and Clifton Clowers.

Also, while we were there, H. D. was doing some calling and inviting people to a revival we were in. He drove up to a house and a man in his 60's was sitting outside under a tree. H. D. invited him to come to church and he said he might. He came that night with his wife. After the service, as he started out the door, H. D. asked him if he would like to be saved. He said, "Yes". No one left. The preacher counseled with him and he was saved. The church door was opened and he and his wife, daughter and granddaughter joined the church. His wife had been saved years before but he would not let her be baptized. People said that was the first time they had seen him in church except for a funeral. he never missed a Sunday except for sickness. We ate many meals in their home.

Where ever we ministered, there were young and old saved. Some in their homes, some in the hospital, some in church and one in his garden, a 70+ year old man.

H. D. had one brother who was lost. He witnessed to him many times. His answer was always the same, "I am all right, I help my neighbor, etc." In l992, his brother and wife visited us in Isola, MS. H. D. took him to his office to show him something. The Lord opened the way and he led his brother to saving grace. What rejoicing! He died about two years later.

H. D. pastored churches in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. After graduation from Central Baptist College, he served as State Missionary in Greenville, MS for 3 1/2 years.

When his health began to deteriorate, he took early retirement and we moved back to Searcy, AR to be near our daughter, Jeanine, and her family.

On October 30, 1999, the Lord called H. D. home from his earthly ministry. Only now does he realize how many lives he touched here on earth.

Alice Cooper 9-29-02

Chapter 15 - Cooper, Jerome

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Jerome Cooper

In the early 1960's our family joined the Temple Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. At around the age of seven, I made my profession of faith and was baptized at Temple by pastor Z. W. Swafford.

A couple of years afterward I began to experience a burden which I could not understand. Firmly convinced that I was saved, I couldn't ignore a sense that I needed to do something; I just didn't know what it was that I should do. By this time my dad had surrendered to the ministry and was preaching wherever he had the opportunity, including serving as pastor of a part-time church outside of Birmingham.

I remember a revival meeting at Temple; the evangelist was Harold Leytham. I finally shared my feelings with my dad, and he took me to Brother Swafford and Brother Leytham to talk to them. They didn't tell me the Lord was calling me to preach, but they did counsel me to consider whether that was the case. But because of my very young age, they didn't feel it was wise to make a public declaration of any call.

I sensed some peace about the matter for a while but then into my teenage years, once again the burden returned. On one occasion, I even made another profession of faith and was baptized again, yet that experience didn't put the matter to rest.

Junior high and high school years passed and I made plans for college. I struggled with the burden of God's call throughout those years; some times were harder than others. I made plans for a particular course of study in college and decided to attend Central Baptist College for one year and then transfer to a state college. I went so far as to register at another college.

During the summer following my first year in college, I was really struggling with God's call. Finally, I felt I couldn't take the struggle any longer, and one day I went to find Dad at his church office. I shared with him the thoughts I had been fighting with, including my hesitation to make such a decision because I didn't want to be mistaken. He shared his own experience of surrendering to the ministry years before, and in his office I surrendered to God's call on my life. That evening, July 31, 1974, I publicly shared the call with Park Avenue Baptist Church in Searcy, Arkansas. The church licensed me to preach and I delivered my first sermon at Park Avenue the following Sunday evening.

Jerome Cooper 2006

Chapter 17 - Crawford, Rufus

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS TESTIMONY OF Brother Rufus Crawford

The fifth Sunday of March 55 years ago was a rare March Easter. I preached my first sermon that Easter evening.

I had just returned from the service. The Holy spirit put a desire into my heart to preach.

Brother E. L. Jones of Texas, 15 years older than me, was my first cousin on my mother's side. He was my role model.

I had been home for a short time. I planned to study to be a lawyer. I missed the Fall session so I was fiddling around. I had been out in West Texas for the wheat harvest but a drought cut the harvest short so I hired on a road gang. I was moving a bulldozer. The boss asked if I could do a back fill. Although I had no experience, I allowed that I could, and I did.

I was not there long before the Lord put it in my heart to go home. _______Cole, a Southern Baptist evangelist who had pastored in Lemesa, TX where my cousin was. I didn't know that. He preached that night.

In the bedroom where I was born in the middle of the morning. The Lord put it into my heart to get my sisters Bible. When He impresses on you to open the Bible you should do it. My eyes and my heart fixed upon Mark 16:15, And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. That was mine from them on. I didn't realize that was a missionary call at the same time.

I took that Bible into my mother's kitchen where she was singing as usual. She was singing, "How Firm a Foundation Ye Saints of the Lord."

I am the last of seven children, the last of four sons. I had no idea that they had prayed that I would be a boy and that I would be a preacher. They didn't pray that for the others. They prayed for the others that they would be saved but not for them to preach.

When I went to my Mama's kitchen and told her that God had called me to preach and by His grace I will do it. She started weeping and praising God saying, "Thank God our prayers are answered."

The next Sunday morning I told the Church and that night I preached. That was fifty five years exactly on Easter Sunday 2002. You can preach a lot of places in fifty five years.

The devil tried to get me to doubt my salvation. He does that to all preachers after a year or two. But he couldn't chase me off of my salvation. I had come down that isle and told the old preacher I had accepted the Lord. He patted my on my head and said, "Bless you Rufus. Go on back to your seat."

I was eleven years old. The next year, I came back and they baptized me. The devil could not drive me back past that first one. You know, that's amazing.

I went to Jacksonville College. Mrs. Mildred came from Brother Roy Flippo's church in Amarillo, TX. She was 600 miles from home with no promise of anything more. The Lord put us together for the last 54 years. The Lord was in it sure as the world. For better or worse, we are still at it.

It was not long after World War II, I started preaching in l947, I spent those first two Summers hold revivals. It didn't matter if it was a Methodist, Presbyterian or what, if they would give me the key, I would hold a revival. I preached on a creek. From three to five times every Saturday, I put a record player and speaker on tops of that l936 Plymouth and preached. That's the way I started to work. We built brush arbors.

Brother Johnny Dugger came to the college and spoke on missions. 37 men and women made known their call to mission work. Zack?? Mason. His future wife, Latrel Johnson?? Craig Brannan. Richard Walters?? Those are some of the names I remember. As far as I know, we are the only ones of the 37 that did anything about it.

Mildred had this call to missions in her heart when she came to Jacksonville College. She just prayed that the Lord would give her the opportunity. She married me and the Lord called me to the mission field.

I prepared to go back to Germany. When you are in a war you always have a feeling for a place. I knew a little German. I studied at Stephen F Austin College to get my Batchelors Degree. I studied German. I worked at that but the Lord did not bless my efforts.

Every time I have gone anywhere, there has been a definite need. I'd go today if a need arose. The Medical Mission trips are an example.

I went to Meadowcliff Baptist Church in Little Rock in view of a call after they called the third time. When I got there it was iced over but 199 showed up anyhow.

I told them I had only been in El Dorado 2 1/2 years after returning from Brazil and if the Lord called me back to Brazil, I would leave. They said, "When you get ready to go, we'll let you."

Had I known that 13 months later God would call me back to the mission field I would not take that pastorate. You can't learn the Deacon's names in that time. But the Lord was in it.

I went to Portugal four years where I held revivals, taught in the school and refereed the preachers problems.

Between the mission which was located about 8 miles out from Companies?? was a red-light district. The only thing I ever agreed with the Catholic priest about was our fight against that red-light district.

The owners of the houses and prostitutes got an old boy doped up and told him that I had taken his pistol. He came riding up to my house on a horse. he was a long, tall boy with leather cowboy gear riding a big horse.

He asked, "Did you just come in from Campaigns?? in that station wagon there?" I replied, "That's right." He said, " You are the man. I lost my pearl handled pistol in the road and they tell you are the fellow that stopped in that wagon and got my pistol."

He swung up into the saddle on that old horse and pulled an old "shackeldy" rifle out of the scabbard and pointed the rifle over the gate right at my chest. That old horse was jumping around.

A neighbor boy and my daughter was playing in the yard behind me. Mildred was on the front porch watching the kids.

I kept looking over my shoulder hoping she would see what was going on. While trying to calm down the gunman, I yelled at her to get those kids in the house. She saw the gun and took them in the house.

I don't know why I did it but the Lord surely put it in my mind. I just held my hand up and looked at him and said, "Who knows but what I have your pistol." He looked at me with a surprised stare and dropped the level of the gun barrel toward his feet. I turned and broke the world's record for the 25 yard dash toward the house.

I tried and tried to lock the door. I had locked it with my key thousands of times. Every time I tried to insert the key, the keyhole seemed to move. First to the right. then to the left. I was so nervous, I thought I would never get it locked.

Then I crawled about to be sure Mildred and the children was safe. I peeked out the window to a street that was full of Brazilians who had been watching through their windows but they were not coming to help.

An old lady said, "Yea calm. What a calm."

The gunman had wheeled that old horse around and fired the rifle into the air before riding away. As he was getting away, he shot at two policemen. They chased him out into the country and no one ever heard of him or saw that horse again.

Rufus Crawford 8-22-07

Chapter 18 - Crews, James

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS of Brother James A. Crews, 3530 S.E. 151st Ave. Portland, OR 97236

Regarding my call to preach:

While attending Southern Arkansas University, I became involved in the Association of Baptist Students chapter on campus, and the College View Baptist Church down the street from the college. My zeal for soul winning was fueled by these decisions and a love for ministry was birthed in my soul. God began dealing with my heart during the final months of 1973 with the call to preach. I partly resisted because of my stark fear of speaking to crowds and my insufficient Bible knowledge. I also was "plagued" by some of the ABS students telling me I was going to be called to preach. I thought, "How do they know, when God hasn't even told me?"

The desire to preach continually burned within me and after counsel with Bro. Lynn Green (my pastor) and Bro. Robert Crank (ABS director), I surrendered to the ministry on the evening of February 3, 1974. God immediately opened doors to preach. In the first year I preached in 35 churches, some several times. After graduating from college and teaching and coaching for a couple of years, I was called as the Director of the ABS chapter at SAU. I served in that position for three years. After Bro. Green's resignation, I was called as interim pastor at College View and served in that position for eight months.

MISSIONS

My call to church planting was the reason for resigning my ABS position. I have been blessed to have started two churches, one in Indiana, Calvary Baptist in Bloomington, and the other in Oregon, Heritage Baptist in Portland; and I am now in the process of starting a new one in Idaho. Our church in Oregon also sponsors five church plants in five different states. Truly, I give God the glory for all He has done, is doing, and will do through His work in my life.

I have served off and on as a North American missionary and mentor for the past 24 years. In just a few months I will again appear before the Association as a candidate to plant a new church in Northern Idaho.

James A. Crews 6-13-06

Chapter 20 – Dimatulac, Abel

I was born August 13 1965, one of the 12 children of late Missionary Alberto Ruiz Dimatulac,one of the first filipino convert since baptist started in the Philippines in 1952. I grew up in Church. On april 1978 I repented of my sin and received Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. On April 1989 during National Youth Camp, during invitation I came forward and surrender myself to Gospel ministry. For about two years struggling in surrendered to the Gospel ministry and trained and now actively pastoring and planting churches. On 1998 called to mission field and organized my first mission into independent New Testament Church,and in my call the Lord led me to prepare myself in Seminary. After graduation in seminary I held my First pastorate 1993-98 1993 when I was ordained. Many souls saved and 6 men surrendered to the Gospel ministry and trained and now actively pastoring and planting churches. On 1998 called to mission field and organized my first mission into independent New Testament Church, and in 2001 organized my second and now I am on my third mission work. Glory to God! Aside from pastoring and mission works I also trained Nationals at seminary for ten years. Thank God for calling ne to Gospel ministry.

Pastor Abel Dimatulac 12-21-14

Chapter 23 - Goodwin, Jerry

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Jerry Goodwin, 1935 Bald Knob Lake Road, Bald Knob, AR

Growing up in the home of a Baptist pastor, the last thing in the world I wanted to be was a preacher. I was very content with my life prior to entering the ministry and had my life all planned. I had enlisted in the Arkansas National Guard as a senior in high school and in April of 1973 went to work full time for the Guard with the intention of retiring from that position.

My wife and I were members of Grace Baptist Church in Pine Bluff when I began to sense that perhaps the Lord had other plans for my life. In November of 1973, I expressed to my home church that I sensed the Lord calling me into the ministry. I was licensed by Grace Baptist Church, but still had no plans of leaving my full time position with the Guard.

After three years of wrestling with my fears, my pride and my career, I finally quit my full time Guard position in 1976 and moved my pregnant wife and our one son to attend Val Verde Bible Institute in Groves, TX.

It has been my distinct privilege to serve our Lord by serving His churches in the position of assistant pastor or pastor for over three decades.

Through all of this, I have been blessed with a wife who has never complained. Through all of the moves, all of the disappointments, all of the tears, all of the years without a place to call home, Bonnie has never one time complained. I wish I could say the same thing about myself. Even during a period several years ago when I had no place of service, she faithfully stood beside me as an encourager. For over two decades, I have had the honor of serving as pastor of Worden Baptist Church, Bald Knob, AR. This church has treated my family and I like royalty. One day I will be able to stand before our heavenly Father and say that serving as pastor of Worden Baptist Church has been a joy, Hebrews 13:17

Jerry Goodwin

Chapter 25 - Harvison, Sonny

CALL TO PREACH OF Brother Sonny Harvison

I had the wonderful privilege of growing up in a Christian home. Mother and Dad were both saved in a revival meeting at Cave Springs Baptist Church, Cave Springs Arkansas when I was just a child. Church immediately became an important part of our lives. At the age of nine, I too invited Christ into my life. I remember the excitement of that moment still today. I couldn't wait for the school bus to arrive on Monday morning so that I could begin to tell my friends how that Jesus had come into my heart!

Dad was employed by Boeing Aircraft in Wichita Kansas, when we were transferred in 1964 to the plant near Philadelphia, PA. I spent the from the 8th grade though my Senior year living on the East Coast, just south of Philadelphia. During this time, my family helped plant 1st Baptist Church of Blackwood, New Jersey where missionary Pastor Silas McMurray had a great influence on my life.

Upon graduation from High School, I had already made plans to return to Arkansas and enroll at The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. My goal was two-fold. Leave the East coast, and become an Electrical Engineer. Science and Math were always my strongest subjects and electronics fascinated me. Also, the promise of a successful high paying career didn't hurt.

My plans went well until the middle of my second year. My grades had begun to slip. My concentration for study was gone. In the past, "A's" and "B's" were the norm, now I was working hard to maintain a "C". And suddenly God had begun to plagued me with nagging doubts. He flooded my mind with questions, especially why I had left Him completely out of the planning process of my future.

Attending church had become more difficult as it seemed that each song, each sermon, each conversation was focused at me. God began to make me more aware of those around me who were going out into eternity without knowing Him, and worse still....what was I going to do about it? Me? What could I do? He began to renew His desire for me to be His voice to a lost world that He had begun to plant in my heart back in New Jersey while my family helped start 1st Baptist. I had ignored it then, and was attempting to ignore it now.

So I began to bargain with God. God, if you'll leave me alone and let me continue with my Engineering studies...I will teach a Bible class. Or...I'll sing! That's it! You gifted me to sing, so I'll lead the choir. Start a gospel group. We'll travel! We'll even buy a bus! How about a deacon? Dad was one. I"ll just follow his lead.

Well, all my bargaining with God was in vain. He kept pounding in my head and heart..."preach My Word", "preach My Word".

It was Sunday, January the 10th of 1971. I had gone to church that morning to "lead the choir" for worship. I was miserable. Our pastor preached yet I heard not a word. He called for the invitation....I led "I Surrender All". The words stuck in my throat! As the invitation was winding down, he asked for heads to bow and for people to pray. He talked of surrendering our lives, following God's will. With my head bowed, Broadman hymnal in hand, and stubborn heart in control, I refused to surrender. Instead I bent that hymnal in half. Finally the service was over and I breathe a sigh of relief.

That evening, I returned for a candlelight testimony service that the pastor had planned. I was feeling guilty that I had treated the Lord with such disdain that morning. As the service began, I sensed that there was something special about that service. The Holy Spirit seemed to fill the sanctuary. The service began. Several were sharing about God's grace and love in their lives. It was exciting to hear. I thought, "You know, God's really been good to me. I should share". I stood to speak. The pastor recognized me and I began. I said, "I just want to thank the Lord for saving me....", and then no other words would come. I bowed my head and began to weep as I started to beg God for His forgiveness for my stubborn heart. The next thing I knew I was leaving the pew and running to the altar. The pastor was there to welcome me but I literally fell on my face in the altar where I wept openly before God and surrendered completely to His call upon my life to preach His gospel. I told the Lord on my face before Him I

will preach your Word Lord wherever You send me as long as You want and to whoever You want as long as there is breath in me.

I was 19 then. I am 54 now. I have tried to be faithful to Him. He has been faithful to me!

My favorite verse from that day was and remains today... 1 Timothy 1:12 "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry"

Sonny Harvison 6-1-2006

Chapter 28 - Heuerman, Paul

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS OF Brother Paul Heuerman, Missionary to Africa

I am very pleased to share my call to the ministry with anyone who is interested to hear about it. Really, I guess one might say I have had two "calls".

My first "call" came at the age of 14. I had attended VBS and we studied missions that year with special emphasis on African missions. During the week the HOLY SPIRIT impressed upon my heart that God would have me serve Him in Africa one day. I talked with my pastor at that time (Brother H. M. Dry) about how I felt and he advised me to surrender my life to "special service" that meant I was telling God I would go wherever He sent me, anytime He sent me, to do whatever He wanted me to do. That's what I did when I was 14 years old. Three years later, during a revival service with Brother Julian Rogers as the evangelist, I received my second "call". I surrendered to the ministry and was pastoring my first church when I was 18 years old. For the next almost 30 years I pastored seven churches in East and Southeast Texas

In 1989 I was pastoring Pleasant Hill Baptist Church at Nacogdoches, Texas. I was in the study one afternoon when I received a phone call from the late Brother Jack Courtney who was the Director of Interstate Missions at the time. He asked me if I would prayerfully consider going to Bloomington, Indiana as an interstate missionary. I thanked him for the confidence he had placed in me by even considering me for such a position, but I told him I did not need to pray about that since I already knew it was not God's will for me. I did tell him, however, that if God opened the door for the BMAA to do work in Africa that was where God wanted me.

In November 1994 at the Mission's Symposium in Conway, Arkansas the BMAA decided to begin working in Ghana, West Africa. I went home from that conference and the next Sunday offered my resignation effective the last Sunday in December. I was pastoring the Northside Baptist Church in Conroe, Texas at the time. I applied to become a missionary to Africa.

You asked me to share a couple of things that have happened - here they are:

Mike Goodwin, Roger Dunlap, and I had gone to Burkina Faso to hold some evangelistic crusades. We were preaching one night on the edge of a little village named Guelwongo and it was my turn to preach. I was preaching about the rich man and Lazarus and the crowd was really focused on what I was saying. All of a sudden I heard a lot of commotion to the left of me and immediately the focus of the crowd had shifted to where the noise was occurring. I asked the believers who were there to pray but the commotion did not subside but increased. I became annoyed and, taking the microphone in my right hand, I pointed with my left hand to the spot where the disturbance was and said, "In the name of Jesus, I command you to be quiet"! The noise stopped instantly and there was not a sound made anywhere!! I was stunned and after a short pause went back to preaching the message. After the message was over I extended an invitation and no one came forward. I was greatly disappointed!! I have preached numerous crusades here and only on one other occasion has no one came forward to receive Christ. We packed the public address system and generator onto the truck and drove back to the place we were staying. I was "down". On the way back no one was saying anything and I began to sing - "LET'S JUST PRAISE THE LORD". It didn't take long before Mike and Roger joined me in singing - I think they were singing just to try to cover me up! Ha! Anyway, we were in much better spirits when we arrived at our destination.

The next morning, Stephen Aganda, who is the overseer of our national workers in Burkina Faso, came to the place we were staying and told us what had happened the previous night. When I was preaching a man who lived near the site the crusade was held had gone to bed, but had heard what I was saying. He got up, got dressed, and came to the crusade and was demanding a microphone. He said I was insulting Satan and he was demanding a microphone so he could give Satan equal time. Anyway, after the service was over and we had left, fifteen people walked to Stephen's house, which was close by, and told him the man had created disturbances like that before and had never been silenced like he had been that night. They gave their hearts to Jesus.

Another incident: A couple of national workers were sent to Asankragua for the purpose of doing a two week study of the area to determine the interest of the people in starting a mission in that village. They went house to house telling people about Jesus. One lady they talked to gave them her testimony after she had accepted Jesus as her Savior. This is what she related to these men. Others had tried to talk to her about Jesus before and she had chased them away by pouring boiling water on them. When John and Frank started speaking to her about Jesus they became thirsty and asked the lady for a drink of water. She went to get them some water, but before she brought the water to them, she cursed the water and turned it to blood (that only she could see). To John and Frank what she offered them looked like water. As soon as the glass touched the men's hands the woman saw the blood turn back to water - her curse was broken. She realized immediately the power that John and Frank had was greater than the power she possessed and she became a willing hearer of the Gospel and received Jesus as her personal Savior! Her name is Vida and she is a former witch!!!

Paul Heuerman 2004

Chapter 30 - Hornaday, Leo

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS TESTIMONY OF Brother Leo Hornaday

This is my story. I don't pretend to know how God deals with others. I don't even claim to have always been faithful. I share these things with you because I am convinced that we serve a Great God who loves to show himself strong on behalf of his children. He has proven himself to me many times over.

Gurdon, Arkansas was my hometown. At age 14, I was saved and following baptism in the New Gurdon Pond, became a member of the First Baptist Church of Gurdon.

My graduation from Gurdon High School came in 1951 and I entered Southern State College that fall. It was at Southern State College that I began to feel the hand of God. At first, I didn't know what it was. This was my first time away from home and I was terribly lonely. My alcoholic roommate was usually out until the early hours of morning and I found comfort in studying my Bible. I developed a love for the Scriptures and with it came a burden to serve God. I attended Church regularly and enjoyed the fellowship of the Baptist Youth Group that met in the Columbia Bible School building just off campus. God seemed to expect more.

My heart was not in school and after nine weeks, I became an official dropout. I moved to Shreveport and lived with my brother and worked for several months. He and his family attended a mission church in Bossier City and I got involved in the work and building program. My cloud of discontent followed me there.

As time went on, the strange burden grew heavier. I prayed that God would let me be a Sunday School teacher, or at least, superintendent. It seemed that any opportunity to serve would help, but there was no relief. In church, I found myself imagining that I was in the pulpit delivering the message. I would mentally rearrange each word and sentence the preacher said, trying to imagine how I would have said it. Afterward, I wondered at my strange feelings. I became afraid of almost everything. I loved to swim, but I began to avoid water. I was sure that God would drown me. It seemed that there was an overshadowing danger everywhere I went. I had a dread of being alone, yet the only peace I could find was when I was alone with God.

In the Spring, I moved back home. The First Baptist Church was in revival. Bro. D. N. Jackson was preaching and each night he preached directly to me. By now, I was fairly certain that God was calling me to preach, but still there were doubts.

I had never discussed my feelings with anyone, but on Friday night after Church, I went over to talk to pastor W.O. Tomlin and Bro. Jackson. I don't know what I expected them to say. They told me that if I could avoid it, I should not get into the ministry. I left disappointed. As I walked out the back door of the parsonage toward Dad's car, I felt I could go no further. I lifted my eyes to Heaven and told God that if He wanted me to preach, I would. Suddenly, the burden that had become unbearable over the months was lifted. I felt freer than I had ever felt in my life. The night was beautiful and the stars seemed so close that I could reach out and touch them. I felt warm and clean and full of love.

On Sunday morning, I declared my surrender to preach and the following Sunday, made my first effort. My subject was "Faith."

In the fall of 1953, I enrolled in Conway Baptist College. It was the first year of operation for the college. My uncle, Van Anderson who had surrendered to preach a year earlier, was going to school. He carried me along. We felt like pioneers. After one year full time, I became an apprentice brick mason. I attended college part time for two more years.

I was ordained by First Baptist Church in 1954. The next year I was elected to become missionary of the Clark Association. About the same time, I received a call to pastor the Eastside Baptist Church of Montecello, Arkansas. I moved on the field to pastor the Eastside Baptist Church in the fall of 1955. It was a small church worshipping in a converted store building on the edge of town. The skeleton of some unfinished Sunday School rooms was tacked on behind. This was my first experience at pastoring a church and I spent considerable time apologizing. In spite of my ineptness, the church grew. Before long we were having a full house on Sunday Morning and great services on Sunday night. The Spirit in our worship was almost electrical. The intensity of God's presence made me feel like I was in another world. I didn't know that I was witnessing a rare experience among Baptists. In the year and a half that I was there, I baptized eighteen. We had a good group of young people. They brought their friends to church and many of them were saved.

In the Spring of 1956, I brought my new bride home and introduced her to my church. These were exciting times. I was so happy in the Lord's work. I hoped that it would go on forever. Little did I know that within a short time, the Lord's hand would once again cast the shadow of discontent over my life. I don't know when I began to feel the burden for New Mexico. I barely knew where it was on the map. I had never been further west than Shreveport. I began to notice that I was developing an inordinate interest in New Mexico. Every time I heard the word, every time I read about it in the Baptist Trumpet or Gleaner, the words burned into my heart. My curiosity evolved into interest and finally into an obsession. I could not get New Mexico off my mind. I felt that I was carrying a deep, dark secret that I dared not mention to anyone.

The Eastside Church was growing. I had a wonderful group of people to work with. I was contracting enough brick work to pay the bills, and we were expecting our first child. I could not understand why I was not happy. I began to lie awake at night with my thoughts fixed on New Mexico. The symptoms were all too familiar. One night, down beside my bed, I told God that if He wanted me to go to New Mexico, I was willing. Immediately, that all pervading peace came over me. I knew instantly that my decision was right. I began to make plans to go to New Mexico.

Robert was born on June 16, 1957. It was Fathers' Day. We had special services planned including dinner at the church and a baptizing in the afternoon. I made them all. Robert arrived late in the afternoon and I barely had time to get to church that night. When Robert was two weeks old, I resigned from being pastor of Eastside Baptist Church. It had been a painful decision, but one with which I was content. I had not shared my decision with my wife, because I feared she might discourage me. She learned about it when I announced it to the Church. I told the church that I was moving to New Mexico and they granted my request for an endorsement to do mission work there. I preached my last message that evening and the next day, we moved our furniture to our parents' house. Money was scarce and I worked in Little Rock for two weeks before leaving. The temperature was 115 degrees in Little Rock the day I drew my pay and packed my tools. The memory of that last miserable day has helped me not want to go back.

EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS

Several years ago, I was filling in for Bro. Joe Leonard at the Temple Baptist Church of Sweet Home AR in a Sunday night service. About the time I started preaching, a woman came in and sat down near the back. After a little while, she moved nearer the front. Soon she got up and walked up to the front and around the pulpit where I was speaking. I stopped and she said "I'll take over now". I was a little taken aback. I told her that I was asked to be in charge of the service and intended to finish it. She turned and walked back to her seat, then got up and walked out. I learned later that she lived in the neighborhood and everyone knew her so they were not surprised.

When I attended Conway Baptist College (now Central), Bro John L Ferguson was one of my teachers. One Summer he asked me to supply for him while he took Summer classes in another state. He pastored three Churches out of Nashville, but only went once a month. One Church had services on

Saturday evening and two others adjusted their Sunday School time so that he preached at one at 10:AM and the other at 11AM. They were only a few miles apart. On one occasion, I was moderating a business meeting. A motion was made and seconded and I called for a hands up vote for those in favor. After the count, I asked if any opposed. At that an elderly man in the back stood up and said, "Bro. Hornaday, I know you don't know our ways here, but we never take the opposing vote". One way to keep harmony in the Church, I guess.
Chapter 31

BROTHER LEO HORNADAY'S INSPIRING CHRONICLE OF HIS MINISTRY

UNDER THE HAND OF GOD

The Sun was well up before I found courage to say goodbye to my wife and young son. I had never been separated from them before. I didn't know how far I was going nor when I would be back. In my pocket was a letter written by Bro. W. J. Burgess and addressed to Bro. Tom Shannon, a missionary working in Hobbs New Mexico. It would introduce me to Bro. Shannon.

By late afternoon, Dallas was behind. I was in the West Texas plain country. It was strange country indeed. The trees so common in Arkansas had given way to mesquite bushes. The fields were large but the vegetation on them was sparse. As darkness settled in, the lights of distant towns twinkled on the horizon. I wondered what towns they were and marveled at how long it took to reach them.

It was early morning when I turned into a motel in Seminole, Texas. After a few hours of restless sleep, I resumed my journey and arrived in Hobbs by midmorning. It was Friday. Hobbs was not a large town and I soon found the street of Bro. Shannon's address. Believing that I was in the right area, I stopped to ask directions of a man washing his car. "That's me!" answered the man when I asked him if he knew anyone by the name of Tom Shannon. Bro. Shannon was a thin, wiry little man. He had a projecting chin, long nose, a gold tooth and a high pitched voice. I handed him the letter. After glancing over it, he asked if I had eaten breakfast. I had planned to get my bearings first, then find a restaurant. When I told him that I had not eaten, he stepped over to the door of the nearest trailer and yelled to the woman inside, "Docie!, fix this man some breakfast!" Mrs. Shannon came to the door and welcomed me to Hobbs. Bro. Shannon and I visited while she cooked. They were lovely people.

Bro. Shannon said that they were organizing the mission into a church that night and invited me to join with them. I told him that I had to find a job before I made any plans. At this, he said simply, "After lunch, we'll go find you one". After lunch, we drove around town and talked while we looked. We stopped where two brick layers were building a block fence and I went to ask for a job. They gave me an address and told me to come to work Monday morning. I couldn't believe it. I had been in town only hours and already I had a job. Surely, this was the hand of God. That night I joined the newborn church.

It was a long and lonely three weeks before I got a chance to return home. On one weekend, I drove across the desert and over the mountains to Alamogordo where Bro. J. D. Stewart had a mission. The land was beautifully desolate. Bro. Stewart had to be away and gave me the name and address of a family that I was to contact. They were to provide me with a place to spend the night and show me where the mission met. When I arrived, no one was home. I learned later that they had gone camping. Eventually, I located a family of the mission and spent the night with them. There were eight present in services the next day including myself.

Robert was six weeks old when he arrived in New Mexico. Home was a small stone house on a large lot near downtown. The living room was also the bedroom. It could be separated from the kitchen by a curtain. The bathroom and shower were in a corner of the kitchen and could be enclosed by a curtain. Nevertheless, it was comfortable for the three of us, and we lived there as long as we were in Hobbs.

I continued to work with the same bricklayers. We worked for sometime in Seminole, Texas, then for a while in Lovington, New Mexico. I worked some in Carlsbad, but was sick for a few days and returned to find several of my tools stolen.

The church began a building. It was built of blocks and I generally stopped by on my way home from work and laid blocks for two hours or so in the evenings. Bro. Shannon was my helper. He was an old man but could outwork most young men. On one evening, I intended to tell Bro. Shannon that I was too sick to work, but when he saw my car turn the corner at the end of the street, he poured the water into the mortar. I laid blocks.

After the Hobbs church building was up, I laid the walls for the Parkview Missionary Baptist Church in Lovington. I was happy to be using my building skills to work for God. The church in Carlsbad was planning a building and I talked to Bro. Vernon Parnell several times about helping them but they never got ready while I was in Hobbs.

The Missionary Baptist work in New Mexico was strange to a newcomer. Churches were few and distances long. The churches were made up mostly of people from other places. They brought their customs and manners with them which all became mixed and molded into a unique character.

I also became aware that the name "baptist" is a broad umbrella that covers many very diverse doctrines. In New Mexico, I came in contact with "baptists," the kinds of which I had never heard, and doctrines that I could not believe. I learned that not all baptists believe what I had been taught were the basic doctrines of Missionary Baptists.

The traditional Arkansas answer that "Baptists have always believed that" was woefully inadequate. I was often unprepared to give an answer for the hope that I held. I felt the need to study as I had never studied before.

It was Spring of 1958. We were finishing up a church building in Lovington, and there was no more work immediately in sight. It was no great surprise when the foreman handed me two checks on Friday afternoon.

We had not been home since moving to Hobbs and Jeanette was anxious to show off the baby who was almost a year old now. On arriving home, I asked her if she would like to go to Arkansas. She replied, "Do you want me to fix some supper first?" She cooked with one hand and packed with the other and within hours, we were on the road.

It was good to see the folks again and especially, to show off the baby. Of course, they made over him as if they had never seen one before. Two weeks passed quickly and we returned to Hobbs.

The Church at Hobbs had called Bro. James Kelly to be pastor, and Bro. Shannon was preparing to move to another field. He had been in contact with a preacher from Albuquerque who was working at Grants. Bro. Shannon thought that it might be a good place to begin a work and suggested that I check it out.

I arrived in Grants around noon. It was a small town nestled on a hillside. The highway was the main street. Construction of a uranium processing plant nearby had drawn in hundreds of trailer homes. They filled the fields creating a trailer city much larger than the town. When I found the preacher at the Uranium plant, he assured me that his only interest in Grants was making enough money to get back to Albuquerque. I had a very negative impression of the Grants prospects. By mid-afternoon, I was on the road again heading North. I had no idea what was ahead. I only knew that I must find work soon. I spent the night in Ship Rock and in the morning, took the highway into Farmington.

After traveling across the desert, Farmington looked like an Oasis. Spread along the San Juan river, parts of it appeared to be old, but mostly it was a bustling boom-town. There was an abundance of oil drilling and related activities. Trailor villages had sprung up on every hand.

I was driving and looking when, on a street that skirted a canyon, I noticed a school under construction below. The man operating the brick saw told me that he was the foreman, and that I had arrived at a good time since two men had quit that very morning. Within minutes I was working. The hand of God had once again guided my way.

George Phillips proved to be a good foreman and a good friend. Like myself, he was left-handed. Many people thought that we were brothers. I would say a sad good-bye to him when I moved from Farmington three years later.

After two weeks, I returned to Hobbs for my family. We moved into a trailer in a community West of Farmington. After a couple of moves, we settled into a trailer park in town.

By mid-summer, we learned that my dad was very sick. We were expecting our second child in September and decided to return home while we had opportunity. We crossed Texas in a thunder storm that kept me looking for a hospital - just in case. Dad passed away shortly after we arrived in Arkansas.

On September 11, our second son was born. We named him Roy. Two weeks later, we were back in Farmington. A sister and another brother would be added to our troop during our sojourn in Farmington.

There were several Baptist Churches in and around Farmington, New Mexico but none that I felt comfortable in. We did visit a small Southern Baptist Church in the Kirkland community some. They were without a pastor and I preached for them several times before the local missionary found out.

We learned about a Missionary Baptist Church in Cortez, Colorado and went over for a visit. Bro. O. E. Chasten was pastor and the church met in his home. The Chastens had nine children at that time, most of whom were still at home. Another arrived while we were attending there.

Cortez was seventy miles across the desert from Farmington, so we usually stayed and had lunch with the Chastens before returning home. Sometimes, most of the other members stayed also.

After we joined at Cortez, the church decided to call a pastor. They voted on Bro. Chasten and myself. When Bro. Chasten won, some complained that it was because he had so many children to vote for him. The Church clerk took the books home and the church treasurer kept the church's check book. The pastor had to take the deputy sheriff to get the books and money back.

I met Bro. Larry Haynes in Farmington. He was driving for an oil well cementing company. He had recently surrendered to preach and was trying to save enough money to go to college. We visited as we had opportunity and became good friends. We talked about starting a mission in Farmington and began looking for a building to rent. Buildings were scarce, but we eventually located a church building that had recently been vacated. It had everything we needed and we arranged to bring the money the next Monday and rent it. On Sunday morning, Bro. Haines called and asked if I had seen the paper. On the front page was a picture of our church building going up in flames.

Bro. Haines left for college that fall and I didn't hear from him until about Christmas time when I got an invitation to his wedding.

Missionary Tom Shannon finished another project and moved to Farmington and started a mission. He rented an adobe type residence with a large living room to use for a meeting place. Everything went along OK for a while, but when the weather cooled and we began to use the gas heater, the building developed a terrific odor. I took Robert one night and we shined a light under the building. There were seven sets of eyes looking back at us. Robert told his mother, "Mama, I saw the church house kitties". Bro. Shannon made a chute and put it in the only scuttle hole so that when they jumped out, they couldn't get back in. The little ones escaped, but the mother skunk died under the house and the floor had to be taken up to remove it. The odor never left.

The mission developed to the place that we set a time to organize into a church. On the day of the organization, as we were turning into the church parking lot, our car was struck from behind and Jeanette and I went to the hospital instead of to the organization. I was uninjured, but Jeanette suffered whiplash and spent a couple of days in the hospital. A few days later, she was back again to deliver our daughter. We named her Linda.

Bro. Shannon persuaded the church to purchase property, and soon we had a building under construction. Bro. Shannon made mortar and I laid blocks after work each evening.

I learned to love the dry, crisp climate of New Mexico. Even the wind, for the most part could be tolerated. From Farmington, we could see snow on the mountain peaks throughout the year. Winters were cold, but almost always sunny. Summers were sometimes hot, but not nearly so sweltering as I remembered in Arkansas. There was ample vegetation in the valleys where irrigation could be applied.

Most of the people I met in Farmington were transplants from Oklahoma, Arkansas, or Texas. There was also a sprinkling from wherever. Many that we contacted had been strong members in their home churches. Some had joined the Conservative Baptists; others Pentecostals. Most were presently distracted by the hope of prosperity in the oil fields and did not want any church related responsibilities. I worked for a Methodist woman who told me that her father was a preacher. When I asked what kind, she answered "Oh, one of those darned old Missionary Baptists."

For me, the most depressing thing about living outside the Bible Belt was the shortage of other preachers with which to fellowship. The nearest church of my kind was at Cortez, Colorado. The next nearest was in Albuquerque, two hundred miles south. There were several churches and missions there. The number changed from day to day. None of them were very stable.

On one occasion, I was invited to preach in view of a call at Clovis, New Mexico. Following the service, the men of the church sat me down in a corner and opened an inquisition the likes of which I had never faced in Arkansas, not even at my ordination. I have since learned that outside the inner circle of Missionary Baptists, nothing can be taken for granted. Churches who do not question prospective pastors may soon be in deep trouble.

One day shortly after we arrived in Farmington, I noticed a Baptist Church that I had not seen before. We decided to attend. It was a Conservative Baptist Church. The morning service went OK so we returned that evening. They were observing the Lord's Supper. They were obviously upset when we didn't take it with them. I had given them our address and later that week, I came home to find the pastor awaiting me. The discussion that followed lasted into the night. The pastor explained baptism this way: He said, "Let's just suppose that two men are out in the desert. They have a radio and hear the gospel and believe it. When they find a water hole, they can baptize one another and they are both Scripturally baptized." We didn't attend there again. Bro. Shannon soon moved to Farmington and we started a Missionary Baptist mission.

One Friday afternoon, Bro. Shannon came by my job. He told me that there was to be a meeting at the church in Alamogordo the next day and the Secretary of Missions was to be there. He wanted me to go with him. I agreed to go because I didn't want him to go alone. By the time I got home and cleaned up, he was there and we started on the four hundred mile trip to Alamogordo. We slept a few hours in a motel and arrived in Alamogordo about 9:30 AM, Saturday. By the time we located the building, it was almost time for the meeting to start, but there was no one around. You guessed it! The meeting was the next week. We visited with the pastor, Bro. J. D. Stuart, for a while and arrived back in Farmington just in time to go to church Sunday morning. We didn't go back the next week.

I met Bro. Jack Lusk at the Rocky Mountain Association meeting. He was pastor of the Stargo Missionary Baptist Church of Morenci, Arizona. He told me that they were beginning a building and that they intended to construct it out of blocks. He thanked me for my offer to help and promised to call when they were ready. When the call came from Bro. Lusk, George Phillips, my foreman and I were working alone on a bank building. He told me that if I took time off, he would have to hire someone else. I knew what that meant and called Bro. Lusk to tell him that I could not come right now. Before the week was out, George asked if I was still interested in taking some time off. He said that he had received a car load of brick, but they were the wrong color and it would take at least two weeks to get more. Early Monday morning, I was on my way to Morenci. The trip through the mountains was further than I expected and by the time I got there, I had spent all my money on gas.

I had never seen a town like Morenci. It was built on an old open pit copper mine. The entire town belonged to the mining company. They had probably used one plan to build every house. The houses were in neat rows around the mountain side, one row above the other to the top of the mountain. A street passed by the front of the houses and from it one could look down the chimneys of the homes below. The church had leased a spot at the very end of one of the streets. The new building came to the edge of the cliff. The miners were on strike and we had ample labor to make the job pleasant. It was a thrill to be working with Christians again. On Sunday, Bro. Lusk invited me to preach. After the service, he suggested that they take up a love offering for me. It came to thirty five dollars. This was sufficient to get home. I had not told them that I was broke.

Time ran out before I was able to finish the building, but we had made good progress, and except for the Deacon's son who walked off the scaffold and broke his arm, it had been a pleasant and rewarding experience.

Learning to manage is especially important for a young preacher. It helps if his wife is a good manager. I got some good lessons early. I bought a new automobile just a month before Jeanette and I married. The payments lasted longer than the car and I made the last eight with the motor in the trunk. Without adding some cash , I couldn't even give it back to the dealer. In the meantime, our family was growing, and expenses along with it. I determined that I would never buy another new car, and I haven't.

Jeanette got her first lesson in managing as a pastor's wife the first Sunday following our marriage. Bro. Ed Hart and his family visited in the morning service. Bro. Hart preached and after church, I did my Christian duty. I invited them over for Sunday Dinner. It never occurred to me that my wife might not know how to cook for a crowd, nor that we had not been to a grocery store since we married. Mrs. Hart, being an experienced preacher's wife, understood. She and Jeanette went to the garden and gathered vegetables and made a fine meal. I expected a scolding, but it never came.

From the beginning of our marriage, Jeanette and I lived in places where credit was not readily available. On rare occasions we purchased furniture on a short term contract, but generally, we paid cash for what we bought. If cash was not available, we did without. Car payments convinced us that freedom from debt produced more contentment than buying things on credit. Our major expenses were rent, gasoline, groceries and after a little while, children.

Jeanette had a sewing machine that consumed considerable material, but the end result was shirts, dresses, and clothes for ourselves and later, the kids.

When our first two children were boys, she purchased a hair cutting set. Soon, I was taking my turn in the barber's chair. I never cease to marvel that God has given me such a good manager. Sometimes management is not enough. It is then that God's providence becomes precious. Work was slow in New Mexico and I spent considerable time looking for a job. On one occasion, my search took me to Clovis. By the time I arrived there, I had spent most of my money and was in doubt about whether I had enough to get home. The only work going there was on the Air Force Base. Bro. Jimmy Hatch lived in Clovis. He called a friend who delivered laundry to the base, and they arranged to smuggle me in. I

wasn't too excited about the idea, but went along with it. I learned on the base that they did all hiring downtown. The downtown office wasn't hiring bricklayers.

I visited with Bro. Hatch for a while. When I started to leave, he pulled out a $20. bill and handed it to me. When I told him that I didn't know when I could pay it back, he said "Just keep it 'till you find someone who needs it". I don't know how he knew that I was short on cash.

In Farmington, I was out of work for a while and finally found a job over in Montecello, Utah. Each evening, I drove my car out into the thickets and slept on blankets beside the car. The sand burs were rough. After a few days, I was transferred to a job closer to home.

In Hobbs, we were seven hundred miles from home, but when we moved to Farmington, the distance increased to twelve hundred. It took some planning to make the journey. For the sake of domestic tranquility, it seemed imperative that we make the trip home following the arrival of each new addition to the family. This meant going about every year. We usually stayed two weeks and I worked there when I had opportunity. For years, It seemed that our goal in life was to get enough money together to pay for the baby and make another trip to Arkansas. Thankfully, our children were all healthy.

The letter came in the Spring of 1960. It was an invitation to preach a revival at the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church of Corvallis, Oregon. My sister, Donna and her husband, James Sneed lived in Eugene and were working with the Corvallis church. I suppose that they had submitted my name.

I had been in New Mexico for three years and had not had opportunity to preach very much. The desire burned within me. How I missed being a pastor!

My first concern was how I could take time off from my job to make the trip. My family had grown to three children and it seemed that they consumed all that I made. When I learned that my mother and younger sister and brothers were planning a trip to Oregon, I arranged to go along with them. I would be gone just over a week and would return home on the bus.

Long before we reached Oregon, I began to suspect that the world was much larger than I had anticipated. The highway divided in Ontario and we asked a station attendant which was the better route. He said that one road went through the desert, but the one through the mountains was more scenic. We thought that we had seen enough desert, so we took the scenic route. Before the trip was finished, we decided that we had seen enough mountains. Our route brought us through such metropolises as John Day, Mt. Vernon and Mitchell. In Sisters, we were confronted with another choice. Since it seemed to go directly into Eugene, we took the McKenzie Pass route. It took much longer than we had expected and after a flat tire on the pass, we arrived in Eugene late in the night.

I was well received at the Corvallis church and the week passed quickly. It was a joy to get to preach again. After services Sunday night, I caught the bus home.

I had purchased my bus ticket beforehand, leaving me with about $2.50 in my pocket. As I departed, the church treasurer handed me two checks that totaled about $40 but there was no place to cash them. By the time I got to Grand Junction, Colorado, I had a nickel left. I bought a bag of salted peanuts with it. The bus took a leisurely route through Ouray up the Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass into Silverton, Colorado. Some of the turns were so tight that, as the bus rounded them, it looked like the rear wheels cut across the canyon.

When Jeanette picked me up in Aztec, New Mexico, I was ready for some good home cooking.

Several months after returning home, I received another letter from the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church. They had called me to be their pastor.

I don't know why I agreed to become pastor of the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church. As I look back on it, I do not recall feeling the deep conviction that I felt when I moved to New Mexico. Perhaps it appeared to be an opportunity. Perhaps it was the desire to be a pastor again. Maybe it was the pioneering spirit expressing itself.

The Farmington church building was finished. The church had called a pastor and Bro. Shannon was moving to Texas to retire. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

We were expecting our fourth child and decided not to make the move until after that event. Larry arrived in mid-February, 1961. Of course there was the mandatory trip to Arkansas to show off the new baby.

While we were in Arkansas, Bro. and Sis. Tramon Swanson came through on their way to the National Association in Tennessee. I accompanied them to the Association and they agreed to arrange their trip to accompany us to Oregon. Tramon and Clara Dean were the parents of fourteen children and old enough to be my parents. It was easy to think of Bro. Swanson as a father. They were from Blanchard, Oklahoma, but had raised their family in Corvallis. They had been leaders in the organization of the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church which began as a mission arm of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church of Blanchard, Oklahoma.

By the time we returned to Farmington, the money supply was critically low. Our church was in Revival and we planned to stay the week while we waited for the Swansons to come through. Before the week was out, however, it became apparent that there was not enough money to wait any longer.

We left Farmington on Wednesday morning. Jeanette drove one car with the children. With the other, I pulled a 20 ft. travel trailer. We left the 40 ft trailer which was our home until we could return for it. Night overtook us somewhere north of Montecello, Utah. We pulled off the road on a barren hilltop and made camp. The next morning, while Jeanette made breakfast, the Swansons drove up. I shudder yet to think how our trip would have turned out had they missed us. They had been away from home for several weeks and were anxious to get home to their children, but I begged them not to leave us and we traveled along together. Mrs. Swanson helped by carrying the baby with them.

The trailer was more than my car was equipped for and my top speed was about forty five miles per hour. Twice, it overheated and blew off the radiator hose. In Idaho the wind was so strong that I thought it would turn the trailer over. By the time we got to Boise, I was broke. That would no doubt have become my home had it not been for Bro. Swanson's credit card. Just past Bend, Oregon, the trailer blew a tire. Otherwise we made the trip just fine. We parked our little trailer in the Swanson's back yard, and I became pastor of the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church. A month later, Jeanette and I took Bro. Swanson's truck and returned for our trailer home.

Four years in New Mexico had not prepared me for Oregon. We arrived in the Spring. The snow was still as high as the car windows along the roadside on the Cascade summit. In Corvallis, the sun was warm until a little cloud passed over, then it would turn cold and rain or snow for a few minutes before the sun came out again. For several days, It seemed that I was busy taking my coat off and putting it on.

The Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church was small and I began to look for a job immediately. Work was scarce around Corvallis. There were several one wheelbarrow contractors who had one or two bricklayers and one laborer whom they tried to keep busy. There were few openings for a new man. Although almost everyone I met had migrated to Oregon from somewhere, the people were clannish and very suspicious of outsiders. I found a job in Eugene but the weather was so unpredictable that I often drove the forty miles to Eugene and only worked an hour or two. I was convinced that Eugene was one place that I never wanted to live.

On one occasion, I was called to work in the rotary lime kiln in the paper mill in Springfield. I had not worked in several days and had only one dollar in my pocket when I left home. A few miles out of Corvallis, my car sputtered and died. I coasted up to the gas pumps of a country store. It was just breaking daylight. I knocked on the door of the house nearby and a man came out in his robe and sold me a dollar's worth of gas. We worked 14 hours to finish the job and it was long after dark when I started home. As I was passing the same store, the car sputtered and died again. When the man came to the door, he said, "You again?" He put in several gallons of gas and asked, "Are you sure this will get you home?" Since I had no money, he held my watch as security until I got paid.

Construction on an apartment complex opened an opportunity for me to go to work in Corvallis and finances began to smooth out eventually. As soon as possible I borrowed Bro. Swanson's truck and Jeanette and I returned to Farmington for our tailor home.

The Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church was a plain box building with high walls and a steep, swaybacked roof located in the commercial section of town. A partition behind the pulpit closed off a couple of class rooms. Behind the building, a set of stairs went up to an attic which could also serve as a classroom. The plumbing was limited to a country style privy with a gunny sack door back on the corner of the lot. Installing a pair of restrooms and a nursery became a priority project.

Following a preliminary meeting held at the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church, the Oregon Association of Missionary Baptist Churches affiliated with the North American Baptist Association, was organized at the Foster church on Dec. 3, 1954 with three churches. Included were the

Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church, the West Oak St. Missionary Baptist Church of Lebanon and the Foster Missionary Baptist Church of Sweet Home.

Bro. Randy Garrison was elected missionary and proceeded to organize a church in Coquille. The next year the Coquille church was received into the Association. Bro Garrison was elected missionary for another year, but chose to stay with his church.

The St. Helens Missionary Baptist Church and the Klamath Falls Missionary

Baptist Church were added to the membership of the Oregon Association the next year bringing the participating churches to six.

In February of 1959, Elder Virgil Foles from Mississippi became pastor of the Foster Missionary Baptist Church. The Oregon Association paid half his salary. The church paid for his other half time.

On April 1, 1959, the Foster church barred Bro. Foles from their pulpit charging him with being a "Prevaricator and a troublemaker. The Association called a special meeting to learn why the church had barred their missionary from her pulpit. In the heated discussion, the charge was made that the Foster church was not scripturally organized and a committee was chosen to look into that matter. The result of the meeting was that the association was divided. The original three churches rejecting Bro. Foles. The rest continued to support him for a time. Bro. Foles found a building a few blocks from the Foster Church and organized the Santiam Baptist Church with several members from the Foster church and a few from the Lebanon and Corvallis churches. The churches supporting Bro. Foles continued to call themselves the Oregon Association.

Not to be outdone, the dissenting association renamed themselves the Original Oregon Association of Missionary Baptist Churches. Each side began to petition the National Association for a missionary. I arrived in Oregon in the midst of this controversy.

Being pastor of the Corvallis church put me into the Original Oregon Association. Bro. Ted Gammil was pastor of the Oak Street church in Lebanon. Bro. A. T. Swanson was supplying for the Foster church until their pastor arrived on the field. Bro. R. E. Byers arrived from Texas and became pastor of the Foster church in November of 1961.

On one occasion, Bro. W. J. Burgess came out to attend our associational meeting. He preached for us on Friday evening. When he learned that the other Oregon Association was meeting the next day in Klamath Falls, he left our meeting to attend theirs. They were not expecting him and he was scolded roundly for coming without an invitation. Meanwhile, the brethren at our association were somewhat upset because he left our association to attend theirs.

About the time I came to Oregon, Bro. B. H. Stringer was elected missionary to Oregon. He went to New Orleans instead. It is doubtful that any missionary could have worked in Oregon under the prevailing circumstances.

We learned of an association in Idaho and Washington that we believed held the same doctrines as our churches. Representatives from the three Original Oregon Churches responded to an invitation to a special meeting to learn more about one another. The meeting was held at the Victory Missionary Baptist Church of Walla Walla on September 23, 1961.

The Northwestern Association of Missionary Baptist Churches was composed of the Victory Missionary Baptist Church of Twin Falls, Idaho where Bro. O. A. Robinson was pastor, the Meridian Missionary Baptist Church of Meridian, Idaho, and the Victory Missionary Baptist Church of Walla, Walla, Washington where Bro. W. E. Richardson was pastor. I believe that the Meridian church was without a pastor.

The three Oregon churches petitioned the Northwestern Association for membership and were admitted. This doubled the number of churches in the Northwestern Association and expanded the distance between the farthest churches to about six hundred miles. This merger produced some stability in the Oregon work.

In 1963 Bro. R. E. Byers became missionary of the Northwestern Association and started a mission in Kennewick, Wash. Bro. E. J. Trivette replaced him as pastor of the Foster Missionary Baptist Church.

The bathrooms and nursery were added to the front of the Corvallis Missionary Baptist with a small entrance porch and a corridor into the sanctuary. With this project done, the church invited Bro. Lloyd Anderson from Arkansas to preach in our Revival. The services were spiritual and fairly well attended. Bro. Anderson preached through Friday night before returning home. On Saturday night, Bro. Ted Gammil preached. At the invitation, my wife of five years went forward and professed salvation. I cannot describe my surprise.

Bro. Swanson introduced me to Bro. Robert Whitener, pastor of a new church in Eugene. I learned that this church had been a mission of the Corvallis church, but following their organization, had taken in an excluded member from the Corvallis church thus breaking the fellowship between the two churches.

Afterward, Bro. Whitener returned to the Corvallis church with apologies and asked to be reinstated and endorsed as a missionary to begin a new work in Eugene. It seems that the excluded member had taken possession of the other church, the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church of Springfield. It is presently locked in the tomb of hyper-calvanism.

Bro. Whitener returned to Eugene as missionary of the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church and began the mission that, on July 12, 1963, was organized into the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. He pastored this church for six years.

Bro. Swanson was called to be pastor of the Meridian Missionary Baptist Church of Meridian, Idaho and moved there taking his children who were still at home with him. The older children who made up the greater part of the church membership proved to be not nearly so dedicated to their church as their parents had been. The spirit and attitude of the church was such that I no longer felt comfortable as their pastor.

After a little less than two years, I resigned from being pastor of the Corvallis Church. The Foster Missionary Baptist Church was without a pastor and I supplied for them for a while. After about six months I decided that I was not helping them to get a pastor so I resigned that position.

In the meantime, my wife had convinced me that our trailer was not large enough to endure Oregon winters with four children, so we moved into a house and sold the trailer. A month later, she announced that I was going to be a father again. Our fifth (and last) child arrived at the Corvallis hospital on March 25, 1963. We called him Wayne. When he was six weeks old, we took the traditional pilgrimage to Arkansas. We returned to find a letter inviting me to preach in view of a call at the Spokane Missionary Baptist Church of Spokane Washington

Bro. R. E. Byers, who was working with a new mission in Kennewick, Washington, loaned me his truck. Jeanette took the five kids in the old station wagon. I hauled the furniture, and we moved to Washington.

We arrived in Spokane in August of 1963. It was beautiful country. In the Northeast corner of Washington, the city was nestled in the Spokane River valley. To the South, lay miles on end of rolling wheat fields, Northward were wooded mountains. A few miles up the valley eastward, was the Idaho border. Lakes of varying sizes dotted the landscape. The sky was clear and the Sun bright. I fell in love with Spokane immediately.

One phone call secured a job with a masonry contractor (I would quit this company five years later when I left Spokane). I thought, "Surely, this is God's country." After renting for one month, the church purchased a parsonage and we moved into it. It was only one block from the school where we would enroll Robert in the first grade.

The Spokane Missionary Baptist Church occupied an old building in one of the original residential districts. People in the neighborhood often told me that they could remember when it was a Lutheran church, or when it was a Pentecostal church. The building had a long history. It had a bell tower type steeple over the entrance which was at the head of a long set of steps which left some of the elderly members gasping for breath before they got to the door.

Underneath was a full basement which served as a social hall as well as class rooms. Behind a partition in one corner of the basement was an old coal furnace that was in the habit of going out on Saturday night, and being ice cold on Sunday morning. It was surely a Baptist furnace.

The congregation was small, but lively and kept something going for the children most of the time. Two branches of one family had been involved in the organization and made up the nucleus of the membership. There were several younger families and parts of families. The former pastor was still a member there, but was usually busy somewhere else. Most of the members had an ABA background, but agreed to work with the Northwestern Association and the BMAA. On the surface, it appeared that this was a good working church.

As fall set in, the days got shorter and cooler. The sun shined almost every day enabling construction to continue. When it got too cold to work outside, we covered our walls with plastic and heated our work area with space heaters. I had never worked so steady. Only a fresh snow would interrupt the schedule.

I loved the snow. It gave me an opportunity to spend some time with my kids and we spent a good deal of time sledding on the hill by the school. Sometimes, there would be hundreds of kids sledding there.

Our neighbors were rather suspicious when they learned that a preacher had moved into the neighborhood. On either side of the parsonage lived elderly ladies who were not too excited to have so many kids next door. Jeanette soon won their hearts by visiting and running errands for them.

Across the street, a deaconess of the Christian church felt it her duty to convert me. We had many Saturday evening conversations that helped fire me for the pulpit Sunday morning. In the second house to our left, lived a Catholic family with several children who played with ours. I came in one day while the mother was having coffee with Jeanette. After I spoke to her, she remarked that I was not at all like her priest. After a few visits with Jeanette, she decided she needed to be in church more.

She started attending her church again. Up the street to our right lived the Anderson family with several children, most of whom had severe hearing problems. The mother, Irene, told Jeanette that they didn't have any time for this "religion thing."

When I started building a trailer in my back yard, Carl came over to observe. We became acquainted and soon were visiting regularly. On Christmas Eve, Carl and Irene came over to help us assemble the slot car tracks that our boys were getting for Christmas. By the time we finished testing the slot cars out, the hour was late. The next morning Irene came over to tell us that Carl was at home breaking up all his bottles. They began to attend our church and eventually I was privileged to baptize the parents and several of the children.

The mission in Kennewick under Bro. R. E. Byers' leadership moved to West Richland. Due largely to the promotion of Bro. Mike Holcombe, they soon issued an invitation to the youth of the churches of Washington to attend a Youth Rally. The rally which took place on Saturday, July 20, 1963, was successful beyond all expectations. Three months later, the second Youth Rally was held at Ahtanum. Thus began the tradition of the Washington Youth Rally which is still a highlight of the Northwest work. It took five hours to drive from Spokane to Ahtanum, and three hours to drive to either Walla Walla or West Richland, but the fellowship and good spiritual programs made it worthwhile. Churches often took two or more cars to take their youth to the rally.

With the addition of the First Missionary Baptist Church of Spokane, the borders of the Northwestern Association made a triangle with points at Twin Falls, Idaho, Spokane, Washington and Eugene, Oregon, a maximum distance of about 650 miles. The Missionary committee met quarterly at a central point, usually John Day, Oregon for a Saturday meeting.

On one occasion, I complained that a meeting that had required me to take a day off from work had cost me $25 dollars in lost wages. Bro. O. A. Robinson, pastor of Victory Missionary Baptist Church of Twin Falls answered, "That's the advantage of being a carpenter. It only cost me ten."

1963 was a year of change in the Northwest. Bro. W. E. Richardson, having completed the new Building for the Eastgate Missionary Baptist Church of Walla Walla, resigned and became pastor of a church in Cortez, Colorado. Bro. Wayne Raines became pastor at Eastgate.

On July 12, the mission in Eugene, Oregon was organized to become the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. They retained missionary Robert Whitner as pastor. In the same month, Bro. R. E. Byers moved the Kennewick mission to West Richland, Washington.

I became pastor of the First Missionary Baptist Church of Spokane in August and Bro. E. J. Trivett moved on the field to pastor the Foster Missionary Baptist Church of Sweet Home, Oregon in September. Bro. Ted Gammill resigned the pastorate of Bethel Baptist Church of Lebanon the same month.

In October, the West Richland Mission was organized into the Trinity Baptist Church with missionary R. E. Byers pastor. Bro. A. T. Swanson became pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church of Lebanon. Bro. Art Baker of California moved on the field to pastor the Corvallis Missionary Baptist Church in December.

The Washington Youth Rally held its initial meeting with Trinity Baptist Church in June. Three months later, the second session met with Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church of Ahtanum, Washington and pastor Herbert Lassater.

In November of 1965, Bro. Leo Willard arrived from Texas to become pastor of the Eastgate Missionary Baptist Church of Walla Walla. He brought with him a briefcase full of Texas sized ideas. Not the least of them was a dream of a Youth Encampment.

I had never attended a youth encampment and was sure that at best, it should be a low priority item. After all, there were plenty of projects to spend money on without resorting to entertaining the kids. Bro. Willard insisted that it was a good evangelistic outreach. I finally gave in and agreed to cooperate--just once.

The first Washington Youth Encampment was held in the summer of 1966 at Camp Wooten. It was such a success that we decided to invite all the churches of the Northwestern Association to participate the next year.

The attendance for the 1967 camp was too much for the facilities and we determined to find another location. We used camp Luthercrest one year before moving to camp Elkanna. The Youth Encampment did indeed prove to be a good evangelistic outreach. Before the camp was over, I was sold on the idea and have missed only one camp since.

Bro. Jurl Mitchel related to me some advice that his father had given him as a young preacher. He said, "Son, beware of those who meet you at the station." Every church that I have ever pastored has had those who wanted to take the new pastor into their confidence and make sure that he saw all the problems of the church from their perspective. The First Missionary Baptist Church of Spokane was no exception. When we arrived, we were strangers and one family in particular took us under their wing. They dined us while the man advised me on how to pastor the church. Unfortunately, and true to form, when I chose not to follow his counselling, the friendship turned sour. On one occasion, the man boasted, " I paid three hundred and fifty dollars to move one pastor on the field, and three months later, I gave five hundred to move him off. I felt that he was asking my price, but I didn't have one.

Later, the same person, who was our Sunday School Superintendant, skipped church and went duck hunting. The next Sunday, he announced: "Attendance is down today. We need to find out what the problem is and if it is the pastor, we ought to get rid of him and get another one." He had the uncanny ability to turn any subject in Sunday School class into a discussion on how to get rid of the pastor. I hoped that the other members understood his unique ways and did my best to overlook him.

A more serious dissension developed between the branches of the family that made up the nucleus of the church. The son of one branch insulted the daughter of the other branch. It probably would have soon blown over, had the parents stayed out of it. The parents took up the fight and each side tried to influence the pastor to take their side. Soon the church was divided into two camps who could not speak civilly to one another and a third portion who could only try to stay out of the way. Business meetings became a yelling contest. Anything proposed by one side was opposed by the other. The pastor was no more a moderator; he was a referee. Months of this internal strife took its toll. I felt the burden but could not solve the problem. There was never a moment that the weight of this conflict didn't bear down on my heart. I became so depressed that I was no longer able to laugh. I'm sure it was a terrible experience for my family. I had not yet learned to cast my cares upon the Lord. The doctor told me that I was developing ulcers and recommended that I take some time off. I took the kids and went camping.

When I resigned, I explained to the church that I did not feel that I had accomplished what the Lord brought me there to do, but due to circumstances, I did not feel that I could.

A short time after I resigned, in a Wednesday night service, fourteen of our members, led by the former pastor, read a request for letters to organize an ABA church in the Spokane Valley. They assured us that the request was only a formality since the church at Wenatchie had already agreed to sponsor the mission, letters or not. This was a total surprise to myself and I think to most of the members not involved. The church chose to exclude them rather than grant the letters. When I reflected on it later, I felt that granting them letters would have been a wiser move.

The division that had plagued the church left with these members and the church settled down to something near normal. I wished that I had been a more patient pastor and let matters run their course. I felt that I could pastor the remaining members and secretly hoped that they would call me again. They called Bro. Orin W. Collinsworth.

With my resignation, it became necessary to vacate the parsonage so we put our plans to visit Alaska on hold (they are still on hold) and used the money to make a down payment on a house. Most of my work by now was out of town and I spent a great deal of time in hotels or apartments in Pullman, Ellensburg, or Moscow, Idaho, coming home on the weekend. I continued to help what I could with the Church. I wasn't exactly content, but thought it best to await the Lord's direction.

I had followed this pattern for about two years when the letter arrived. Had it been from a church in Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, or almost any other place west of Texas, I would probably have been elated. The letter came from the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Eugene, Oregon, the

one town of all my travels that I never wanted to see again. They were extending me a call to become their pastor. I remembered the miserable rainy winters, the clannishness of the construction industry, and the general disarray of the Missionary Baptist work in Oregon. I tried to convince the Lord that there must be some mistake.

Being called to pastor the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Eugene added a new and troubling dimension to life. I knew that God had called me to be a pastor; I just didn't want to go to Eugene.

I had been talking about starting a mission on the East side of town and a family had agreed to cooperate. I decided to press this effort forward.

We finally found a vacant store building that could have been adapted for temporary use and arranged to rent it. When we went to pay the rent and complete the deal, however, the lady who owned the building told us that her son had advised her not to rent it to us.

I had some ideas about mission work that I wanted to put into practice and applied to become Missionary of the Northwestern Association. The general consensus of the messengers was that I could be missionary under the conventional arrangement, but my ideas were rejected (I still wonder if they would have worked).

I made two trips to Eugene to tell the church that I could not be their pastor, but was never able to say it. The burden of indecision weighed heavily on me. I truly wanted to serve God and knew that I should be involved in a pastorate somewhere, but why Eugene?

Added to this burden was the fact that we had purchased our first home and dreaded giving it up. Work was steady in Washington, even though most of it was away from home and I remembered how hard it was to make a living in Oregon. Also, our oldest son Robert had been approved as a street crossing patrol officer for his school for the next year (He has never forgiven us for missing that honor).

Arguing with God, I learned, is generally not very productive, but it does serve the purpose of removing all doubt. The time came that I knew that there was no alternative for me. I was going to Eugene. I contacted the church and told them that I accepted their call and was making my plans to move on the field. Immediately, a peace settled over me that made the drudgery of selling our house and preparing to move almost exciting.

A large U-haul truck towing my work car, plus the station wagon pulling our utility trailer were barely enough to carry our accumulation of paraphernalia. The cat had kittens just in time to be included.

We arrived in Eugene on August 5, 1969. The church had rented a house for us. When we unloaded the snow sleds, they asked what we planned to do with them, since it never snows in the Willamette valley; (That winter, snow was 46 inches deep in our front yard). They also remarked about the box after box of empty fruit jars; (By the next winter, they were all full). The next Sunday, I became pastor of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church was a warm and friendly church and we felt comfortable there from the start. My resolve was severely challenged, however, when it came to providing for my family. Eugene was known as the lumber capitol of the world. Dozens of saw mills kept log trucks on the roads constantly. There was work for carpenters, but very little for brick layers. Some of the commercial buildings were blocks but most of our work was doing trim work and fire places. In winter, when the weather was bad, there was no work at all.

Near Christmas time, Jeanette answered an ad for someone to sell sewing machines. After a couple of training sessions, she brought home a machine and tried without success around the neighborhood to sell it. I wasn't working and she suggested that I try selling sewing machines. They determined that I didn't need training and I brought home a New Home 672 machine to sell. Jeanette checked her machine back in. I made several appointments but the people were always out of money. I determined that salesmen had to be rather hard hearted to be successful. I got an opportunity to work and a few days after Christmas, I decided to return the machine. I took it back to the place where I had gotten it but the place had been vacated. No one around seemed to know where the people went so I took the machine back home until I heard from them. After a year, Jeanette said it was time to pay the storage on the machine so she put it to work. She is still using it.

In the Summer, Jeanette took the children to the bean fields and they earned money for some of their clothes. One day when I wasn't working, she insisted that I go pick beans too. After a hard day's work, I had picked less beans than my second grader son. I refused to go back.

I made a connection with an Amway distributor and through their hype came to believe that there might be a future in it for me. In order to give it a try, I needed more time. I quit laying brick and got a job driving a school bus. This left time during the day for other things.

Amway wasn't for me. I became convinced that they used the Bible to promote their business rather than to obey God. I answered an ad for a repairman for a property management company and was soon involved in repairing and maintaining apartments and houses. I adapted well to this kind of work and it developed into a good occupation. After one year, I quit the school bus. In time, I became repairman for a larger property management company and was responsible for the maintenance of almost a thousand apartments. With the kids in school, Jeanette went to work cleaning apartments. Sometimes we worked together.

Soon after we arrived in Eugene, our house in Spokane sold and we were able to make the down payment on a house. We were advised by the realtor not to move our family into the neighborhood around the church as it had a bad reputation. We found a vacant estate on the other side of town that we could afford. We moved in and I began an overhaul project that lasted for twenty years.

The city was expanding our direction and the fields below our place were filling with new houses. The city decided to install new streets. Since my house was on a corner lot, the assessment to replace the streets by my house would be almost twice what I had paid for the place. I didn't have that kind of money and was naturally concerned. One day the man who was developing the property below came by and told me that if I wanted to get rid of my place, he wanted first chance. I told him that I had to live somewhere and wasn't interested in selling. Then I said that if there was a place near the Church, I might be interested in a trade. He said "find what you want and I will buy it and trade with you." He went on and I never gave it another thought until he came by a week later and asked if I had found anything I would trade for. I decided he was serious and Jeanette and I went house hunting. We found a three bedroom house with a large back yard on Barger Drive that shared a corner post with the Church property on Wisconsin. They wanted more for it than I thought my place was worth, but I told the man what I had found and he said that he would go look at it. A few days later, he called and said that he could get the property but had to be sure that I would go through with the deal. I told him that if it was a straight across trade, I would do it. My house was paid for and I wasn't interested in taking on a mortgage. In a few days, he called and told me that the papers were ready to sign. We became the happy owners of a very nice newer home with plenty of garden space around the corner from the church. I never cease to be amazed at how God provides for His own.

The year was 1978. We were at Camp. I was carrying a burden that I dared not share with anyone. The Lord was dealing with me to become full time pastor of New Hope Church. In all my pastoral life, I had worked to support my family and attempted to pastor churches with my left over time. There were many conflicts and I knew that the church sometimes suffered because of my vocation, but it seemed necessary. After all, I reasoned, God gave me a family and He expects me to provide for them.

I had felt guilt before for not giving God all my time, but had always been able to justify myself some way. I had said that it was because I didn't like my job, or on occasion, because I was temporarily unemployed. Now, the burden was overwhelming and I could not excuse myself. I had a good job, paid vacation and all. I drove the company van and carried the keys to 800 apartments. My job was challenging and rewarding. For the first time in my life, I made a comfortable living and didn't want to give it up. Why couldn't God leave me alone?

Our church was growing and we were planning to build a new building. It was going to require all of someone's time. My experience with construction and as a repairman had brought me into contact with most phases of building. I felt that this was what God had been preparing me for. For months I had wrestled with this burden. Now, at Camp, the hour of decision had come. I had to make a choice. It was alone with God that I made the commitment. I said simply "Dear God; If you will make it possible, I will go full time for you." The matter was immediately settled. I had perfect peace in my heart.

I made no public announcement at camp. Instead, I made the announcement to the church the next Sunday. They appeared to be pleased and immediately doubled my salary.

My supervisor called me into his office to tell me that I was getting a raise. I told him that I was leaving the company. The church had always paid me a token salary, a large part of which was made up of my contributions. Even with the salary doubled, my income was reduced by $750 per month. My wife, who keeps the books and pays the bills was understandably disturbed. She was working, but she could hardly see how we could make it on the reduced wages. We had a family discussion and I explained that if she were willing, then God would bless her efforts. If she were not, then I was sure that He would provide some other way. My agreement with God was that He had to make it possible. She was willing. God showed His greatness in so many marvelous ways! Friends helped. The Church continued to raise my salary. After a period of adjustment, our financial life was back to normal.

For months the cloud of discontent had been gathering over New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. It was evident that something was stirring beneath the surface, but it was not clear what was wrong. One of my members was emphatic that I had overstayed my welcome and that it was time for me to move on. I could see that the church was under stress and I didn't have a solution for it. Would my leaving restore harmony? I was willing if that was what God wanted. I had to be sure. I begged the Lord to release me from being pastor and put someone better in my place. Based on past experience, I dared not move without clear directions from the Lord. I waited, but no release came. Instead, God gave me calm assurance that I was to stay put.

On a Wednesday night, the storm broke resulting in the loss to our church of several of our leading families. Gone were our children' and adult Sunday School teachers, our Sunday School superintendent, song leader, pianist and Church Clerk. Along with them went a considerable part of the church's financial support.

Following the initial shock and mourning over the loss, the remaining members regrouped into the warmest, sweetest spiritual fellowship that I have ever enjoyed. Visitors, which had been rare for a long time, began to attend regularly. We began to feel God's blessings in our services once again.

My wife was a nurse in a Nursing Home. With our two salaries, we were able to live comfortably. Aware that the church had suffered financial loss, I asked them to reduce my salary by half. It was essential that the church bills be paid on time. I expected to have to find a job and go back to work; after all, I had only promised to go full time if God would make it possible. Now, it seemed hardly possible. I underestimated the power of God. There had been some changes in the Nursing Home administration, and without her knowing it, the new Director of Nurses had recommended that Jeanette receive a two dollar per hour raise. Her first check following the reduction of my salary reflected the raise. The monthly increase offset the loss of my salary so that there was hardly a ripple in our finances. Once again, God proved Himself sufficient for all our needs. We certainly serve a GREAT GOD!

PUBLISHER OF NEWSLETTER Here is the hitherto unrecorded account of my editorial experiences:

I was only allowed three years of agriculture and shop in High School so I chose typing over biology for my senior year. I just couldn't bring myself to dissect frogs. Typing was tough and I didn't get very good grades, but it proved to be the most valuable course that I took in school. When I arrived in the Northwest, the formal communication among churches was through a monthly paper called the Missionary Baptist Flag. It was a good source of news and kept the churches posted about coming events.

Occasionally, I had an inspiration and sent an article in to be printed. I was elated to see several of my articles reprinted in the Trumpet and one entitled Your Pew Talked has appeared twice on the flyleaf of the BMA Sunday School quarterlies. Credit was given to the Mississippi Baptist Flag, but that made no matter to me. I was thankful that someone thought it was useful.

With rising costs, the Missionary Baptist Flag began to falter financially and the Northwestern Association which owned it, searched for some way to cut costs, finally agreeing on the purchase of a used AB Dick offset press. The machine was purchased, but the current editor didn't know how to use it, so continued to hire a printer. At the next Association meeting, a new editor was installed who experienced the same problem and invoked the same solution. By then, the paper was only being printed occasionally.

About that time, Bro. Don Sheffield became pastor of the Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. At the Association, he became aware of our publishing problems and declared that his wife had experience with AB Dick machines. He was unanimously elected to be the next editor. It turned out, however that this machine was not the same type as the one she had operated, and the Shefield team were never able to put out an issue.

One morning, Bro. Shefield knocked on my door. He was leaving the Northwest and needed a place to leave the publishing equipment which included the AB Dick offset press and a large cast iron address maker. On my house was a room whose purpose we were never quiet able to determine and to my wife's horror, it became the home of the duplicator and addressograph.

I figured that along with the equipment, I had inherited the position of editor of the Missionary Baptist Flag. Without any official authorization, I determined to put out a paper.

I studied the manuals and experimented with the machine until I finally managed to produce an image. I typed my material onto a paper master and undertook to print a paper. After several clean up and start over sessions, I finally got a sheet printed on both sides in a readable order and eventually, got most of them addressed. It was then that I got my first experience dealing with bulk mail at the Post Office. I applied for and was granted a second class permit. This kept the cost down but the rules were so sticky that they made me rather uncomfortable. I did get several issues of my version of the Missionary Baptist Flag out. They were far from perfect, but I felt that I had met the objective of the Publication Committee in using the duplicator to publish them.

At the Association, considerable dissatisfaction was voiced over the quality or lack thereof of the Flag. They did make me the official editor with the hope that quality would improve. After a full year in which I published an issue each month, the Association decided to return to professional printing and elected Bro. Keneth Davis, Editor. The sentiment appeared to be that the reputation of the Flag was too sacred to be desecrated. Some suggested that they would rather it died a natural death than be mutilated in such a manner. Bro. Davis got out one issue before the Flag suffered permanent termination.

It was about this time that electronic typewriters appeared; the kind that put the material on a screen and gave opportunity to edit it. I was elated at this. I wanted to write, but seemed never to get it in presentable condition. With the new word processing typewriters, it was possible to print a page in good condition. I bought one. I also persuaded my church to purchase the old AB Dick duplicator that I had tried to learn to use. Thus equipped, I began to put out a weekly Church bulletin. I typed my studies and observations into the bulletin which usually took an extra page.

Home computers were making their debut and I purchased a Tandy HX 1000. It had 128 meg of memory, one floppy disk, no hard disk and no mouse. It cost more than my present Dell with an 80 gig hard disk and 512 meg memory, but it was a big step ahead of the typewriter. I added a wide Panasonic dot matrix printer that would take 14 inch paper sideways. That's what I used to make the masters for the early Profile papers.

The AB Dick was so temperamental that it wasted reams of paper. The adjustments changed with the temperature so that every time I went to use it, it had to be reset. It also spit ink all over the floor and on the walls of the room. It wasn't my wife's best friend. With practice, I did manage to improve the quality of the product. We were building a new Church building and I didn't have a great deal of time to work with it.

For several years, the only communication among the churches of the Northwestern Association was at the meetings or by letter or phone. There was always in the back of my mind the nagging thought that we need a method of sharing information and keeping the work before our churches. At first, I thought it was the pride of being able to print readable copy, or the ink in my blood, but I could not shake the idea that our churches needed an editor and that I was the man. I wrestled with this for a long time. It wasn't as if I didn't have enough to do and my original effort had been rejected. I finally became convinced, however that God was calling again.

It was at the Youth Encampment that the burden came to a head. There, I told the Lord that if He would make it possible, I would put out a paper.

This eased the pain, but left several questions unanswered. In developing a plan, I came to two conclusions: (1) I would not beg for support. If there was no money, I had no obligation to publish the paper. (2) I would not allow the paper to become an echo of the National Association programs. I have received several local Baptist papers through the years and most of them have the same material in them that I have already read in the Baptist Trumpet. (I regularly receive requests to publish material from the various departments that would more than fill the Profile). I did not have capability to print in color, so I decided to use legal size colored paper; a decision that I have not regretted though it is more expensive. I was discussing a possible name for the paper with my son Robert and he suggested "Northwest Profile" and so it is.

Having committed myself, I sent notice to all of the Northwestern Association Churches that I was going to start a newsletter and needed news from the churches. I printed and folded enough to provide a bundle to each church and mailed them out. After about three months, I began to learn that many of the members of these churches had not seen a paper. I also noticed some of the bundles on pastors' desks. I realized that my efforts were going for nought unless I sent the paper to the individuals.

I wrote to each pastor and asked them to prepare me an address list. I needed a minimum of 150 to qualify for a non profit permit. I filled in the deficiency with addresses of my relatives and friends. I applied for a non profit bulk permit at the Post Office and learned that only institutions could qualify for non profit permits. I had to persuade my church to get involved.

In requesting that New Hope Church provide me with a permit, I made it clear that all that I wanted from them was permission. I did not want the Profile to be subjected to their editorial impulses. They agreed and with an address list, I began to mail out the Profile to individuals.

I don't remember how many years I printed the Profile on the AB Dick. The time came that I could not get repair parts for it. Copiers were becoming prominent and I persuaded the church to start a fund to buy a copier. In time, we purchased a Sharp SF 7370 and retired the AB Dick. The copier produces much better quality with much less effort, but it is much more expensive. All that the AB Dick required for normal operation was ink, a paper master, some chemicals to make it work and tons of extra paper to waste when it got contrary. The copier consumes toner by the bottle and requires regular maintenance after a prescribed number of copies. The last time I called the repair man, he told me that it would cost $100 for him to come out and an additional $100 per hour for him to install new developer and a new image roller. I told him that he could consider himself our ex repairman; I would maintain it myself. He laughed as he hung up. I found a place where I could buy parts and supplies, but when I tried to install the developer, I could find no place for it. I tore the machine down three times, but there was no place visible to install developer. I finally ordered a manual and studied it until I could maintain the machine myself. I have kept it in good order for the past five years.

When I began mailing out the Profile seventeen years ago, it cost about $10 per month in supplies and $20 to mail it out. The annual permit cost $65. Presently, the annual permit is $150, the monthly mailing cost is about $80 and the cost of supplies is about $25 plus an average of $125 annually for parts for the copier. Had I seen this kind of expense when I committed myself to be editor of the Profile, I doubt my faith would have stood the challenge. As I look back on it, God has been more than faithful. I did not set up a separate account for the Profile. The cost comes directly out of my bank account. If someday, there is nothing in the account, my obligation to publish the Profile will be void. That, however has not been the case. In fact, it has been the opposite. Perhaps it is somewhat like the widow's meal barrel that always had enough meal left for her family and Elijah to have another meal, except that for me, the barrel is gaining. After observing God's provision for a few years, I quit worrying about it. The Profile does receive some regular support and more occasional support. All together, it probably makes nearly half of the total expenses. More precious than financial support is the encouragement I get from readers.

Because the events are on going, this is an unfinished story. I had not the slightest idea that this project would continue this long. It has been such a blessing to me that I have no plans to quit.

Leo Hornaday, Editor: Northwest Profile. An Outreach ministry of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 2030 Wisconsin St., Eugene, OR 97402

Chapter 33 - Jacks, David

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother David G. Jacks

When did it begin? In July of 1975 at Bogg Springs Church Camp, I became a Child of God. But when did the Calling begin? Was it in college? Was it during U.S. Army Boot Camp? Maybe it was after my wedding? Was it the birth of my first child? Maybe my second or third child? Was it while I worked at GP? Was it after I became a Lance Snack salesman? Was it during my employment with AP&L? Maybe it happened when I went into the Sporting Goods business? When did I begin to receive "The Call to Preach?" That, my friend, is a hard question to answer.

My early adult life was much like all others. It was full of searching. Searching for my place in this old world. What was I to do with my life? Where would I live and work? I have to admit; for the most part, seldom did I ever consult God in my early search. Misery is a good word to describe all of my former employments. Never once did I have a permanent feeling of my career choices. There was always a sense of something else. There was a void in my life and I did not know what it was.

During my early adult years my family and I were always active in church. Not necessarily active in service just active in church, and there is a difference. Eventually I did become very active in service. I began to feel a tremendous need to be used by God. I started by accepting the position of Jr. High Sunday School teacher. Shortly after that I took a roll as assistant Youth Director. Yet still there was more that I felt I needed to do. I also became the Sunday School Superintendent. I started a visitation program in my church. I found myself becoming involved in every ministry that I could. I even took the job of Vacation Bible School Director. I was the guy the Pastor could call upon to do almost anything. Church became my life.

I can recall the first time I ever even considered the possibility that maybe God was calling me to preach. During a conversation with my dad, Louis Jacks, the subject came up. I asked him if he had ever considered the possibility of the Lord calling Him to preach. To my surprise he said yes. During this conversation was the first time I asked the question. "How do you know if God is calling you to preach?" Of course his answer was, "I have no idea." Well I had to know the answer to my question. That took me to my Father-in-law, Bro. Bill Woodall, who had been in the ministry for over 50 years. If anyone would know the answer to this question he would. His answer was one I would eventually hear more times than I can remember. He said, " You just know." Well needless to say that left lots of room for thought. The idea that maybe the Lord was calling me would come and go for the next several years.

I can remember sitting in church listening to my pastor deliver a sermon and thinking to myself, I could do that. Yet at the same time I would think, "how ridiculous." I convinced myself that it was foolish to think that God could ever use me as a Preacher. And that led me to run from God. Let me try to explain what I mean by that. I gave up. I quit doing all of those things I once did in the church. I even quit attending church regularly. I used the excuse that I simply did not have time for all of that. I did not realize that I was running from the call. Not until one night Kim, my lovely wife said to me, "David what is wrong with you?" I got mad and said, "There is nothing wrong with me. What do you mean?" She said, "You are not the same person you used to be," She said, "I never see you reading your Bible anymore, you're not involved in the church anymore. What has happened to you?" I got mad and left the room. Sitting in my living room that same night I realized that she was right. Something was wrong with me. I was neglecting God and His Church but why? Why was I distancing myself from God? I came to the conclusion that conviction was the cause. The reason I didn't want to go to church, the reason I didn't want to teach Sunday school, or work with the youth, the reason I didn't want to hear another sermon was because each time I was around anything that had something to do with God's work, I would entertain the idea that maybe God was calling me to preach. That conviction was driving me crazy and the only way I could avoid the conviction was to avoid God. I realized that I was running from what God wanted me to do.

That following Sunday I surrendered to the "Call to Preach" at Unity Missionary Baptist Church in Dewitt Arkansas.

So how did I know? It's just as Bro. Woodall had said, "You just know."

David G. Jacks

Chapter 36 - Johnson, Buddy

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS Brother Buddy Johnson

I was a second year student at Jacksonville Baptist College. I was dying to date a young lady who would not date me because of my worldly life style. Having been saved at an early age, and in an attempt to escape God's call upon my life, I had gotten out of church, and away from God. Her pastor, Bro. Gaylan Henry, was to preach at the annual Bible Conference that year and to my surprise, she invited me to go with her to the service. I did and that night he preached from Daniel 3. I just knew that she had told him every bad thing she knew about me. God convicted me of my sin, and that night I heard His voice more loudly than I had in years. He was calling me into His Ministry and I argued that, for the first time in eternity, He was making a mistake. He convinced me that He would guide me, help me, forgive me, use me, and never forsake me. I went to my suite mate's room and we prayed as I surrendered the remainder of my life to serve Him. I have never regretted saying "yes" to Him and He has kept his promises through many years and trials.

That young lady became my wife and together we served our Lord in the pastorate for nine years before going to Mexico as missionaries where we worked for twenty years before she went to be with the Lord. God gave me another wonderful wife and we served in Mexico another nine years, moved back to the States and continue to serve with the Hispanic community in our country. Our six children and our 12 grandchildren are all in church, serving our Master and two of our sons serve in Mexico as missionaries. God is gracious, loving, and faithful for which I am profoundly thankful.

Brotherly, Buddy Johnson

Chapter 37 - Jones, Leroy

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Leroy Jones, P O Box 205, Hampton, AR

After I was saved, the Lord continually convicted me that I was not doing all that he had for me to do. You see, I was a very timid guy. I just never had been able to talk to people and had trouble with meeting people. I had a very strong feeling that I needed to preach.

Before I was saved, I started drinking and had a very foul mouth. God delivered me from that and caused me to be willing to do what He wanted me to do. I was willing to try my best. So, I got peace when I told the Lord that I would surrender to His will.

I do not remember the month, day or year but God has blessed my life so much since. I have been from California, to Michigan, to Arkansas and some other states because God has used a country boy to serve Him. I praise the Lord for His goodness toward me.

Leroy Jones, September 13, 2005

Chapter 39 - Kidd, Jerry

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS TESTIMONY OF Brother Jerry Kidd

In the summer of 1957, I left Hope, Arkansas, where I had grown up, was involved in the ministry of Unity Baptist Church and graduated high school, to enroll in classes at Southern Arkansas University (then Southern State College) in Magnolia. The college had given me a student work assignment to run the school printing press, and I arrived in mid-summer to prepare materials for the start of the new school year. The main dormitories were not yet open for residents so I was temporarily housed in the basement of one of the oldest dorms. Oppressive heat and humidity in the ancient building made for difficult sleeping each night. Atmospheric conditions, however, were not the primary cause for hindered sleep. There was a restlessness in my soul each night as the Lord and I had an on-going conversation concerning His call for my life and my feelings of utter inadequacy. On numerous occasions in the wee hours of the morning, as I promised the Lord if He would let me sleep I would try to do this hard thing, and as the box fan hummed on, I was finally able to fall asleep. In the light of day with pressing responsibilities to fulfill, that mid-night promise was pushed to the recesses of my mind and largely dismissed until bedtime when the entire process was repeated. In his inimitable way, God continued to nudge and to encourage me toward His calling through sermons, Sunday School lessons and even comments made by fellow Christian young people at the on-campus chapter of the Association of Baptist Students.

The Lord's gentle persuasion intensified to the point that at a family get-together at my aunt's home in Pine Bluff, I retreated to a back bedroom to pray and agonize over His will and my inability to fulfill it. As I prayed and wrestled with the decision, I glanced up at a plaque on the wall over the bed where I lay. The inscription on the plaque read: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. And the matter was settled in my heart once and for all.

Nothing remained except to counsel with a seasoned minister. My call was confirmed in Conway, AR, in the office of Brother Charles Walker, then Director of Arkansas State Missions. Now, more than fifty years later, while at times still feeling inadequate for the high calling of God on my life, I have never once doubted it was authentic.

Jerry Kidd

Chapter 42 - Ladd, John

CALL TO MISSIONS OF DR. John Ladd - BMAA Missionary to Mexico

Sorry, I'm not a preacher!!

As to my 'call' to be a missionary, I think a little differently than most people. I'm not sure we are suppose to have a 'call' in the Christian walk. We often hear sermons on the Great Commission, but I don't find anything about a call....just a command to 'Go'.

This would be my 'call', if I have one. I think the Lord uses our personalities, talents (capacities), and willingness. I have always had an interest in missions. I love adventure, a challenge, an opportunity to help. With these traits I had the opportunity to prepare myself as a physician. When the opportunity presented itself for me to serve as a medical missionary, I consider that my 'call'.

Condensed version: The command for the believer to 'go' is very clear in the New Testament; I had an interest in missionary work; the Lord provided the opportunity and capacity to prepare myself as a physician; the door was opened to put all these things into action, so that was my call and I followed.

We have been in Mexico for almost 34 years and were in Nicaragua for almost 5 years before that. The Lord has been WONDERFUL to us and blessed us in SO many ways; it has been a great time. It certainly has been an adventure, a challenge, and an opportunity to serve a lot of folks in a lot ways; I wouldn't change it for anything.

John Ladd 3-18-05

Chapter 44 - Lecrlec, Serge

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS OF Serge Leclerc, Missionary Sainte-Marie, Québec, CANADA.

It is an honor and a privilege for me to write to you my testimony. Unfortunately my English is not very good. I am a French speaking man. My mother language is French. But I will try my best to share with you my personal testimony.

First of all, I was born in Québec-City and I have been raised as Roman Catholic and my parents

enrolled me in a special school when I was 11 years old because I was so wicked. My father was alchoolic and he is still slave in this sin, my mother was hysterics and depressive too and took pills because she suffer of psychological distress because she didn't know Jesus, and also she was alone at home hopeless and in pain. She died 10 years ago without Jesus in her life. She was so rebellious against the Bible, one day she throw this book in the garbage because she never wanted to repent of her sinful life ... My household was a battlefield because the sin was devastating our family.

So, in that special school I was forced to attend to the mass every morning at 6:45. I served the mass, and I was member of the Gregorian Choir. The priests abused me, it is not necessary to explain each detail.

That school tried to reform my character but the solution was not the reformation of my behavior, but the solution was the transformation by the salvation of Jesus Christ.

By the way there is less than 30 Bible Baptist Believing Churches in Québec Province in Canada. The population is 7,500,000 souls, 85% of the people speak only the French language. The need is so great.

My parents divorced in 1980 when I was 14 years old, it was very hard for me to deal with it. Years after years I was much more rebel against all authorities. I used many illegal drugs, cannabis, hash, chemical drugs too. I was totally enslaved in my sinful life without peace, without Jesus.

In 1981, I lived alone with my mother and my brother lived alone with my father in another city.

One day two men came to my door and knocked. I let them come in the living room, by the way my mother was not at home during that day.

Those men showed me in the Bible how to get saved and they invited me to go the Bible Baptist Church for the next service; it was a prayer meeting on Wednesday night. I told them: I WILL BE THERE TOMORROW.

I went to the church every services during a couple of week, and I realized that I was lost in my sins, I was under convinction about the hell. Finally, I asked Jesus to forgive me and I repented of my sins and the 3 June 1981 I asked Jesus to come in my heart and to save me and to give me eternal life.

My mother was frustrated about my new life, she tried to change my character during so many years and she failed, but Jesus saved me, and changed my life in a moment. My mother didn't allow me to go to the Church, she was upset, she refused for me to be baptized during almost 3 years. She took a lawyer to make prosecution against the church. Since the 3 June 1981, I always follow Jesus in his path, I never miss a church meeting, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, soul winning Tuesday night; I was always in the church for every activities. Only if I was sick or in the hospital I wasn't at the church. The Lord was my Master, and He is still my Master.

The Lord called me to preach in 1983 at 17 years old, I was trained for the ministry in my local church. I served as a preacher boy in 1984 to 1988. I got married in 1984, and the Lord give us 2 children, one boy Keven, 19 years old and one girl, Émilie 15 years old.

I am so happy to serve Jesus full time in the ministry for 2 years. During so many years I worked at a secular job and preach at the same time. It was very difficult for my family that I do 2 jobs in the same time. I thank the Lord for the privilege to be in the mission field full time now. It is a great joy, and a honor to be ambassador for my Master in Sainte-Marie, Québec, CANADA.

Acts 17:30 Serge Leclerc, June 2007

Chapter 46 - Lewis, Keith

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS OF Brother Keith Lewis, Charity Baptist Mission, Ward, AR

I surrendered to the ministry on May 20, 1984. At that time I was a member of the West Race Baptist Church in Searcy, AR.

As far as my call to the ministry. For over one year, maybe two, prior to that time, I had began feeling the possible call to the ministry. It was certainly something that at that time I did not want to consider. It was not the direction that I had in mind for my life. I tried to erase that calling. I tried not to think about it.

At the time that I graduated from high school in May, 1983, I had began working for a local contractor and it seemed like as time went on, the Lord continued to deal with my heart more and more. It seemed like at times that I was by myself operating a tractor or piece of equipment, when it was just me and the Lord, He would burden my heart heavily. Finally, I reached the point in time where I know that I could no longer run from it, I could not argue the call. I had to face up to it.

I told the Lord if it was His will for me to publicly surrender to the ministry, if He would just repeat the peace in my heart again, I would know that this was His call and I would not doubt it.

It was on Sunday May 20 that I did make known my call to the ministry. At that time I did receive a peace in my heart. I have never doubted that call.

I was 18 years old. From there I went to Central Baptist College to receive some education. I did quite a bit of fill-in preaching for the next five years.

I married at the age of 23. Within one year, I accepted the pastorate of Immanual Baptist Church in Beebe, AR. That was 12 years and four months ago.

The Lord has blessed my ministry.

Many experiences like that have occured. It is an honor to serve the Lord in this capacity.

Keith Lewis June 2006

Chapter 47 - Lewis, Tom

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Tom W. Lewis, Pastor, Bradford (AR) Baptist Church

My parents took me to church for the very first time when I was two years old. Shortly after that, they were both saved and we began attending church regularly. As the years went by my folks made sure that my younger brother and younger sister and I were always in church. I have always enjoyed being in church and, as I grew older, participating in church activities. God also blessed my life with some musical talent and ability.

As a teen-ager I gave my life to Jesus as Lord and Savior on April 12, 1976. I then began to consider full-time service to the Lord in the realm of the music ministry. However, God wanted more. After graduating from high school in May of 1979, I attended our church youth camp which was located outside of Joplin, Missouri. After the first night's service, I began to have this feeling that God was trying to tell me something. I discussed this dilemma with my friend (who was also the pastor's son) and he jokingly said, "Maybe He is calling you to preach!" When he said it something inside of me said, "Yes, that is it!" The worship service that night was pretty much of a blur for me as my mind and heart were so heavy with the fact that God was wanting me to yield to His call. When the invitation was offered, I went as quickly as I could to one of my pastor friends and told him what I believed God wanted of my life. He invited me to kneel down and prayed for me and with me as I said yes right there to God's call. That following Sunday morning at church, I made known God's call on my life and preached my first sermon the following Sunday night July 15, 1979.

I feel so privileged and blessed that God has called me to proclaim His word!

Tom W. Lewis 6-28-2007

Chapter 49 - Lunceford, Keith - CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Keith Lunceford

I was saved in the summer after my 16th birthday. Almost immediately I felt a call to the ministry. When asked in my algebra class at my school, what would I do in life, I answered, "Pastor a church." That answer caused quite a stir in the classroom for I had not formally surrendered to the ministry.

A few months after I was baptized, my pastor, W. O. Marsh, asked me to speak in a youth rally at our church. With fear and trepidation, I accepted the invitation and preached my first sermon. Still, I had not formally surrendered or licensed to preach.

As a freshman in in Mississippi Delta Junior College at Moorhead, Mississippi I finally went before to Faith Baptist Church in Clarksdale Ms. to announce my call into the ministry. While I was a bit slow in taking this formal step, I never fought the calling. I had known it for a long time. I had surrendered myself to the calling of God. The rest is history.

Keith Lunceford 3-10-11

Chapter 50 - Marrs, Tracy

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY of Dr. Tracy L. Marrs

My Salvation Experience

My call to preach began shortly after my salvation experience. I was a member of the church when I realized that I was lost and needed to be saved from a destination to hell. I had joined the church at the age of thirteen when a friend was saved and told me that he was going to be baptized. I wanted to be baptized too, so I went to the pastor and told him I needed to be baptized and he said okay. I was baptized along with my friend and two others on a Sunday night. I thought then and for five years that I was heaven bound, until after I married and joined a different church. Lori, my wife, and I had moved from Oklahoma City to Meridian, Mississippi two days after getting married and begin visiting Broadmoor Baptist Church, where R.D. Cline was the pastor. Bro. Cline started a New Members class shortly after we joined and talked about when doubts come from the devil. He stated, "You must be able to go back to the place and time when you accepted Jesus as your Savior." I honestly could not do that and began to fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Upon entering the church on a Thursday night of a fall revival service, I told Bro. Cline that I needed to talk to him after the services. After explaining my situation, he walked me through the plan of salvation and led me to pray for forgiveness and to ask Jesus into my heart. It was not an emotional experience for me, but a huge weight was lifted off my chest and life. I was truly saved and no one could convince me otherwise. Jesus had entered my life and changed me from the inside out. I will never forget that night in 1987, when Jesus brought me to life spiritually.

My Call to Preach

Within six months after being saved the Lord put His call upon my life to preach. I had no idea what was in store for me as I struggled to denounce His call. I by nature and a shy person and was not the kind of guy who felt comfortable in a crowd, especially to stand in front of a crowd and speak. I remember the many reasons I gave as to why God was making a huge mistake in my life. I seemed to know better than God that I was not cut out for the preacher thing. If He wanted me to teach a Sunday School class or Wednesday night class, I could attempt to do that, but not preach. I was not ready to stand in front of anyone and preach, I just did not have what it takes. Besides, I did not have an education other than a High School education and that was not a very good experience. For six months I struggled with what God wanted me to do, making my life and wife miserable. I did not sleep well, eat well, or enjoy church because every time I went God was there staring me in the face. I finally talked to Bro. Cline about what God was telling me and his answer was to stay away from preaching if at all possible, but God was calling me there would be no other way to go. After about four to six weeks, I had all I could take and I walked to the front during an invitation almost a year to the date of being saved and once again gave my life into the hands of God. This time is was not for what God could do for me, but what I could do for Him. I wanted nothing else but to please Him and allow Him to use me as He saw fit.

God's Ministry in My Life

I had no idea what to expect in my life, but I did know that I needed to learn everything I could to become everything I could be for His service. I began to study and to take courses on the Bible, when one day Bro. Cline resigned as pastor. I was losing a best friend and mentor. The church called me as their interim pastor and I preached with all my heart. Within six months the church called me as their pastor and the educational journey began. I enrolled into college at Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, Mississippi and commuted to school every Monday and Tuesday for three years, earning my Bachelors Degree in Pastoral Training. I then enrolled in a Master's program at Liberty University and earned a Masters Degree in Professional Counseling and another in Religion. After being at Broadmoor Baptist Church for six years I resigned the church and went to work full-time at Weems Community Mental Health Center as a counselor, but God was not through with me just yet. I began filling in at West Hills Baptist Church in Meridian, Mississippi and they called me as their pastor and I served there for five years until my health caused me to resigned and quit work. After two years of seeing doctors in three states, I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy. My family and I had moved to McRae, Arkansas and were attending Garner Baptist Church for four years when the church called me as their Youth Pastor, where I am currently serving. Over the past three years I have earned a Doctorate in Christian Counseling and am currently working of a second Doctorate in Education. During this journey I have had to learn to rely heavily on the Lord and to realize that He does know better than I do about everything, including my life. God has seen my wife through cancer, has blessed us with two boys after doctors told us we would not have children, and an unusual illness, just to name a few things. God is great and is worthy to be praised. I am thankful for the many people who have helped to shape my life and to God who has not given up on me.

Dr. Tracy L. Marrs

March 23, 2011

Chapter 52 - McCreary, Harvey

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Harvey E. McCreary, 21 Park Drive, Cabot, AR 72023

I first felt the call to the ministry while still in High School. There were many signs that God was calling me but I continued to resist His call. I did many things in church thinking that He would give up. I should have known better.

This began to happen early in 1954. I managed to run from the call until June 19, 1960. It was on a Wednesday night. My wife and small son and I were on our way to church where I was leading singing.

We had to go down this narrow road to reach the loop that leads to the street the Church was on. Going down a small grade with a 90 degree turn where there were cross ties in the fence just in front of me. I looked down at the speedometer and it was showing 55 miles an hour. When I realized the position I was in I told the Lord I would preach for Him if He would get me out of this and save my family. I made the turn and stopped at a stop sign. When I crossed the railroad tracks, I came back to reality and looked back to see how much of the fence I had taken out.

I asked my wife how I made the turn without taking some of the fence with me. Her reply was if you don't get the car our of first gear we will never get to church. I said to her, "You just got yourself a preacher for a husband." She asked me why did it take so long to decide to answer God's call. She knew for a long time that it was what I needed to do.

Then, after forty years of wonderful marriage to the greatest woman in the world, God saw fit to take her home to Him. Now, I serve the Lord again as pastor after four years from the time of her death. It surely is different but God is blessing in so many ways.

Harvey E. McCreary 2004

Chapter 54 - Leon Mulherrin 4-27-14

For years I have been putting this off, why I don't really know. Maybe partly because it didn't work out, and some because of my shame attached to this.

Growing up from a broken home, I landed in Griffithville, Arkansas, and that lead me to attend White Oak Missionary Baptist church. For years I heard sermons that God has something for each one of us to do. Through the sermons, Sunday School and btc [Baptist Training Course] lessons, and the training I got at White Oak, the thoughts and wonder began. What is it that I am supposed to do, after hearing many sermons the thoughts turned to preaching. I thought is this what God wants me to do? Then at college while attending a retreat with the BSU of Beebe, at the Majestic Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, after hearing a sermon there, and after much prayer over the years, I surrender to the call to preach.

When I came back home to Beebe, I talked with my pastor Bro. Burford Moody about what had happened. I came forward and told the church at Landmark Missionary Baptist Church what happened. Then shortly after that I preached my first sermon, a whole 5 minutes, seemed longer at the time, so nervous that after I got home I threw up from nerves. We have a person that is at Park Avenue that was present at that sermon, Jack Scott whose mother Bonnie had a lot to do with some of the training I got at White Oak. She saw it as her privilege and duty to train the Teens. She was in charge of on Sunday night btc class. The part she did was she had each one of us be responsible for teaching a class. She will always have a special place in my heart for the role she played in my life.

This journey was a very hard one for me. I had lots of trouble that hindered it. Lots of very bad weeks of where I got very upset at the things happening around me that it was hard to prepare a sermon, let alone be in the right attitude to preach in on a given Sunday.

My journey of preaching lasted 8 years. In that time a place for me never came. I would go for weeks and months without a place to preach. This hurt me a lot, I thought I was doing what God wanted me to do. So I had to do some soul searching. I know that God can do all things and enable his Chosen me to do the job he has called them to do. I came to realize that I didn't have the leadership ability to lead like a Pastor should. I had had over the years been beaten down from abuse, and getting my legs knocked out from underneath me, to name a few. I had to decide, was a mistake made, and if so who made the mistake? At least that was the easy part, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God didn't make mistakes, that only left me.

I also believe (convicted) that when God call you to preach, he will have a place for you to preach. I don't believe that he calls you and then you sit down and go weeks or months without a place to preach. This is something that I must believe because without it another mistake has been made. Not having a place to serve is very hard on a preacher, just ask one and see what answer you get. So while at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, with counsel with my pastor at the time, I came forward and let the people know what had happened.

During those 8 years, I only saw people make a move 1 time. That was at Landmark at Beebe. At the end of one service, I saw 7 people come up during the invitation. This left several marks on me, to this very day. I have always thought of the meaning of 7 in the Bible. I of course do know that it was God that day moving the people and not me.

I was never licensed to preach, through counsel with Bro. Moody, he said that the church recognizing the call was all that I really needed at the time to preach, so that is what I went with.

Even though I had a lot of ruff times, lessons were still learned that were very valuable to this day. Also I just couldn't throw away those outlines, too much work went into them. To this day, I usually carry 2 in my bible at all times. Why I really don't know, for some reason I think that sometime I just might need them.

I have also hoped that through that journey I have looked through a door and have gained some understanding that I be able to understand some of what all of my pastors go through each day. I still struggle with what God has for me to do, my hope is that one day I will find what that is, so that my heart can finally feel that it has found it place, to serve.

Leon Mulherrin 4-27-14

Chapter 56 - Mark Osgatharp

CALL TO THE GOSPEL MINISTRY

[Followed by] MY CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE [before my] CALL TO PREACH

My wife and I continued to attend Antioch Church which owned and operated the Missionary Baptist Seminary. There was always discussion of preaching around Antioch and there were always a variety of preachers around. Brother J.C. James was our pastor and I admired his character and teaching. I heard other men, some of whose names I cannot remember. It was through hearing and observing these men that the Lord impressed on me the goodness and necessity of preaching. Here are the events which led up to my decision to preach.

My mother had moved her church membership to Southwest Missionary Baptist Church where brother John Penn was pastor. I was heavily convicted about having lived in a backslidden condition for many years. I smoked and also had asthma. My smoking exacerbated my asthma severely and one day I had an asthma attack which lasted a whole day and into the night. I ended up in the emergency room where they gave me a shot which ended the attack. The experience, along with the heavy conviction, was very distressing physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I immediately stopped smoking (not because I thought it was immoral, but because I thought it was going to kill me if I didn't) and the next day visited church with my mother at Southwest. My whole body chastised with pain, I realized that day that the only course for my life was to follow the Lord wholly and forsake sin. I was profoundly impressed by the preaching of brother Penn and the goodness of the church.

In the weeks following I determined in my mind that the Lord wanted me to preach. All my life I had heard preachers say that if you could do anything other than preach you should do it. I determined I could do nothing else.

The morning of the opening day services of the Missionary Baptist Seminary in the fall of 1982 I woke early and told my wife I intended to preach and wanted to immediately enroll in the seminary so as not to miss the fall semester. We attended the opening day service and shortly after I announced my call in Antioch Church. Within a few months I was called as pastor of the Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Holly Grove, Arkansas.

While I was in seminary our son was born. He is our only child. I graduated from the seminary in 1986 I had a desire to preach in some needy field. I was called to First Missionary Baptist Church of Rouzerville, Pennsylvania and moved there in 1986. While I preached there I was supported financially by Landmark Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Arkansas. I resigned the Rouzerville church in 1995. In 1996, I was called to Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church in Wynne, Arkansas and remain to this day.

I have had many experiences in the ministry, some bad but mostly good. All of the people and churches I have mentioned here, along with many others, have been used of God to make me what I am. I have made many mistakes and have great shortcomings. In it all my ministry my aim as been to do what the Lord wanted me to do and glorify Christ above everything. I'm sure I have missed my aim many times, but that has been my aim. My wife and our son have stood faithfully with me. The Lord has been good to us and I pray that I will remain faithful to my calling all the days of my life.

MY CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE [before call to preach]

My mother's maternal grandfather, Hosea Goodwin Penn, was a Missionary Baptist pastor in the early 1900s. He was a contemporary of Ben Bogard in the early days of the American Baptist Association. He pastored several churches in Arkansas, one of which was Providence Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in White County, AR.

My mother's mother, Mary Jewell (Penn) Stewart, joined Providence Church as a young woman and remained a member of that congregation till her death in 2011. My maternal grandfather, Carl Stewart, was also a member of that congregation most of his life. My mother was brought up in Providence Church which she joined in her youth.

My father was from middle Tennessee and his family were all of the Campbellite religion. Though raised up in that sect he never joined it or any other church. He and my mother were married in the late 1950s in Forrest City, Arkansas. After my older sister was born they moved to California where I was born in 1961. While I was still a baby my parents moved back to Arkansas and then to the Houston, Texas area where my father worked for NASA.

Wherever we lived my mother always sought out and attended Missionary Baptist churches associated with the American Baptist Association. She faithfully and regularly carried me and my sisters to church. When we first moved to the Houston area we attended Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Pasadena which is my earliest memory of church. Later we attended Dickinson Missionary Baptist Church (now Baker Street) in Dickinson.

In the summer between my third and fourth grades in elementary school I attended the Baptist youth camp at New Caney, Texas with a group from Dickinson church. It was there I first made a profession of faith in Christ. It was the last night of camp and an adolescent girl from our church asked me to promise to "go down" during the invitation, which I did. When the invitation came I kept my promise and "went down" to the pastor of our church who was one of the counsellors. He asked me w-hy I came and I told him I wanted to be saved. He told me to ask Jesus to save me which I did. Within a couple of weeks I was baptized and joined the Dickinson church.

Due to the dubious circumstances surrounding my camp experience I have, from the very night I "went down", had reservations about the validity of that experience. I have never had any reservations about who Jesus Christ is and that He died for my sins. It is on Him I rest my hope of eternal life. But I totally discount the whole concept of one man "leading" another into a salvation experience and therefore abhor every effort of man (such as "church camp") designed to induce conversion.

After I made a profession and joined the church I did not grow in the faith for many years. I always attended church but made very little attempt to live a godly life or to study God's word.

Our family moved to Searcy, Arkansas where I started the sixth grade. While living in Searcy we joined the newly formed Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. This church was started by a group of people who had left the old Landmark Baptist Church of Searcy when it fell into "fun and games" gimmickry. Brother Nile Triplett was pastor of Bethel church when we joined it. He was a serious minded man of God who was mightily versed in the Scriptures. Looking back on those days I can only wish I had paid more attention to his preaching and followed his example of godliness.

My senior year in high school a friend, who was of the Pentecostal religion, was killed in a car wreck along with some other boys. They were all drunk at the time. Their car went into the woods along the banks of the Little Red River. My friend survived the crash but then got in the river in an attempt to find his way out of the woods and drowned. His mother, a devout Pentecostal, thought he would have went to hell if he died drunk. She told me she had hope that he could have sobered enough to repent before he drowned. Though backslidden myself, I knew enough about the truth to know how sad it was that her hope was not built on Christ but on good works and chance. She asked me to be one of the pall bearers and after the funeral she exhorted me to "live for the Lord." I told her I would but I didn't keep my word and continued to live in rebellion against the Lord.

I graduated from Searcy High School in 1980. That year we moved to Little Rock and I joined Antioch Missionary Baptist Church along with my mother and younger sister.

My first year out of high school I attended Arkansas College of Technology which is where I met my wife. Her paternal grandmother was a lifelong faithful member of Saline Missionary Baptist Church in Tull. Her father had professed Christ and joined the church as a youth but fell away from attendance. While stationed in England with the United States Air Force he met and married my wife's mother who was a Roman Catholic. My wife and her siblings were all raised in the Roman Catholic religion.

So before we married my wife was a Roman Catholic. I thought the Catholic religion was wrong and so I began to study the Scriptures in order to prove it wrong to her. During that time I also became more involved in our Bible studies at Antioch church. In the fall of 1981 we both enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. My wife was converted, was baptized and joined Antioch Church in 1981. We married in February of 1982.

Through those experiences I began to grow some spiritually and realize my own backslidden condition. But I continued to live a double-minded life.

One day a woman Pentecostal preacher came to the university campus to preach in the open air. She denounced all the common sins and preached hell fire and damnation. Quite a few people gathered to hear and were incensed at her denunciation of their sins. But she never gave the gospel of salvation through Christ and of God's grace. I was truly moved for the people who had gathered and so stepped up to the preacher, reproved her for not giving out the way of salvation and told her I would tell them how to be saved if she would give me the floor. She rebuffed my request and the crowd soon dissipated.

Though I was not aware of it at the time, looking back on this experience I would say it was my first impression to preach.

Mark Osgatharp, 2016

Chapter 60 -Rice, David B.

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother David B. Rice

I was born on April 27, 1934 to Austin E. and Clara C. Rice, in Jackson County out in the country from the little town of Tupelo, AR. I was the last of 5 children that they had. There were three girls and my brother all older than me. The three girls have all passed on, it is just my brother and I that is left.

I grew up on a farm doing all of the chores that farm children do, chopping corn and cotton in the spring. In the fall I helped gather corn and pick cotton. That was back breaking work

We lived 9 miles from the nearest town where we had our cotton ginned in the fall, and did all of our shopping for the groceries and items that we needed, when we had the money. But we always had plenty to eat, and enough clothes to keep us warm in the winter. We boys didn't need much clothes in the summer time.

My parents were never able to afford any kind of an automobile nor a tractor until I was in college. They finally got an old used John Deer, B model "pop- pop- pop" tractor.

Such was my early years. When I was '11 years old, I was born again. That summer I was baptized in Cache River.

When I was 14 years old, I felt that God was calling me for His service, but I didn't know exactly what service He wanted me to do. I was so burdened until I lost weight and couldn't sleep at night. That Wednesday at prayer meeting I went forward and told the church and my Pastor that I was surrendering to preach. That was February 14, 1950. At Calvary Baptist Church, where I had gone to Church there all of my life, was saved, and baptized in was where I surrendered to preach. The following Sunday night, I attempted my first sermon. My text was John 4:35-36, and my title was "The Fields Are White Unto Harvest."

About two or three Sundays after that first sermon my Pastor came down with the "mumps". He was confined to bed for three Sundays. He sent word for me to preach for him. In those days Calvary Church had Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night services. I would work so hard at school during study halls to get my lessons so that I could spend my nights trying to work up three Sermons. I still have those outlines today. They are all yellowed and tattered, but my wife wants me to hang on to them.

As I said, I surrendered to preach in February. While I was filling in for my Pastor when he had the mumps, one bitterly cold windy day, and young daddy walked about 4 miles over to my Dads home where I was still living. His new born infant had died at birth, and he wanted me to preach the babies funeral. He was a poor share cropper farmer for one of the big farms. Poor fellow didn't have enough warm clothes to be out on such a cold day. I told him I would do the best I could. The funeral was on the following Sunday afternoon. The land owner where the family lived, went to the Funeral Home and purchased a small "papermaiche" casket, the ladies of the community dressed the baby and placed it in the casket, and we hauled the body in the back seat of the landowners old red Ford car. I had to be the funeral director, preacher, and all of it. The mother insisted on coming to the funeral and she fainted on me during the viewing. Finally, a man or two came to my rescue. A day or two later, the daddy waked back over to my house, and finally rammed his had down in his bib overalls pocket, pulled out a .50 cent piece, and gave it to me for preaching his baby's funeral. I tried to refuse it, feeling that he needed it worse that I did. I could see the hurt on his face, and then he told me in no uncertain terms that he would never ask anyone to do something as important as what I had done, without paying for it. I learned a real lesson in that. I always gratefully took what was offered to me from then on, and if I wanted to return it, I would do it later and by some other means. When people offered me a gift I feel that they wanted to get the pleasure of giving it, I would accept it with pleasure.

I was called to the Lakeside Baptist Church in Newport, AR. This was my county seat town in Jackson, Co. While I was there, I was contacted by the local Funeral Director and when he had people that did not have a preacher, he called on me to do the service. I did several funerals for him, and he always gave me $25.00 per service. I made a good salary while there. It was while I was at Newport, that I had a weekly radio broadcast from the local radio station. A country church out south of Paducah, KY. got in contact with me to come and preach them a revival. What a REVIVAL that was. We had 108 additions to the church that week. 87 of those were by profession of faith, and since they did not have a Pastor they asked me to baptize those 87. We went to a nice pretty lake and when I had finished baptizing, I sure was tired. I thought for sure that they would call me to be their Pastor but they never did. I later learned that they stayed with the American Baptist Association.

I was fortunate enough to be able to preach around in the churches in our local Association. Then the First Baptist Church in Bald Knob, AR called me to be their "Pastor," (preacher). I did not know how to pastor a church. But we managed along with my coming over every week end. I did my first baptizing there. It was in the summer and we went up in the mountains to a beautiful creek. The current was swift. I placed this woman who was dressed in a heavy winter coat with it buttoned up tight at the neck. (Women in those days wore coats for modest sake.) When I lowered her down in the water, I did so down stream. When the current went up under that coat and couldn't get out, I liked to have not gotten her up. We both nearly drowned. She was good about it, and didn't blame me about it. She made us a real good member as I recall. When baptizing after that experience, I made sure that I placed the candidate down up stream.

The next baptizing I did was in a church baptistery. We contacted West Race Baptist Church in Searcy to ask the use of their baptistery. The Pastor, Bro. Gordon, told us that the heater was not working in their baptistery, so we contacted Bro. Bone at my home church and they told us to come on. We went over there on Sunday afternoon, and I baptized three people. Their water was not very well heated either. When I started to baptize little Patty Fain, who was 9 years old at the time, she would hardly let me get her in that cold water. I finally did baptize her. She was pretty up set with me. The very next Friday night was when the terrible storm came through Bald Knob. It killed 103 as I remember it. I had just arrived in Bald Knob and had set down to eat supper with this family that I always stayed with for the weekend when it come through the town. The house where I was at did not get destroyed. It did sustain some roof damage. Since the man of the house was a police officer in Bald Knob, he went out to see what damage might have occurred. He returned and his son, and I got fitted out in rain slickers and we searched all night for people. The first three people that I found was in a ditch and all three were partially covered with mud. Those three people were from the same family. The mother, the son, and little Pattie Fain, all dead. The father and one other child survived. The Lord saved little Pattie Fain and then took her to heaven that next Friday. Strange are the ways of the Lord.

We searched all that night, all the next day and night. When we finally ended the search, then we preachers had to task of burying the dead. In one service that I had a part in Judsona, we put 10 coffins side by side in the same grave. They were from all different families. I thought that it was such a shame that they could not be buried by other loved ones, but the bodies were so mangled by the storm that the morticians could not get the embalming fluid to stay in the bodies. I worked all that week and when I finally was able to go back home, I was literally a nervous wreck. Remember, I was just 16 years old. I left there with a deathly fear of thunder, storm clouds, and anything that sounded like a storm. I would get up and pace the floor and watch the clouds as best I could. Finally one night I realized that I could not, nor did I want to, go through the rest of my life like that. So, I told the Lord that if that was the way I was to die, I knew that He would just take care of me, and that I would completely trust Him whatever may come. I was able to go to bed and sleep through the storms. My wife and I just usually sleep through the storms. Now, that is not to say that I would not try to protect myself if I knew that a storm was coming. That would be tempting God, but just to be afraid as I was is no more.

I resigned Bald Knob Church to go to college. I had no automobile in those days, and I didn't have a good way to get back and forth. The people there really hated to see me go, and I hated to go. I enrolled in Conway Baptist College (it was later changed to its name now, Central Baptist College) when it opened that September in 1952. I was the 9th student to enroll there. I had no money, except that I was able to pick some cotton for a day or two and then I was sick and spent the most of the money on the Doctor and drug bill. The school was kind to me in that they let me go there on the credit.

The school had no dinning hall or any place for the students to eat on campus that first year. They didn't have any snack machines, but they would have done me no good, because I didn't have any money anyway. All of the students had to go up town in Conway to eat. I managed to pick up a dollar or two now and then and would walk up town, when it was not raining. I was very slim in those days. I soon was hired by the college to sweep and mop the floors in the hallways, and clean rest rooms for my tuition and room. No cash money was given to me, it was just applied to my school debt. If you want something bad enough, you can find a way. About that time one of the dry cleaners and laundry firms in Conway hired me to collect the cleaning and laundry for them. That furnished me with just a little spending money along.

Dr. Jackson, the President, was going around to all of the Churches trying to raise the money to pay off the college's indebtedness. He found out that I could at least keep a car between the ditches, (HA!) and when he would make trips at night and have to return that night, he would take me along to drive for him. He would sit over there on the seat with me driving and talk Scriptures and teach me. I learned many things that I have been able to use all of these years. I would not take a million dollars for that wonderful experience.

When I first arrived at the college, I had not church to preach at, so after a Sunday or two, I put on my best and only blue double breasted suit that my "rich" sister and brother-in-law paid for. Walked up town and found me a street corner and began to preach. The first Sunday I think that were 3 or four people stopped to listen to me. Not many people were up town Conway in those days for not many of the stores were open on Sunday. (O, that that were true today!) The next Sunday I was back up there, and I had some more to stop and listen. I noticed that there was a policeman walked up and stood in the back. I was really thrilled to have a cop in my audience. When I finished, and the people had all left, the policeman was so courteous and nice, but he told me I couldn't do that anymore. It was about blocking the sidewalk from the people. I have always laughed about that because there were not very many people walking the sidewalks on Sunday. However, he was only enforcing the law about that I'm sure.

I was able to get a job at a store up town Conway as a stock boy. It was Ben Franklin's 5 and 10 cent store. I worked there long enough to get me some needed clothes and I was able to get me a Men's (long) dress overcoat that would shed the rain. I just about wore that garment out. I was "let go" from the stock room work when one day I went up there to go to work and caught the manager of the store with one of the girls that was a floor clerk half dressed up there.

It was during this time that I was contacted to go to the town of Sherrill, AR. We were able to organize a church there. Later I would be called back there to be their Pastor. When we organized we found a lot that we could lease in the town, and the men hauled used bomb crates from the Pine Bluff Arsenal and we put oak poles in the ground and roofed it with those used bomb crates, and boxed up the side, had Plexus glass for windows, and a sawdust floor. Later they were able to secure a lot that was owned by the Rail Road. They leased it for one dollar for 100 years. They erected a nice church building with Sunday School rooms and a nice baptistery.

Shortly after that I got called to Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, in Plummerville, AR. I was called to be their Pastor for half time. The way they paid me was at the close of the service when the people came out they would shake my hand and leave money in my hand or they would stuff it in my jacket pocket. I did pretty good there. I never failed to receive less than $30 and sometimes it would be up to near $50.00. Some of the families would always invite me home with them and the good ladies would feed me my dinner and then supper. At first I would catch the Missouri Pacific Bus and ride up to Plummerville and some of the church men would meet me there and drive me out to the church. Soon another student at the college had a car and he had a church past Plummerville. So I shared his gas money and he took me to the church. I rode back and forth for several weeks.

Mt. Pleasant had an old one room auditorium when I went there. When the Sunday School classes met, they each went to a corner of the building. We were soon able to build 4 S. S. Rooms and a hallway across the hack of the building. The Church celebrated their 100th Anniversary while I was preaching there

I had a revival for one whole week in Bastrop, LA. And while in that revival I was able to purchase an automobile. It was a 1954, Plymouth Savoy, lime green.

It was while I was Pastor here that my wife and I married. That was on a fifth Sunday, April 29, 1956. The church gave us two or three showers of gifts. This was how we partly furnished our kitchen with housekeeping items and they gave us a couple of beautiful quits. When we married we moved into a two room upstairs, over a garage, apartment in North Little Rock, AR. We would get up and drive from No. Little Rock to my preaching appointments on Sundays.

We loved that Church. Had good success there. They had Pastor calls every year, and one year I thought that all was going well, but, I was not called back. My heart was broken.

Now they have built two nice buildings with a beautiful Sanctuary that will seat 300 I suppose and have just completed a large "Family Life Center." They let me come back to the church on the day they broke ground for the Family Life Center.

After I got my car I was called for half time at Blackwell Baptist Church, up from Morrilton, AR. We would go up to one church on the second and forth Sundays and to the other church on the first and third Sundays. I had the fifth Sundays off. That is the reason that we got married on a 5th Sunday. It was at Blackwell that I had another experience that is funny to tell. We had a revival there in August. Weather was hot as blazes. We had one young teen ager (about 17 year old) that was saved. When it came time to baptize him, all of the few men that we had said that they had always baptized in a stock pond, of all places. The stock pond was selected and we all went out in the cow pasture to the stock pond. It was slimy water to say the least. When if lowered the young man down, I always place my left foot back to brace my self, and when I stepped backward, the bottom was real slimy and slick and my foot just kept going. I went under with the young man all by just my nose and eyes. If he had not been young and strong I suppose we would have both drowned. He could swill of course and I could swim, but he got up and got hold of me and helped me up. I have often wondered what every became of him. He was a really smart school student.

My first full time church where we lived on the field was the Beech Street Baptist Church in Crossett, AR. The church had just about had all they could stand with a bad Preacher. Today, though, it is a nice thriving church.

From Crossett, AR. we went to the Wyatt Baptist Church at El Dorado, AR. While we were there our first child was born, a son. We named him Wayne and he is now Pastor at the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Picayune, MS. While we were still at Wyatt our daughter, Jana was born. She is married to Jay Hefner and she teaches public school music in the Conway Elementary School. She and Jay are actively working in Antioch Baptist Church, here in Conway.

From there we went to the Little River Baptist Church, Manila, AR. It was out in the country from Manila. Our second son, Philip was born while we were there. We had a good fruitful ministry while there. We would run 75 to eighty on Sunday mornings often. We had a lot of young people to come and I was able to baptize them. Being out in the country, the drinking water was so rusty with iron, that we had to have a softener on the water pump in order to drink the water and cook with. Often when my wife would put her white bed sheets in the washer to wash the softener would be out and there would be a big yellow stain in the middle of the white clothes. They told me to get me some old clothes to baptize in because they would be yellowed in the water. They did not run the baptistery water through the softener, and often there would be a dark yellow scum on top of the water. Ah, the good old days of the Pastorate!

While we were here at Little River Church, our second son and third child was born. Phillip is the Ministry Director for the Fellowship Baptist Church, Forney, TX. He and his family, one set of our granddaughters, are in our church in Forney. Forney is a little town just west of Dallas. They have a large church attendance every Sunday.

We moved from Little River Church to Birmingham, AL. We were able to relocate the church there because of the social situation that developed where the church was located when we first went there. Those were trying times in those days with the races. We were there when all of that rioting took place downtown Birmingham. We managed to stay out of harms way in those days.

It was here in Birmingham that our third son was born. Jeff. Poor Jeff. He grew up really liking the "Crimson Tide" football team and especially Coach "Bear" Bryant. Jeff wrote Bear Bryant a letter when he was about 6 or seven years old. The Bear answered his letter and sent him a photograph of himself in his "famous hounds" tooth hat. Jeff still have both the letter and the picture. However, now he really roots for the "Razorbacks", even though he lives in Forney, TX too. Jeff finished Central College with a music degree and for a good number of years served as the Youth Director and Music Director at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville, AR, then later he did work toward his Master's Degree in Elementary Education and he teaches one of the Elementary Schools there in Forney.

We went to Warner Robins, GA, then to Pensecola, FL. then to Soso, MS. We became Pastor of the Big Creek Baptist Church, in Soso. Both the town of Soso and Big Creek Church was just outside of Laurel, MS. Big Creek was a large old Church. It was organized in 1862, two years before the start of the Civil War. When it was organized, they had a log cabin of the banks of the Big Creek. It is still on the Big Creek. There was a man that did not believe in the fighting of the Southern forces against the North. He declared himself a Colonel, got a band of ragtag men, and declared that Jones County a "free state" within the state of Mississippi. It was commonly called the Free State of Jones County. He rode in one day and took over the Big Creek Church building and declared it to be the State Capitol of his "Free State." For almost a couple of years he had use of the building and the church would occasionally meet in someone's home. Finally, the Colonel's band of "soldiers" were captured and the Colonel managed to escape and stay hid in the dense forests and did escape ever of being caught. When the war ended the Union Troops all went back north and everyone finally gave up searching for him. Much later, the Colonel got into a fight with another man over a supposed indebtedness and the man shot the Colonel, wounding him. He lived about 13 months before he finally died.

As I have stated above, Big Creek was had a large attendance and a lot of old people as members. Too, it was the only Church in those days in the community there. I had a LOT of funeral while there. One day, I had a funeral at 10:00 A.M. that morning, another one that same day at 1:00 P.M. and the third one at 4:00 P.M. I was able to send my good Assistant to the cemetery with the family at the one o'clock funeral. It was nothing for me to have from two to three, four funerals per month. On a few vacations, I was called back for a funeral. We really enjoyed out time and work at the Big Creek Church.

My Dad had died and my mother was not well. My sister that had always lived with our parents due to her having cerebral palsy all of her life, did the best she could to take care of mother. They still lived on the farm out in the country, and it was just too much for them to try to hang on out there. An opportunity came for me to come back to Arkansas when the Antioch Baptist Church called me. We came to Conway partly because of my mother and sister. While we were at Antioch, the Lord really blessed. We had people to be saved and join the church at almost every service. I baptized every Sunday night for several weeks. During this time we were able to move my mother and sister off of the farm in Jackson County to an apartment in Conway. Mother had begun to falling in the night, and we had to go and help her back to bed. Finally we had to place her in a Nursing Home in Jacksonville, AR, where she died.

We then moved to Jackson, MS, where I pastored the Westhaven Baptist Church, and later through some moves we wound up at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Mt. Olive, MS. This was another very old church. It was organized in 1860. It had for the most part been located on that same plot of ground. Just north of the church building was the Church Cemetery. There were a few graves out there when the Civil War Soldiers were buried. We enjoyed our stay there. We were able to build them a nice two story Educational Building. It was constructed at a cost of $145.000.00 and when we moved in it, it was all paid for completely. I really wanted to be able to build them a nice Sanctuary to go with the Educational Building, but I just had to retire from the active Pastorate. I had been at it for 60 years. After I had resigned and moved back to Conway where we now live, they were able to build a really nice new Sanctuary at a considerable cost and when they moved in it they had it completely paid for. What is so amazing about all of that is they are not rich people, they just have a love for the Lord and His Church, so they just give sacrificially.

We moved to Conway, AR. when I retired for the "ACTIVE PASTORATE." I don't ever want to quit trying to preach, but I didn't want the stress of a Pastor. We moved here because our daughter and son-in-law live here, and we needed to be close by some of our children so that they can help take care of us, 'when we get old!' Shortly after we got settled in, the Lakeview Baptist Church, down at Mayflower, AR. called me to come and preach for them. I try to Pastor them, and we drive down on Sunday morning, back home for lunch and the afternoon, drive back down on Sunday Evening and preach for them. It is a small membership, and they don't require much of me to do pastoral work. We love them, and they seem to love us. I still do some revival work occasionally.

I have lost count of all the couples that I have married over the years. Occasionally I run into people who tell me that they are still married and some times I have met some grandchildren of couples that tell me I had married their grandparents. Of course, I'm sorry to say, that all of the people that I "hitched" stuck. Such as is the case with many marriages, I'm sorry to say. I have preached many funerals. I always tried to use as much Scripture in my funerals as possible. Quite early in my life, I had a family to tell me that they wanted to hear what God had to say to them for comfort, so I took a lesson from that and have tried to tell the family what God had to say. I have preached new born babies all of the way up to aged people.

I have really lost count of all of the revival meetings I have tried to preach. I do remember that one summer I started preaching revivals in early May, and finally wound up in late September. I did have a few weeks break in that time span. For years, I would start a meeting on a Monday and close out on a Saturday night, drive all of the way back to my Pastorate and preach there on Sunday morning and night. I do know that in all my years I have either preached revivals or for some special meetings in 21 states of the US and in preached in 3 foreign countries.

I am indebted immensely to all of the many people who have fed me good meals, provided good beds and accommodations for me and often my family. All in all it has been a good and blessed life. I would probably change a few things along the way, but would not do anything different.

I am extremely proud of my wife and children. My wife has stood by me through "thick and thin" for these soon to be 56 years. All of my four children are saved, and serving the Lord in our Baptist Missionary Association Churches. Also, if I needed to get in touch with any of them during church time, I would know where to contact them if they are not sick.

Of course, I could share many humorous stories, and some really sad ones, but space would not permit. May God bless those who may perchance read this. My thanks to Bro. Guy Humphries who asked me to write this for him.

In His service,

D. B. Rice, Th.,M.

Chapter 62 - Rogers, Eldwyn

CALL TO PREACH AND MISSIONS TESTIMONY of Brother Eldwyn Rogers

Brother Rogers, an infantry soldier in WW2, shared his war experiences with high school students in Santiago, Chile May 19, 1989. The following is excerpted with permission from Sister Alice June Rogers (Mrs. Eldwyn) Rogers copyrighted book "An adventure in Faith" which chronicles their family, his pastoral ministry and over 30 years as a missionary in South American.

He arrived in France just two months after June 5, 1944, D Day. He marched all of the way across France into Saarbrucken, the Hurtgen Forest before returning to a hospital in England with frozen feet.

"My first night in actual combat was August 8, 1944. I felt the Lord calling me to preach the Gospel for sometime before this, but had put it off, until, the second night I was in combat, I felt if I did not surrender, I would not live through the battle. After surrendering to preach the Gospel, and yielding my life to the Lord, I did not feel any more, that my life was in actual danger. I had surrendered to Him, and I knew He would spare me for whatever His will was for me. I could lie down in the foxholes we had dug and go to sleep.

My feet were frozen from having them wet and cold so much of the ninety-eight days in which I was in actual combat, that I was sent back to the hospital in England, and during the time I was there, my outfit was involved in the Battle of the Bulge, (in Belgium) and completely wiped out. I know it was the Lord's Hand in my being in the hospital, that preserved my life.

While it was an honor to be a soldier in the army of the United States, it is even a greater honor to be a soldier for the Lord Jesus Christ. Being in the Lord's army always guarantees being on the winning side, since we know that one day, the Lord will come again, and His enemies will be put under His feet." He followed his testimony with an invitation to accept Jesus as Savior.

After recuperating, he returned to combat until VE day after which he participated in the Victory Parade in Paris August 29, 1944.

Sister Alice June wrote, "I enrolled in the Missionary Baptist Institute in Little Rock for the fall term of 1945. Thus the decision to study there changed the course of my life, and led me to where I would meet my future husband.

In the Summer of 1945, Eldwyn told his home church of his call to preach. A year after his surrender, Eldwyn preached his first sermon in August, 1945, at the Hickory Springs Baptist Church in Mississippi."

She continued, "About the time Michael was two weeks old, Eldwyn was called to pastor Providence Baptist Church near Judsonia, Arkansas. We treasure many precious memories of the two years he pastured there... Since at that time Providence only had preaching bi-monthly though later they began full-time services, we lived in Little Rock in our dorm apartment, and every other week-end, Eldwyn would continue to make the trip to the Freewater church in Oklahoma. When school was out for the 1949 summer term, we decided to move to the Providence community which was strawberry country. During fruit season, migrant would come in to harvest the berries. Someone offered us the use of one of the berry picker's houses, a small two room cabin with no bathroom...either in or out. As our summer in the Providence community came to an end, we returned to Little Rock, for the 1949 school term... Each week-end when we traveled to Providence for services, we would return on Sunday night with quantities of eggs, butter, peanuts, and other farm produce."

After six years of planting and building Mt. Harmony Baptist Church in Owensboro, Ky., the Lord provided a replacement pastor which opened the way to the mission field of Brazil, a field that had been on our hearts for some time.. Eldwyn felt great peace about leaving there. As he began to seek the Lord's will, he knew our move would be to Brazil, South America. The Lord had used a mission journal, The Baptist Faith Missions Sheets, which we received, telling of the work in Brazil along the Amazon Valley, to spark Eldwyn's interest in the same country. So, it was really not surprising when Eldwyn felt that was where the Lord would have us go. One dear young mother, knowing some of our financial needs, asked where we would get the money for our passage. I replied that I had no idea, but that God intended to provide it, or He would not have called us. Eldwyn, feeling certain the Lord would supply our needs, resigned the church (in Owensboro, Ky) effective in July"

Sister Alice June wrote about taking the Lord at His word (Faith) that he would provide so they could answer His call to missions in Brazil, "After filling up our gas tank, Eldwyn has $10, plus same change in his pocket. If anyone has asked us where we were going, we would have replied, "Brazil!" and we WERE there in six months!!! For our passage, and relocation expenses, we had received some very generous offerings, from some unlikely sources. One such offering was for $500, from Roland and Edna Allen. They had hoped at that time to go to Israel as missionaries, and the door being closed, asked permission to send us the money which had accumulated. Many other offerings were received in similar fashion. Though we had been able to accumulate several hundred dollars, we still did not have sufficient for our passage."

After Sister Rogers chronicles their preparation activities, a letter from the airline advised that their passage was paid in full by "anonymous" She wrote, "The Steve Montgomerys, themselves missionaries, who lived very sacrificially, had been the anonymous purchasers of our tickets!"

Thus began over thirty years of planting churches and serving God in Brazil and Chile. Children and Grandchildren of the Roger's continue the family tradition of serving God as missionaries in foreign fields. Guy Humphries, compiler of "Gotta Preach."

Chapter 65 - Simpson, Charles

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Charles Simpson

I was born September 15, 1941 at home about 500 feet from Clearwater Missionary Baptist Church (seven miles North of Judsonia, Arkansas). Clearwater was a very special place in my life for eighteen years (Saturday Night and Sunday services).

I was saved at Oakdale Missionary Baptist Church at age thirteen while sitting by Uncle Leonard and Aunt Lola Simpson. Bro. Herman Bonner was preaching in revival effort at Oakdale. I joined Clearwater the following Sunday and was baptized in Ten Mile Creek the following Sunday.

At age 18, I married Gayle Triplett, and moved to Searcy and joined Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, where my father-in-law, Bro. Nile Triplett, was pastor. I was ordained as a deacon at age 20 and took an active part in the church.

We moved to Warren June 1, 1970 and joined Central Missionary Baptist Church and took an active part in all areas of it's ministry. The more involved the more God encouraged a surrender.

During the illness of my Dad for fourteen months, we drove from Warren to Clearwater every other weekend to provide care to him and my Mother. God began working with me again

as we traveled back and forth. Each weekend the burden was greater as I observed churches along the way.

On Mother's Day weekend of 1994, Gayle and I were on our way to White County to be with our Mothers and I told Gayle of my conviction as we were leaving Warren. I announced God's

call and my surrender at Clearwater MB Church on Mother's Day. We were back in Warren at Central MB Church for the evening service and made my call known to them. I preached my

first sermon on Sunday, May15, 1994. I was licensed by Central Church in June of 1994.

I did supply ministry during the next year due to the illness/death of our younger son and my Mother and did not feel the call to pastoral work at that time. I continued supply work in South Arkansas and North Louisiana until June of 1996 when I was called as Pastor of First Baptist Church of East Camden, Arkansas. The first Sunday of July, 1996, was the first Sunday as Pastor of First Baptist Church of East Camden where I continue to pastor today.

I was ordained by Central Missionary Baptist Church on January 26, 1997.

Charles Simpson 3-8-11

Chapter 68 - Sparlin, Jon

CALL TO PREACH & MISSIONS TESTIMONY OF Brother Jon Sparling 6-22-2007

Although my story is not earth shattering, it's how God inspired me closer to Himself.

At 17 years of age, while praying before bed, I felt that God was hanging on every word I was praying. Even after I couldn't think of any more words to pray, He was still listening. It was as if He was looking at me all night and expecting something from me. The next morning, I awoke and told my parents that I believed God wanted something from me but I didn't know what it could be.

In the next 17 years that passed by I had gone to a Bible college in Covina, California, but for some strange reason felt the farthest from God there- so I eventually left, married a beautiful Christian girl, had three children, and had joined the Navy.

After my tour was up, I moved to the High Desert of Southern California where I began to attend a Baptist Church and told the pastor of what I had been carrying for so long. He asked if I felt called to preach, I emphatically said no, besides, I stutter badly. Instead, for five years, I taught the 5th and 6th grade boys and assisted as a song director. Little by little, I took on responsibilities at the Church trying to answer what the Lord was "waiting on".

Later, I was asked to preach on occasion. Eventually, pastors from other Churches began to ask if I would fill in on occasion for them.

Then, around ten years later, after preaching one Sunday night at my Church, a man passed by me and simply said, "I think you missed your calling". The words shook me to the core. My denial, excuses, and justifications began to evaporate. Little by little, every responsibility at the Church was delegated to another. It was then that I began to understand that God was closing one door and opening only one other.

That "one other door" was starting a Church in Phelan, California.

Why did it take 27 years to answer His expectations? God is in control of all things. If I was to preach earlier, it would have happened, but He arranged it the way He wanted it. There was no other way.

Awaiting the SHOUT!

Jon Sparling 6-22-2007

Chapter 71 - Stephenson, Chad

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Chad Stephenson

Well I am a P.K. born in a small town in Arkansas called Guy. 32 years ago the population of Guy was about 200. My dad was the pastor at a good size church for this town that ran around 350 so everyone knew everyone. After about 9 p.m., we had to drive 30 miles to the closet place to get milk. In second grade my father took a church in downtown Little Rock and life changed. In 6th grade, I somehow made a perfect score on my standardized test in social science and got shipped across town for junior high. I was sent to Dunbar Junior high the roughest most gang infested school in the south and I mean the entire south. My first day of school, I saw a boy in Spanish get stabbed in the back by a girl with a pair of scissors. I come from a very athletic family and I had made the basketball team. I was the only white kid that even tried out and was the only white kid on the team. My school was ruled and ran by the Bloods, a gang based out of L.A. Just a few days into practice some of my gang member teammates came to me and told me for them to protect me I needed to join them. Me not being able to defend myself, I did. I still to this day have the scar on my wrist from my rules of membership. This started a time in my life that I developed a hatred for God. I witnessed fights and things someone my age should have never seen but yet it was reality. I sold drugs out of my locker made money for my set and tried to keep from getting my head beat in. In 8th grade HBO came and did one of the most famous documentaries in history at my school called "Bangin in the Rock." Halfway through our basketball season in 8th grade, to keep a long story, short I witnessed my teammate and friend get shot and killed on the street corner down from our school. That day I determined that God was fake and not real and my father and family were stupid for believing it. When I moved on to high school I was able to leave a lot of that stuff behind but I was still an angry teen.

I had offers to play college baseball but my father sent me to Central Baptist College where he attended, who at the time had no athletics. Lets just say I did not want to go to school there and my grades showed it. God knew that it would be at that school where I would come to know His Son.

I went through one really hard year of college and after meetings with professors and my father, I started getting my act together. My sophomore year I accepted Christ as my savior and life has been a ride ever since. I finally saw God for being real for the first time in my life.

During a chapel service on a Tuesday morning that did not end for four days, we had over 30 students on campus come to know Christ. I understood that God was preparing me for something great and I just needed to accept Him and His love for me. I got to play 2 years of college baseball and basketball at CBC when they brought back their programs.

I went on to be a college baseball coach right after graduating but I was not happy. I knew that God wanted more from me and when I finally realized God had been with me all along even through the tough years it clicked. God was preparing me. Preparing me for my calling to work with teens and their needs. I have seen and done many horrible things that I do not share but know God was preparing me to work with teenagers and kids knowing where they come from and the reality of the life many of them deal with.

When it came to preaching I put it off for many years. You see when you grow up around preachers you tend to see them in a different light. For me I saw men that I admired and never saw myself being able to do what they did. I knew the importance of preaching and teaching Gods word and that it is nothing to take lightly. I admire my father and many other men for being the great preachers that they are and doing what they do. A book fell into my hands and God taught me that men are men regardless of what He calls them to do and He is what moves and makes a preacher not the man.

I gave my heart to Gods calling in September of 2004. I love what I do with a passion that comes from my dad. I love teaching teens and I know that is what God gifted me to do. Some say, Chad when will you pastor your own church? I say right now, probably never. My heart is with kids and teens and teaching them the depth of God's word. Whether God puts me in the hands of 20 students or 100 students, each time I stand before them I want them to see and feel God and His love. I try to tell myself that one changed life is more important than 1000 listeners.

I so wanted to be a baseball coach for so many years and after college was an assistant at a great division III school on my way to fulfill my dream but I was so unhappy. 2004 God called me for the final time and I surrendered to preach and do what I had always told myself I wouldn't do. Since then I have preached in England, Philippines, Mexico and many pulpits around Arkansas. God has done more with me than I could ever imagine and the joy my life has been filled with no coaching experience could ever touch. Thank you God for my call and thank you for the students you bless me with each day to teach.

Chad Stephenson 3-7-11

Chapter 72 - Stephenson, Ed

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Ed Stephenson, 93 Elliot Rd., Greenbrier, AR

'IT PLEASED GOD' - The Passion of Preaching

"Dad, Mom, I'm going to preach"

With those words, I had made public God's call to preach His Word. Following the announcement to my parents, the church was informed of my decision. There were a lot of tears shed and a sense of joy that radiated throughout the congregation that God had selected one of theirs to preach His Word. At the age of fifteen, I did not fully appreciate the moment, nor the awesome responsibility that was now thrust upon me. I must also say that after four decades the full impact of the call to the ministry still eludes me.

Following the public announcement, the pastor then informed the church, "Bro. Ed will preach his first sermon on Wednesday night." I had made my announcement on Sunday night, so I was truly taken by his scheduling me so soon! I found myself wondering, "What is the hurry?"

Now all of this had followed several months of God working on my heart. You see I was just a teenager and while I was the son of parents who never missed church, any service, I nevertheless, found attending church a time of visiting with my friends, spending my energy toward the young ladies in the church, and being, for the most part, disruptive. My parents were very much given to discipline, but I did find ways to be a nuisance during the Sunday school hour and other church functions.

While my participation in church was primarily in the area of singing, special music with my parents, and brothers, youth choir, I was not one giving a lot of attention to the teaching and preaching of the Word of God. Suddenly, all began to change! I found myself actually listening to our Sunday school teacher, and I seemed to fixed on the preaching of the Word. To my amazement, I could almost anticipate what the teacher, and the preacher, were about to say. I discovered that in reading the Bible I was given thoughts, or points, that seemed to tie together with the Scriptures I was reading. To say the least, this was most unnerving to a fifteen year old boy.

No one had ever suggested to me that God might call me to preach, or anything about preaching, apart from hearing adults talk about those who had been called, and being in a family that always seemed to be in the company of preachers. And, yet, the thought of preaching began to sneak into my thoughts while at church, at home, or in those moments when I was alone.

Could it be that God wants me to preach? What does it mean? Why am I having these thoughts about Scriptures and their message? How much can a fifteen year old grasp about such a serious life long call?

Yet, on the second Sunday night in April 1964, my cup was full and I knew I had to come to some kind of a decision to settle this turmoil in my heart. The service at First Missionary Baptist Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan, was well attended that night and as usual the singing was lively and with the conclusion of the song service, came the time for the evening message. As Bro. Marvin Owen began his message, I found myself alone with the thoughts and concerns of my own situation. I can honestly say, "I don't remember one thing Bro. Owen preached that night." I don't remember who was sitting around me that night, or anything else, until the time of invitation arrived. It was as though the Holy Spirit had separated me unto Himself.

As the invitation progressed, I soon found myself moving toward the altar, yet, even in this most public place of prayer I was desiring isolation to confront God with this unknown burden, my desire was to get the issue settled. After some time in the altar and not being able, it seemed, to arrive at a conclusion to the matter, I determined my next course of action was to seek the experience of another man in the service, a family friend, who had surrendered to the ministry at a later age in life.

I went to this brother and asked if I might talk with him in one of the Sunday school classrooms in the church basement. After we closed the door, I asked him if he would explain to me, the circumstances involved in his call to the ministry. As he revealed his call to me, I realized that the way God had dealt with him was different and it once again became obvious that this decision was between me and God. As I left our meeting, I had determined to tell my parents, and the church, that at this time I was OK in my spiritual life. We returned to the worship center where people were still in prayer and I approached the altar area where my parents were standing, with every intent to tell them that everything was OK. I stepped in front of my parents, looked them both in the eyes, and opened my mouth and the thing I said was, "Dad, Mom, I'm going to preach." With all honesty, it was as though God put the words in my mouth!

In over four decades, I have re-lived this experience many times, and I have never doubted the call of God into the ministry, although I have had times when I sought relief from the call. There is no hesitation in my conviction that the call to the ministry is the highest calling on a man's life! The reality of the call is one area in which I can relate to those men in the Bible who were dealt with, by God, to preach His word, to be His mouthpiece for their entire life.

Ed Stephenson

Chapter 76

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Olan Thompson

In the late fall of 1952, I was one of four young men selected to attend the National F. F. A. convention in Kansas City. We traveled by train from Shreveport, LA to Kansas City, KS. The train was almost filled with just young men going to the convention. Of the four from my home town, I was a oldest by just a few months. Boys being boys, it was decided that my opinion should carry extra weight.

After settling into our hotel, which was in walking distance of the convention site, we toured the area. We were amazed at all the peep-show galleries, arcades and places of entertainment which we found. We walked through the arcades mostly exploring and discovering. We tested a peep-show or two.

The second day after the convention sessions, we walked past some burlesque houses. We sat on a park bench and discussed "seeing what was coming off" in there. The three guys stated that I had to go first, being the oldest. After quite a bit of discussion about being brave enough to go in, I finally told them that I would lead the way. We walked toward the building which had about two dozen tall steps leading to the entrance. After we had scaled about half of the steps,. I looked back and saw three guys following me and a great sense of responsible guilt came upon me. I told the guys that my conscience would not allow me to go in, but I would wait for them on the park bench. Not a one of us attempted or talked further of entering a burlesque show.

That night, many activities were planned and we were set to go. I developed a very severe headache which caused me to seek the bed, darkness and quiet. For the first couple of hours, I thought of the events and slept fitfully with dreams of looking back and seeing guys following me everywhere I went. I began to question the reason for this and came to my first indication that God was calling me into the ministry. The fellow who was my roommate came in about one in the morning and roused me up to tell me what all I had missed.

Upon returning home, the recurring thought of others watching and waiting for me to lead in either right or wrong, brought me to the conclusion that God was dealing with me about the ministry. I put the idea aside and thought that it would pass and I would not be bothered anymore.

Early in February of 1953 my home church was dedicating a new parsonage. A day of dedication and rejoicing was set. By this time, I had a good conception of the call to preach and what it entailed. Yet I felt I was not ready to make it known to others. When the dedication sermon was preached, I was enraptured in the service with great sense of the presence of the Lord. The invitation to commitment was given and I found myself about three steps from the pastor before I realized fully what was in progress, but I knew what I was to do. My called to the ministry was made known and I have had a fully settled mind concerning my call to preach to this day.

Olan Thompson, 31 Park Circle, Cabot, AR 72023.

Chapter 78 - Totty, Wade

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY of Brother Wade Totty, Rison (AR) Baptist Church

The call: I answered the Lord's call to preach when I was a teenager. All I can say is that God gave me a desire to proclaim His word and to pastor one of His churches. I wished to be obedient to Him so I agreed to do whatever He wanted. He began to give me opportunities to preach from the very beginning. He paid my way through college and seminary through many means. He has allowed me to pastor four churches along the way. Twenty years removed from that call I can truly say the passion to preach God's Word to His people still burns within my heart.

Unusual events: While pastoring First Baptist Church of Sparkman, Arkansas a most unusual event took place. It was our congregation's turn to host the Community Easter Sunrise Service. Early that morning a storm blew up and knocked out the electricity to only one place in town--our church building. The parsonage directly adjacent to the building still had electricity.

I was a newlywed at the time. My wife was planning a big Easter meal for family for that day and had the house clean and the table already set. I told her that I didn't see any other option than to have the service in our home since it was so close to time. She graciously agreed.

That's what we did! We crowded people from at least 4 churches into our living room, kitchen and hallway. As you can imagine, we had the most glorious Easter Sunrise Service ever! By the way, shortly after the last person left the electricity was restored at the church building! Thank God for a God called pastor's wife!

Wade Totty 5-15-03

Chapter 80 - Triplett, Nile

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Nile Triplett, Warren, AR

I was 32 years old when God called me to preach. I was warehouse manager for Sears Roebuck in Ft. Smith.

Looking back, I felt like I was called about 3 years before I made it known. I had a desire to preach the word. I would be in church service. The pastor would be preaching, I just had a desire to be up there preaching. I could not be satisfied with anything else. Paul said, "He that desireth the office of a bishop (pastor) desireth a good work." God just put the desire in my heart so I could not be satisfied doing anything else. Paul said, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord for He counted me faithful putting me into the ministry." Paul said, "the Lord put me there."

The Lord did not speak to me, He just put that desire in my heart.

I had worked at different jobs in church but wasn't satisfied. I had been ordained as a Deacon of Antioch Baptist Church, Van Buren, AR.

We organized Calvary Baptist Church, Van Buren. My wife and I were charter members. It was there that I really began to realize without any doubt that I was called to preach.

On the first Sunday in July, l950, I made known my call to preach. The pastor wanted me to preach the next Sunday night.

I wanted to attend the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock. I told the Ft. Smith Sears store manager that I had been called to preach and that I wanted to attend the seminary and asked for a transfer to the Little Rock store. He picked up the phone to talk to the Little Rock manager and made it OK.

When I told Helen that the Lord had called me to preach, she was ready to go with me. She was a wonderful preacher's wife.

We went to Little Rock to find a place to rent. A deacon of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church had an apartment for rent so everything was set up for us to move.

Brother C. L. Jones who taught sign language at the Seminary, was pastor of the deaf congregation of Antioch. Close friends moved to Little Rock to put their daughter in the Arkansas School for the Deaf. We attended the deaf congregation with them. Several times, I was invited to preach and a lady interpreted and signed for the deaf. Our daughter Gayle who was nine years old learned to sign during this period.

My first pastorate was half-time at Sulphur Springs Missionary Baptist Church, Enders, AR near Quitman. It was a small farming congregation. My salary was what ever they gave. Not enough to cover my expense there and back.

The first three churches I pastored were half-time. One was fully capable of going full time with 60 to 70 in attendance but they would not.

Outstanding Memories

I remember Woodrow Crosby who was saved in church. He was my next door neighbor when I lived at 105 Fir St., Searcy while pastoring Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Searcy. His wife and oldest daughter attended. The day he was saved, he said. "Now lets have prayer to thank the Lord for saving me." He led the church in prayer.

Vonnie & Lanie Langley attended Landmark but he was not saved. He had a Pentecostal background. He had the idea that he had to be good enough to live it.

After I was called to Flatwoods Missionary Baptist Church, Mt. View, AR, we continued praying for Lanie. Landmark was having revival services. Late one night my wife, Helen, answered the phone and got the news that Lanie was saved after the service.

He is now a Deacon of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Searcy.

Nile Triplett August 2004

Chapter 84 - Woodall, Bill

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Bill Woodall, Heaven

Easter Sunday is a special day for me because it was on that day that I "made my call known." I think anyone, especially another preacher, will understand that statement because there is a vast difference between letting a church know that you believe that God has called you to preach and surrendering to that call. I also know that some men "fight" that call and argue with the Lord about it and go through all kinds of denial, frustration and anger. There was never any denial nor anger on my part about being in the ministry but there was a lot of frustration because I sincerely wanted to know for sure what God wanted from me.

I need to go back and explain "why" I dealt with God's dealing with my own heart as I did. I had been saved at home as a boy of nine. It was some time later that my dad [who was my hero] were in church one Sunday morning and the Lord spoke to my heart and I was deeply convicted. Several of my friends went forward in that service to be saved, I went also. Because I hadn't had any bible training, or at least the kind that "sunk in", I thought I had been saved again because my best friend at the time was a Pentecostal and this was the only thing that made sense to me. However, after years passed I came to realize that God had something else in mind for me. It came to light one day when I read Matthew 10:32, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." I realized in later years that I needed to have a public profession of faith, not to be saved again, but to honor the Lord. I "gave it all" to the Lord that day and followed the Lord by baptism in the Spring. [That was before baptisteries were built in the church house] and there was 172 who were in the "spring-baptizing" that year in the cold water of Rock Creek just outside of Wright City, Oklahoma.

About a year later there was an uproar in the First Baptist Church of Wright City, Oklahoma over some secret sinS of some of the leaders in the church. My father, being my hero, was greatly offended by the ones whose sinS were discovered and by the vengeful way the church handled it and he quit the church. Being my hero I said that if my dad refused to go back then so would I. For eleven long years I lived a rebel, trying to cover my fear and tormented life by vulgarity and meanness. I joined the Navy just as WW2 came to a close and I lived the life of the Prodigal living in a foreign country. [Lk. 15:12-19]

I met and married Jozetta Mae Bassham in 1948. She was unsaved, but there wasn't anything about me that would indicate that I was either. God gave us a little girl, Terry, and "Josie" almost died with complications following childbirth. One day when I came home for dinner I said to her, "Honey, there is something better in life than what we have and I don't know where to look for it if isn't in the Bible or with the Lord." [She almost fainted with surprise because I wouldn't let a bible in the house nor would I let anyone talk to us about God] "Let's buy a bible and begin to read it and see if there is an answer to the things that are wrong in our lives, okay?" We bought one of those big Family Bibles [I thought bigger was better] and began to read it. My vulgarity stopped immediately and my meanness was greatly curtailed. I still had a lot of trouble with my temper. One of my brothers and my sister had been saved and joined the First Orthodox Missionary Baptist Church in Compton, California and they set in on us to come to church with them. Because of the church blowup back in Wright City, I refused to go with them because it was "Baptist." As we read the Bible together, we read, "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." [Matt 16:18] With our arms around one another and with a prayer to God I told her, "This says that the Lord has a church in this world somewhere and it is still here and I don't know where to look or how to find it." We set out in search of it with the sincere desire to find it, even though I knew it wasn't going to be a Baptist Church. We first attended a Church of Christ because I had a cousin who went there. We felt so out of place and didn't know why. We never went back. We tried a Pentecostal church and there was so much noise and confusion in that place that I thought to myself that even God couldn't make sense of all the noise that was taking place. We didn't go back there either. We tried the Methodist Church and found out that it was like trying to drink from a dry well. We even went to a "Drive-In" church...same thing. In the mean time, my brother and sister had prevailed on "Josie" to go to church with them one Sunday morning while I went to wash and polish my car [which I did every Sunday morning, rain or shine]. When I went into the house expecting my wife and baby to be there, they were both gone. I rushed over to my mom & dad's house to see if they knew anything about it and they told me that they had gone to church with my brother and sister. I got so mad I couldn't contain myself...."Of all places to go! That Baptist church! With such a pious, hypocrite for a pastor." I had met him and didn't like him. I was so ugly in my heart toward him and the church that day and when I walked in and sat down, my dear wife was shaking with fear. After the services [I'll skip the details of my emotions during the service] I left with my wife and baby very angry and upset because she had gone to a "Baptist Church" when I so forcefully rejected the idea that the Lord's Church could possibly be a "Baptist Church." She didn't speak a word on the way home and I was condemning the church and pastor all the way. After we got home and I calmed down a little, she said, "Honey, haven't we been telling the Lord in our prayers that we know that he has a church in the world and we desperately want to find it but don't know where to look? Haven't we been saying that it can't be a Baptist Church? We have been putting restrictions to our request. Shouldn't we just trust the Lord to help us without putting limits on it?" It stabbed me in the heart and we went back there the next Sunday...two Sundays before Easter Sunday of 1950. My wife was saved that morning and I rededicated my life. We were both baptized by the authority of First Orthodox Missionary Baptist Church in Compton, California and I made my call to the ministry known to that church on Easter morning in 1950. The church relocated to Pico Revera, California several years later and I was ordained to the Gospel ministry by that church.

OUTSTANDING OCCURRENCES: I suppose the most exciting events of my ministry was to have seen all four of our children saved.. Our oldest daughter, Terry, was saved in "the old fashioned way" during a morning service at Pico Rivera. Our oldest son, Steven, was saved after an evening service at the same church after we had driven only a few blocks from the church. Our youngest son, Michael, was saved in a church service in Kirby, Arkansas and our youngest daughter, Kimberly, was saved at home following the death of one of our deacons when I pastored the North Highlands Missionary Baptist Church in N. Highlands, California. I was blessed to have had a part in all of them being saved although Bonnie had led Kimberly to the Lord just a few minutes before I was tearfully called by her who had been praying with Kim in our back bedroom. Even though God has allowed me to have a part in so many being saved there is none that can compare with the joy of leading our children to Christ.

My first "full-time" pastorate was one of the most outstanding events of my life. I was called to pastor Unity Missionary Baptist Church of Redlands, California in March of 1962. You can't imagine th thrill of being able to give full time to a church. We had 47 that first Sunday [and that was "up" from what they had been having] and we saw it grow to the seating capacity of the church building in a very short time [128 was our average]. My Wife, "Josie", was very, very ill and passed away on Thanksgiving Day of that year after an unsuccessful kidney transplant. I thought my world had come to an end. Even though she had been so very ill for so very long and was hospitalized for the last six months of her life, still the loss was almost unbearable. I asked God to either take the love for the ministry from my heart or give me something or someone to fill the void. Bonnie Kinslow was a member of our church and one of the most dedicated young women of our church. Deeply spiritual and loyally devoted to the Lord. We fell in love and were married January 4, 1964 and on June 25, 1965 God blessed our home with our daughter, Kimberly. When Kim was born I had accepted the call to pastor the Valley Missionary Baptist Church in Reseda, California [a good and loving church, but I believe I made a mistake in leaving Redlands]. There were two more pastorates that came within a year of one another and the Unity of Redlands called me back and I went. The church was averaging in the 80's still and God blessed so wonderfully that the church grew to a membership of 454 before I resigned again in 1969. At one point, we went for 26 weeks and had someone saved in every service. I would say that this was an outstanding event, indeed, wouldn't you. I'll never forget the first service after that one when we didn't have anyone saved....the whole church was in the altar asking God to 'expose the sin,' because they believed that was the only thing that would have kept someone from being saved that day.

There are so many other things that could be said that are outstanding events, like when I learned how to witness to lost people; enrolled in seminary at Bellflower, California. I was like a sponge, soaking up all I could get from seasoned preachers and teachers; preaching revivals where we saw souls saved, lives changed, churches revived, homes re-united and discouraged pastors helped and revitalized. I was blessed to have been part of the ministry where shouting in Baptist churches was commonplace. Bobbie pins were used to hold women's hair in place and they would shower the congregation with them when one of those dear souls would get "happy." God let me pastor some loving churches that were eager to follow my leadership: First Missionary Baptist Church of Redlands, Landmark in Eureka, Ca., N. Highlands in Sacramento, Ca, Calvary in Hazen AR, Promise Land in Hamburg, AR. Oh, it touches and mellows my heart just to think of them and recall how God let me be used there.

I am now in my declining years. Turned 74 last June. 54 years in the Gospel ministry. Wow! A little 'toe-headed, bashful, tongue-tied boy' from Wright City, Oklahoma that God saved and called to preach and let him in on a multitude of blessings is something of which I am totally unworthy.

Bill Woodall 2003

Chapter 85 - Wyatt, Johnny

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother Johnny Wyatt

I was born August 10, 1947 to James Herschel Wyatt and Betty Ruth (Ward) Wyatt at 1200 West Race St. in Searcy, Arkansas. My dad was a radio repair man in those days and my mother was a housewife. Through the fifties we traveled back and forth to California. Dad would get an itch to move and here we would go.

In 1951, we moved into our new house on Hwy. 16. We raised chickens. Dad fixed T. V.'s and radios. Mother and I worked in the chicken house. In 1961 we built a new house about ½ mile up the Hwy.

All those years Dad saw to it that we all went to church. We never missed. At this time we went o Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church at Albion.

I got saved under the preaching of Bro. Clayton Forrest Shook. The one thing I will always remember is how Bro. Shook was consistent about telling me how I needed to be saved. One day as I was bumming my way to town, Bro. Shook came along. To tell you the truth, he was the last guy I wanted to see. You see, I was lost and under great conviction. Every time I saw him or heard him preach, the Holy Spirit would convict me. It was time for me to get saved and I did in the Fosters Chapel parking lot on August 3, 1968.

I was with a friend and we had a terrible wreck on what is called four mile hill. We were traveling at eighty miles an hour, and we crashed into a rock in the ditch. My friend that was driving died about three hours later at the old Rodgers Hospital of internal injuries. As I look back, I feel that the Lord was trying to get my attention but I ignored Him.

Every kind of job I did I failed at, I would work here and there and the next thing I would quit there and find another job. This went on for years and years.

I married a real good girl named Pamela Cullum. We have had two great daughters and they have given us seven granddaughters.

After Pam and I had been married 14 years, I surrendered to the ministry at the Garner Missionary Baptist Church. That was September, 1986. I was ordained at Garner Missionary Baptist Church February 22, 1987. Bro. Bill Pennington preached my ordination service. My first church was Landmark Missionary Baptist Church at McRae in 1987.

Bro. A. D. Livingston has been my greatest inspiration also Bro. Bill Lyons and Bro. Carthel Wyatt. They prayed for me and helped me whenever they could. They always listened when I had a problem and gave real advice when I needed it.

Through the years, I have pastored churches in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. I may have had many churches but I have stayed in the ministry. This is what the Lord was trying to make me realize back in 1968. Right now, I am pastoring Faith Baptist Church in Newport, Arkansas. So far we have been there over two years.

It has always been a thrill for me when someone would get saved. But, a few weeks ago I got to recommend someone as pastor to a past church, one I pastured in Oklahoma. He is now their pastor and they already love him.

I have made many, many mistakes, but I love the Lord and I can't thing of anything I'd rather do than preach. It is my hearts desire to sit down and write out a sermon for the next Sunday. Down through the years, I have preached a few revivals and I would like to preach even to our Association.

Whoever reads this, I ask that you pray for me and I ask that your church pray for me. That is all that I ask and let God do the rest.

Johnny Wyatt 9-15-07

OLD TIME PREACHERS TESTIMONIES GLEANED FROM THE INTERNET

Chapter 87 – Cartwright, Albert

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Albert Cartwright, Fairfield, Hyde County, N. C. June 6, 1877

Dear Brother Gold, and All Whom it May Concern:--As I have been impressed for some time to write something concerning my call to the ministry (if I have one) I now make the attempt through feeling my weakness and imperfections, I almost shrink from it, yet I pray the great God of Israel that He may direct my mind and pen.

The first Sunday in May 1851 I was baptized. Then I thought all my troubles were over; but alas! how much I was deceived, though I got along tolerably well until the following August. On the 4th of that month at night I went to bed with my mind at ease. My eyes closed in sleep after a little while, but soon I was aroused and great fear came over me. It seemed that some great power that I could not resist seized and carried me a great way from home and set me down in the strangest place I ever saw, with my face turned toward a small tent or cabin through which was a passway that seemed to be crowded all the while with footmen, which filled me with amazement. After standing there some minutes, not knowing where I was, I thought I was in the way, though no one noticed me. I then thought I would step across to the passway, and did so, and turned to my right, and I was still unnoticed by any one. O, how miserable I was. I felt that I was one alone in a foreign land. I lifted my eyes and looked out upon a large place that was full of rivers and creeks, and streets, and lanes seemed very narrow, running in every direction, divided by narrow streams of water. The places seemed to be crowded with all sizes of footmen going in every direction; some moving very slowly, and some a little faster, until they seemed to be going as fast as horses could run, with all manner of dressing and fashions that ever was worn. After viewing all of their movements I still felt as one alone. I knew not what to do. About this time I saw as it were 3 persons making their way towards me side by side all apparently about the same stature. They seemed to come near enough in front of me for me to lay my hand on them. They stood aside and looked me in the face. After a little, one of them said to me. You are a preacher. I opened my mouth to say that I was not, but before I could speak the second one said he is not. Now the third one spoke and said, you will be. They all, after speaking to me, dispersed, so that I saw them no more. This filled me with great fear so that I could not rest day or night. I kept all of this to myself and thought I would never reveal a word of it anyone. Feeling that I was slow of speech and ignorant and unworthy, I could cry, O wretched man that I am, shall I ever be delivered out of this great trouble?

It seemed that the Scriptures were on my mind continually I thought I could never undertake so sacred a task as preaching. Other serious circumstances took place with me. When asleep my mind would be wandering from home; sometimes I would be from home meeting with a large assemblage of people, and on one occasion was preaching to them.

Once when asleep I saw a large congregation of people of both sexes; I walked around them on the East side until I reached the South side, I turned around and saw coming from the north the most beautiful man I ever saw, very fair to look upon with a book in his right hand; he went around where I was and presented the book to me and said, take this book and read it to the people. I took the book and the man left. I then began to read it. By this time I thought it was my duty to speak in the ears of the people, but I felt so unworthy that I was lacking in every capacity, so much so that I thought I never would expose my ignorance before the world. I have often prayed to the good Lord to take me out of that horrible condition. I was compelled to weep by day and by night, going from place to place seeking rest but could find none.

Time had passed on until twelve months had passed away. August the 14th 1852 after going to bed not as well in mind as I was twelve months previous to this time, I fell asleep and soon was alarmed again with nearly the same thing in appearance that happened with me twelve months before. It seemed that my troubles increased greatly. The impression to preach seemed more forcible than before, though I thought I would never let anyone know anything about my feelings in regard to preaching the gospel. When in company with the brethren I was afraid to talk to them concerning the Scriptures fearing they would mistrust my having some light in spiritual things. Time passed on until June 1853. A little before this one of the brethren spent a night with me; we walked out and I for the first time told the impressions of my mind. He encouraged me to enter into my duty. I could only speak of my weakness.

At our conference in June, with all of my weakness, I told the church some of my feelings, and asked liberty to hold prayer meeting which was granted. I made my appointment for the second Sunday in June. There was quite a number attended. With all my unworthiness and weakness I entered into that duty I felt was so sacred to God. From that time I held prayer meetings with the brethren and began to exercise a little. I tried to stop for I was not satisfied with the impression I had made. Time passed on and trouble seemed to be my lot. I did not know what to do. At length to my astonishment one night after retiring it seemed to me that I had left home on foot. I had not gone far before I came to a straight broad road. When I looked to my right I could see for many miles. This road was perfectly straight and led to the place where I first saw that great sight. At the end of this road there appeared a lone tree of considerable size with a cross on it. When I first stepped in this way my eyes were fixed on the cross which was a white as white could be and most beautiful to look upon though it seemed many miles ahead. At length I came near the tree of the cross and stopped and a voice said turn to the right. I turned a little to the right and beheld another road I could see no end to it; it was straight and narrow, just wide enough for one to travel on, which led through a beautiful forest, both sides equally alike with the growth low and small. After a little a voice said, you must travel this road. I stepped into it, and as I started I looked to my right and beheld a large flock of sheep standing in the most beautiful grove I ever beheld. They all seemed to be at peace together. As I was passing by them viewing the beautiful sight a voice said, turn to the right. This brought the sheep before me. The voice again said, There is a sheep in that flock that you must call out. I commenced calling and one of them started toward me; it came bleating and then the whole of the flock followed it. Then and there I was made willing to go and with the assistance of the Lord try to preach Christ to a gainsaying world.

I was set at liberty by the church to exercise in the ministry. That was all the liberty I wanted and moreBto than I asked for. I have met with some refreshing seasons since that time. Time rolled on until the 4th day of June 1855, when the church saw fit to set apart that day for my ordination. With all of my weakness and unworthiness to gratify the church I accepted of the ordination. Ever since I have felt to be at the feet of my brethren. God forbid that I should ever undertake to lord it over God's heritage.

If I have any call to the ministry I have tried to set it forth in as brief a way as possible. I must say in conclusion, pray for me brethren that I may be kept by the power of God in the pathway of duty.

Yours in love, ALBERT CARTWRIGHT

(Extracted from Zion's Landmark, pages 540-545 (volume, date, and number not included)

Chapter 90 – Truett, George W.

CALL TO PREACH TESTIMONY OF Brother George W. Truett

From the Sword of The Lord: George Truett taught school and hoped someday to become a lawyer. But, one Sunday he heard a preacher say from the pulpit, "There is a young man in my audience who ought to be out proclaiming the Wor of God. He knows it too. We all know who he is, and I want every one to get to praying for him to decide right now".

That day, George Truett decided. He was ordained the next day.

From His Biography:

He joined the Baptist church in Hayesville, TX where in 1886, during a series of evangelistic meetings, he had a conversion experience. He taught in the one-room Crooked Creek public school in nearby Towns County, Georgia. In 1887, to pay his way to law school, he opened a subscription school at Hiawassee, Georgia. In 1889, however, he gave up the school to follow his parents to Whitewright, Texas, where he enrolled in Grayson Junior College and joined the Baptist congregation. When they discovered his teaching and speaking abilities, the congregation elected him superintendent of the Sunday school, and in the pastor's absence Truett often spoke at worship services. In 1890 the church members urged him to enter the ministry; they ardently pressed their case on him at a Saturday meeting and ordained him the next day.

He held that the office of a preacher was to "help human life to realize its true destiny" and that there was no earthly task greater than the minister's.

In 1897 Truett was called to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church, Dallas, which he held until his death forty-seven years later. During these years the church's membership grew from 715 to 7,804.

Of the many one is particularly compelling. During a hunting trip, Dr. Truett accidentally shot and killed one of his dear friends. All of Dallas was shocked, and Pastor Truett was plunged into grief. He shut himself off from the world, crying and praying unto God in the shadows. Some weeks passed, and on a Saturday night he fell into a restful sleep for the first time since the tragedy. During the night he had a dream in which Jesus stood by him. Dr. Truett heard Him say: "Be not afraid, you are my man from now on." He woke and told his wife of the dream. He went back to sleep and had the same dream. And again, it happened for a third time.

Truett announced he would return to his pulpit. The word spread through Dallas like Texas wildfire, and the Methodist and Presbyterian and other churches dismissed their services that they might go and hear him. Everyone was saying, "Truett will be preaching today. Dr. Truett will be preaching Christ again today!" Many, many souls were saved that Sunday and the power of God rested upon Dr. Truett as never before.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WITNESS BY MANY CHILDREN-OF-GOD IS TO TELL THEIR SALVATION EXPERIENCE. Invitations were extended to numerous believers. Jere are the replies. Future testimonies will be added by re-publishing.

Chapter 110 – Hunphries, Guy

SALVATION TESTIMONY OF Guy Humphries, Compiler of "Gotta Preach"

Remember, the theme of my writing is that we CHOOSE to commit the fatal Sin of rejecting Jesus' love gift of salvation which results in going to hell. On the contrary, God's-born-again-children commits forgivable sinS of the flesh every day. Big S Sin results in hell. Big S sinS when repented of are forgivable.

MY EXPERIENCE OF SALVATION

How do you answer your friends when they ask, "How did you become a truly-born-again-child-of-God (saved)? Your individual experience in your own words is the most effective answer.

As for me, it is like it happened yesterday although it was August 1947.

When God's Holy Spirit communicated with my spirit, He caused me to feel extremely uneasy, that is, under conviction. He persistently drew me toward His love. He would not permit me to ignore the fact that He loves me and wanted me to earnestly desire to be His Child. Jesus said in John 3:16 personalized, "For God did love Guy so much that he gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that Guy could believe (Trust) Jesus so that Guy shall not go to hell but so that Guy shall have everlasting life in Heaven.

His Holy Spirit helped me to finally understand that I was not God's Child rather satan's child resulting in my eternal spirit going to hell when I died. I was lost!

It has been rightfully said, "Children-of-satan must realize that they are lost before they can get saved."

In Romans 3:23-24 God's Word says, "For ALL have Sinned and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Personalized, it says " Yes, Guy chose to commit that fatal Sin of rejecting Jesus, Guy fell short of God's glorious ideal; yet now God declares Guy "not guilty" of rejecting Him because Guy now trusts in Jesus, who in His kindness freely deleted Guy's going-to-hell-Sin of rejecting Him. John 3:18a says, "He that believeth is NOT condemned..."

Then, after hearing about God's love of salvation over and over during the first 13 years of my life, it finally dawned upon me that Jesus died for ME. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commended His love toward us in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us." Personalized, it says, "But God demonstrated His love toward Guy while Guy remained a Jesus rejecting Sinner, Jesus intentionally died for Guy."

In August, 1947, my Pastor, Brother Johnny Sloate, who only had a 3rd grade formal education but a dedicated student of God's Word, drew a vivid word picture of the hell to which I was going. He asked all who would admit that we were not saved and wanted to be prayed for to come kneel. I kneeled at the alter.

Immediately, Sister Esther Little, my pre-school card class Sunday School teacher, was kneeling beside me quietly praying for my salvation. I TRUSTED Jesus. He saved my soul!!!!!!!

Why had I listened to thousands of lessons and sermons without trusting Jesus? Until a few days before that, God's Holy Spirit had not yet convicted and convinced my spirit that I would miss heaven, that I was going to hell. I was uneasy, fretful, obnoxious, rebellious, and not nice to be around, all the result of being under His powerful conviction.

Boy!!! The joy was boundless after I trusted Him and became a truly-born-again-child-of-God like Jesus clearly defined in John 3.

What did Bro. Sloate preach about that finally persuaded me? Hell is real!

He preached from Luke 16:19-31. He said that Jesus told what happened to the spirits of two men at their physical death. "There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores...the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom (heaven); the rich man also died, and was buried." Where did his eternal spirit go? "And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in TORMENTS and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."

All of his life, that man had chosen to TRUST in his riches, enjoying them but never thinking about God and the poor man who had TRUSTED in God. As with all men, they BOTH died. Jesus said that Lazarus went to heaven. The other went to hell where he lamented that hell was a place of TORMENT.

What happened after he got to hell? The unsaved man's misery was intensified by his memory and ability to see Lazarus enjoying heaven. To whom did the lost man pray? Not God (too late) but to Abraham. "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am TORMENTED in this flame."

Bro. Sloate challenged the congregation, "Try this. Turn the heat up to 110 degrees, put on many extra clothes, build a fire in the fireplace and set down by it. Stay there 24 hours with nothing to eat or drink. At the end, a drop of water on the tip of your tongue would feel good. That is cool compared to hell."

The man in hell prayed to Abraham the father of the Jews because his physical death had eliminated his right to pray to God since he had CHOSEN to reject Jesus while he was physically alive.

What was Abraham's answer to the man in hell? No! "...now he is comforted, and thou art TORMENTED."

The man in hell was persistent. He prayed again, "I pray thee, therefore, father (Abraham), that thou wouldest send him to my father's house for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come in to this place of TORMENT." He understood that it was crucial that his brothers make a choice, repenting of their fatal going-to-hell-Sin-of-rejecting-Jesus and trust Him and become a truly-born-again-child-of-God with heaven, not hell, as the final destination of their inner man of the spirit. He clearly understood that it was essential that someone tell them how to be saved.

The longer Bro. Sloate preached, the more miserable I became as he reminded ME to notice how many times Jesus referred to TORMENT which means "Great pain and suffering in body and mind" like the burning, rack, dripping water or other torture the ancients used to induce a confession. Yes, hell is a real place of full time TORMENT for eternity. I couldn't comprehend that but Jesus said it and I believed it.

Talking about hell and the antichrist's followers in Revelations 14:10-13 , God's Word says, "He shall be TORMENTED (there's that word again) with fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Jesus) and the smoke of their TORMENT ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name...Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (truly-born-again-children-of-God.) "...from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them." Jesus will reward God's children very soon after the Rapture.

Have you ever smelled sulfur burn? When we toured Yellowstone, a putrid smell like rotten eggs was emitting from some of the springs. Sulfur is something like that only more intense. The dictionary says "It burns with a blue flame, giving off choking fumes."

In Mark 9:46 Jesus said the unsaved would go into hell, "Where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Bro. Sloate gave this illustration, "For four days, a soldier laid mortally wounded among numerous corpses. His open wound was consumed by the same worms that consumed the dead bodies." What TORMENT!!

When asked what Sin he must commit to guarantee that his inner man, his spirit, his soul will go to hell, what can I tell my friend? In John 3:18, God's Word clearly states that it is that one fatal Sin of rejecting Jesus' love gift of salvation. Refusing (see below) to believe (trust) on Him to give eternal life.

Jesus clearly defined being lost in John 3:18 Paraphrased and personalized - "There is no eternal doom (in hell) awaiting Guy when Guy trusts Jesus to save him. But if Guy refuses to trust Him Guy has already been tried and condemned (Guy condemned himself to hell) for not believing in the only Son of God." To stress that essential principle, God inspired John to repeat the same concept in verse 36. If they continue to reject Jesus' love gift they choose to sentence themselves to hell. If they trust Him, Jesus immediately gives them His love gift of heaven. Every person makes his own choice.

The lost man clearly understood that he could never get out of hell. In Luke 16:26 Jesus told the man in hell, ....neither can they pass to us that would come from thence (hell).

After listening, finally really listening, to the Gospel message in Bro. Sloate's sermon and enduring the unremitting drawing of God's Holy Spirit, I finally understood that I was bound for hell. I did not want to spend eternity in TORMENT. I could not think of what to pray. Then, God's Holy Spirit reminded me of what Jesus said about a Sinner in Luke 18:13, so I prayed like he did, "God be merciful to me a Sinner." I trusted Jesus and received the love GIFT of Jesus into my heart. I trusted Him. My eternal spirit was Born Again. I got saved!!!. I received the promise of John 1:12-13, "But as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Personalized it says, "When Guy received (trusted) Jesus, to Guy He gave the all powerful right to become a truly-born-again-child-of-God. All that was necessary to save Guy was for Guy to trust Him. When Guy trusted/believed in Jesus, Guy's spirit was reborn---not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan---but Guy's spirit/soul was Born Again by the will of God."

Since that day, I have never become unborn. Naturally, as long as I live in this body of flesh it will commit sinS causing God to be unhappy enough with me to administer sufficient discipline to get my attention thus motivating me to repent, to turn my back upon my sinS, to give them up. Every time, God forgives me and He restores our fellowship. What joy!!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRUST/BELIEVE?

It means being truly-born-again spiritually. Jesus was answering questions from Nicodemus, a religious leader, in a paraphrase of John 3:5-6, Jesus told him, "What I am telling you so earnestly is this: Unless you are born of water (physical birth=outer man) and of the Spirit (spiritual birth = inner man), he (inner man) cannot enter the Kingdom of God (be saved). Men can only reproduce human life (outer man), but the Holy Spirit gives new life ( to the inner man) from heaven."

That was not logical to my human reasoning. In 1947, I made the most important decision about my eternal existence and God's Word assures me that it is free to me but it cost Jesus His life!! By logic, I reasoned that since everything I have in this physical life is the result someone's labor that I must work for the most important thing in my total existence, the salvation of my soul. Ain't that logical? Sure it is when we think only in physical terms. Remember, we are talking about the eternal destiny of my soul. Heaven or hell? The exceedingly most crucial decision of my life.

So, IF I could be "Good Enough" and work my way to heaven, would my salvation be of God or of me? Of "good" me of course. IF I could work my way into heaven by being good enough, then who needs Jesus? IF I could work my way into heaven, He died and rose from the grave for nothing.

The gift of salvation through grace is not logical to human reasoning but it is God's only way to heaven. A paraphrase of the Bible in Ephesians 2:8-9 says, Because of His kindness you have been saved through trusting (believing in) Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a GIFT from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done (wages for labor,) so none of us can take credit for it.

A paraphrase of John 1:11-12 says, "Only a few will welcome and receive Jesus. But to all who received (believed=trusted) Him, He gave the right to become truly-born-again-children-of-God. All they needed to do was to trust (believe) Him to save them. All those who believe (trust) this are born-again...not a (outer man) physical rebirth---but from the will of God (spiritual birth of the inner man).

God's plan of salvation is that simple. It so simple that a young child can choose to receive salvation. The vast majority of people are saved before they reach age 20. By age 20, the majority of lost Sinners have already chosen to follow satan and reject Jesus' love gift of salvation while listening to satan's favorite excuse, "I'm young, I can get saved any time." That could be true if I don't suddenly die of various causes like car wrecks, plane crashes, gun shots, heart attacks, drug overdoses, etc.

A paraphrase of Jesus' statement in Luke 18:16-17 says, "Let the little children come to me! Never send them away! For the Kingdom of God belongs to men who have hearts as trusting as these little children's. And anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get within the Kingdom's gates (heaven.)

Praise God!!! He saved this dirty Sinner boy and keeps him secure as he longs for heaven.

Guy Humphries, March 2011

Chapter 112 – Kilcrease Frances

TESTIMONY OF MY SALVATION By Frances Kilcrease, member of Promiseland Missionary Baptist Church, Hamburg AR

The greatest day of my life was the day that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. A wonderful feeling of being forgiven of my sin and being at peace with God brought a peaceful feeling into my heart that has never left. After seventy years the feeling is just as fresh today as it was the day that I was saved, and the memory of that day is still fresh.

I was twelve years old and going into the seventh grade. I had not gone to church regularly during my childhood but I knew that I should have been going without being told.

My family lived on a farm, about a mile from the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church. Everyone living in our rural community were farmers like us. It was during the horse and wagon days. No farmer had a tractor but plowed with horses and mules. A few families owned cars or trucks. They worked hard planting and cultivating their crops until August when the crops were "laid by". During that time of the summer they did not have to plow or hoe in the fields therefore the men could relax for a few weeks until harvest.

During the summer months Mother could walk a mile down a dirt road with us children to church. The road went through a creek bottom that was wet and muddy during the winter months, because we had to walk, we did not go regular. Mother had no encouragement from my father. He could have carried us to church in a horse drawn wagon like my friend's fathers did but it seemed to me that he believed that taking us children to church was unimportant. In the summer time he used the excuse the horses had plowed in the fields all week and that they needed a day of rest. In the wintertime he gave no excuse, just didn't go. Although, just before he died, after I was grown, he said that he wished it had been the law that a father had to send his children to Sunday School. Then it was too late to be an example for me.

Even though I missed spiritual training from my father during my formative years, in other areas, he taught me well. He trained me to be honest, live a clean moral life and work for a living for which I am grateful. Mother tried hard give me spiritual training. She taught me Bible Stories and would quote Scriptures to correct me. I had rather been spanked than for Mother to quote the Ten Commandments when I needed corrected. Her words still ring in my mind, "The Bible says. ". Often I would reply, "Don't say that!".

Today I can look back and see God was at work in my heart when I was in the third grade. I realize now that my teacher was a Christian. I cannot remember her name but I can remember that she taught the entire class to memorize John 3: 16, a scripture that has helped me all the rest of my life. Each morning before we started our classes we recited that scripture for the entire school year. Also, each Monday morning she asked the class to raise our hands if we had gone to Sunday School the day before. I remember one Monday when she asked the question, even though I had not been to Sunday School, I raised my hand, because I knew that I should have. A boy in my class, that was in Sunday School in our church, spoke out that I was not there. My lie was exposed but the teacher did not say one word. But God did! The Holy Spirit began to convict me of sin. I remembered my Mother quoting "Thou shall not lie." I had lied and had broken the commandment! The Holy Spirit convicted me then but I did not know it was He who was making me feel so badly. I believed that the bad feeling was because I got caught. I disliked the boy that told on me. I was afraid that he would tell Mother or Father that I had told a lie in school and I would be punished. The Holy Spirit did not let me forget that I had lied. It was embedded in my mind and still is even to this day. Also by the teacher asking the class if we had gone to Sunday School gave me the feeling that I should have gone and the Holy Spirit began to convict me that it was wrong not to go to church.

Mr.William Stell's family, lived near my family"s farm. Each Sunday morning I would see his wagon coming down the road in front of our house. He was taking his children to church and Sunday School. I felt convicted by the sight of that wagon going by, so much so, that I would hide until the wagon passed so that Mr. Stell could not see me. I believed that if Mr. Stell did not see me that I would not feel so badly about not going to church. My father helped me a little by having said that his horses needed rest on Sunday. But the guilty feeling did not leave.

One day my sister and I were walking past a neighbor's apple orchard. The trees were loaded with ripe apples. The apples looked so good and I was hungry. We looked to see if anyone could see us then I climbed the fence into the orchard and stole an apple. We called it "swiping"" so as to make us feel a little better. The neighbor nor my parents never knew that I had stolen the apple, but the Holy Spirit did. He convicted me with my mother's teachings "Thou shall not steal." My sins began to build up.

As I look back I am led to believe that my mother never realized just how much ammunition that she was giving the Holy Spirit to convict me with by quoting the Ten Commandments. Another commandment stands out in my mind when I was about eleven years old that brought me to my knees. My sister and I were fussing and fighting. Mother was talking in a very sweet voice pleading with us to love each other like the Bible taught and not to fight. I was so mad that I kept chasing my sister through the kitchen where Mother was working. She began to cry and said, "The Bible says, Honor your father and mother and you children are not doing that." She knelt down beside a chair and began to pray aloud for us. The Commandment and her prayer stopped me in my tracks. I knelt beside Mother and put my arm around her. When she stopped praying, she put her arms around me and hugged me up close. I would have gladly taken a spanking and would have felt much better if she had. No relief came! She did not spank me but the Holy Spir

t did. That commandment was the crushing blow. Her words kept ringing in my mind. The Bible says, "'Honor thou father and mother, and you children are not doing that." If Mother had spanked me I could have passed it of as soon as I quit hurting physically but the Holy Spirit would not let me for forget the Scriptures that she quoted. I felt so mean and ugly but I did not know that the bad feeling was the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.

I sought relief by reading the Bible. My mother and father both read the Bible so I believed if I read the Bible that the mean feeling would go away. Mother's Bible was a copy of the New Testament. I started reading in Matthew and read through John. No help came. All I remember about that reading session was that I was surprised that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John was the same story about Jesus and that Matthew had a lot of "begots". I had read a lot of books and thought that all books had a different story.

The week following the first Sunday in August every year when the crops were "laid by" Promise Land Church had a week revival services both morning and night. We always went to the revival even though we walked. Mother made the walk fun. During the day we played a game of seeing how many different trees that we could name. At night she pointed out the different stars, constellations and the Milky Way arching across the sky that God had made. The doctrine that God created everything was so embedded in my mind that no teacher could shake my belief with the teaching of evolution.

The annual revival in August 1934 was the turning point in my life. Bro. A. T .Powers was the pastor of Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church. He was a giant of a man but very kind. I cannot remember the visiting evangelist's name but I do remember what he preached. He taught that God loved people so much that he sent Jesus to be crucified and that all people are sinners in God's sight. That week I understood that Jesus Christ died for me, and that I could be forgiven of my sins and be saved by accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior, then after being saved I needed to follow the Lord by first being baptized then join the church.

All week I thought about what he was preaching but did not tell anyone. There was no doubt in my mind that I was a sinner. The Ten Commandments that Mother quoted had taught me that I was. The Holy Spirit convicted me that the preacher was talking about me but the Devil was also busy working in my mind, telling me that I was so mean and ugly that if I went up to accept Jesus as Savior and to be baptized that the church would not accept me.

Thursday night of that week I felt the convicting power of the Holy Spirit in my heart that I should accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. I was standing on the second bench of Promise Land Church with my friends. Two of them went forward and was saved. I stood there holding onto the back of the bench in front of me so convicted by the Holy Spirit that I was trembling. The devil was at his worst in my heart at that moment. A battle raged in my mind. He kept reminding me how mean and ugly that I was and if I went forward I would not know what to say to the preacher.

The evangelist turned the service over to Bro. Powers and stepped back. Bro.Powers spoke a few words then said, " If anyone present would like to repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as his or her Savior come forward and take my hand." The door was opened for me. I could do that. I went forward and took his hand. Bro. Powers asked me, "Are accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?" I replied ""Yes Sir."

That is all I said. I could not have said another word. I did not have to, God knew my heart. My actions spoke for me. A joy flooded my soul that night that has never gone away.

Bro. Powers addressed the church and said that I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Then asked the question, "' What is the will of the church"? Someone made a motion that I be accepted, upon the profession of my faith in Jesus Christ, as a candidate for baptism then after baptism a member of the church. The church did accept me! I knew that on Sunday afternoon I would be baptized and become a church member. It was the custom of Promise Land Church on Sunday afternoon to baptize by emersion everyone saved during the week.

I shall always remember that night. The joy of the Lord flooded my soul. All the way home I thought about being saved, that I was forgiven for my sins, and that the church did accept me as a member. When I went to bed that night I cuddled up under the sheet and thought about having been saved and rejoiced. I could hardly wait until Sunday afternoon to be baptized and become a member of Promise Land Church. I knew that it was a church custom to baptize each new convert on Sunday afternoon following the revival.

The Devil did not leave me alone for long. The rest of the week he tried to discourage me. The following morning after being saved my sisters began to tease me. Today their teasing would not hurt me, but it did when I was twelve years old. Behind Mother's back they would laugh and say, "Frances' sins are going to be washed away in Berry Lake." I did not know how to answer them. I tried to pretend that they did not bother me but it did. The crushing blow was when I heard my father tell my mother that I was not old enough to know what I was doing that I had gone forward to be saved because my friend had. I knew better! Something wonderful had happened to me that night when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior .

The following Sunday during lunch was the worst time of discouragement. It was time to go to Berry Lake to be baptized. We would have to go several miles in a horse drawn wagon through the woods to Berry Lake. My father stated that he was not going to take me to be baptized because he believed that I was to young to fully understand what I was doing and was just following my friends. Tears filled my eyes. I sat at the table stunned and speechless.

My father always made the final decisions in our home but this time Mother did. She turned and asked, "Frances, do you want to be baptized? Did you understand what the

preacher said?"

I replied, "Yes, Mother!"

She turned to my father and said, "Tommy, hitch the horses to the wagon, we are going to take Fances to be baptized." He left the table without a word. Soon we were on our way. Happiness was restored.

Berry Lake was a few miles from home. In August, most of the small streams would be low with water and muddy but Berry Lake was fed with a spring and the water would be fresh and cold. I believed that we would be late for the service because Father never made the horses trot, but when we did arrive a crowd of church members were already there. A large area at the lake was cleared of underbrush. The lake bank had been cleaned and wooden steps had been built leading down to the water. At the side of the clearing, bed sheets were stretched between four trees to make a blind for ladies and girls to dress. On the opposite side a similar blind for the boys and men.

The baptismal service could not have been more sacred to me if it had been performed in a great cathedral. Bro. Powers went down the steps into the water and waded out to the center of the lake. Several of the men went into the water and stood near the steps and out in the water to support us. All of the people to be baptized formed a line and went single file down the steps into the water with the ladies and girls going first then the men and boys. We stood in a line waiting our turn to be baptized.

When my turn came, I felt so happy. Being baptized was very important and special to me. I felt loved! I knew that I was doing the right thing. Bro. Powers gave me a handkerchief and told me to hold it in my hand to put over my nose when I went down into the water. I held onto his left arm. He raised his right hand toward heaven and said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then he placed his right hand behind my shoulders with the left over my nose and slowly lowered my entire body down into the water. That was about seventy years ago. I can still feel the water of Berry Lake completely covering me, making a beautiful picture of the burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, that after being saved, I should walk a new life dedicated to Jesus Christ.

We went behind the blind and changed into dry clothes. Then, we formed a line in the shade of a large tree. The audience sang as each one walked by and gave us the "right hand of church membership," thereby, welcoming each of us as members of Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church.

My sister and I started going to church every Sunday morning and night even if we had to walk alone. We had no fear of being molested only of snakes at night.

A few years later, I met my husband, A. C. Kilcrease. He had been saved and had already dedicated his life to the Lord. Most of our dating was walking to and from church. After we were married, I started going to ladies auxiliary with my husband's mother. I was surprised that so many of the older ladies present knew very little about the Bible. My father was not a church member but he read the Bible often. I heard him discuss Bible subjects with preachers who came to visit our home. But our teacher was very knowledgeable of the Bible. I admired her and realized by her example that God could use a woman to teach if she would prepare.

I resolved to study and to know something about the Bible. I started reading the Bible in Genesis, and remember to this day, much of what I learned during the first reading. It was so unlike my first attempt to read the Bible. I read until I came to Books of the Prophets but understood little of what I was reading. I prayed for understanding.

When I was twenty-one, I dedicated by life to God as a Bible teacher. I knelt beside my bed and confessed to God that I would be a teacher if He could use me. I continued to study daily and had a burning desire to discuss with other Christians what I was reading. One friend told me that I was studying the Bible so much that it was going to drive me crazy. I have put that idea to a lifetime test and have learned that it is not true.

A few months later, the teacher of the teenage class moved away from our community and the church elected me as teacher. I had to study more. I prayed that the day would come that I would not have to study so hard but it never has. I have continued to study a lifetime. My daily goal is to know more about the Bible today than I knew yesterday and more tomorrow than I know today.

After over sixty-five years of Bible study, the Bible is just as fresh today as it was the day I started Genesis. I ask myself the question: "How could a book hold a person's interest for so many years and its subjects not be exhausted?" My conclusion is that it is truly the "living Word." The more I study the more I find there is to know. My greatest treasure other than my personal relationship with God is the knowledge that I have acquired of the Bible. But, I Confess that I have not mastered the Bible.

I have continued to teach regularly except for a year or so that I had to take off when my twins were born.

My Lord has opened doors for me to serve Him beyond my fondest expectations. When asked where I get the energy to continue to serve God, I can truthfully say with Nehemiah, "The joy of the Lord is my strength!" (Nehemiah 8:10)

Frances Kilcrease 2004

Chapter 120 – McBroome, Norman

TESTIMONY OF MY SALVATION by Norman McBroome

On March 21st 1994, I was in a grave situation. When I left the farm shop that morning, I told the hired hands to begin hooking up the equipment. We were going to start planting rice. I left at 8:00 that morning going to the Case place in Wynne AR.

The next thing I realized, I was in chest deep water. My truck was up side down and under a concrete bridge in the Caney Creek Bottoms. I was broke all to pieces. My left hip bone was broke out my britches. My left forearm both bones were broke and my arm was hanging down with a little skin holding it on. I received severe trauma to my upper mouth and skull. I now have Titanium in my upper mouth and front skull. My scalp was removed from back to front. It crushed my t2, t3, and t4 vertebra's. They harvested three of my ribs to re-fuse my upper spine. The accident occurred around 8:15 AM. At around noon I knew my life was soon over. I had no more strength to hold on to the willow bush any longer.

It was at this time in my mind I visited hell, the people were begging mercy, mercy but they were told there is no mercy you have already made your choice. You have waited to late. It was at this time I cried for I re-lived all the bad things, I did in my life. It was like a projector and a slide of everything I ever done was before me. I was so ashamed. I said, "No! No! I do not want to go there. Oh God, I know no one knows I am here. It is just me and You. I confessed all those filthy sins and believed that God had raised Jesus from the dead and He accepted this piece of nothing. I believe with all my heart that I only had a few heartbeats left. It is amazing that He would accept a human being that wasted a life time on the things of the world. I told God, "If you let someone stop, I will serve your Son the rest of my life." I have done a terrible job at this. I do not know if it was seconds or minutes but the next thing I remember was a lady's voice asking if any one was down there. After my conversion the most amazing chain of events transpired. He was totally in control and when God is in control wonderful things happen. So to answer the question about my health. Due to trauma to the brain and three brain surgery's, at times I have a balance problem. In other words, I walk in one direction only to end up in another. On those days I stay in. Some days I can go good, even drive Peg around town. And you would not even know I have this problem. Any way, I thank God for the good days and I feel blessed for the bad.

For I truly believe I was spared the wrath of eternal hell. In my human mind, I am still reminded of the past. Any time satan reminds me of my past, I immediately remind him of his future. May we always remember, God loves us and Jesus proved it. And above all TO GOD BE THE GLORY IN THE CHURCH.

Norman McBroome March 2006

Chapter 122 - Penigar

TESTIMONY OF MY SALVATION by Janis Pinegar Pence

Here is my salvation experience. I pray it will be the words to bring someone else into the arms of God.

We lived in Searcy on Highway 16 N. in a little white house. I was around 10 or 11 years old, when Mom invited the pastor and his wife to eat with us. After we ate, I went to the piano room to play. The pastor came in and asked me if he could join me. I said yes, and he began to talk to me about Jesus. I had been under conviction for awhile but I didn't understand what to do. I just knew I loved Jesus and wanted to be with him in heaven when the time came.

The pastor explained in simple words the way to salvation and I begin to understand what I needed to do. We prayed together and I ask Jesus for forgiveness of my sins and invited him into my heart. I began to feel real happy. I really don't have the words to write what I experienced within my heart. It was so wonderful and astounding "I" was a child of God!

I never had to doubt \His love, and He would always be by my side through thick and thin. God is with me and He has literally saved my life many time over the years. He gave me a loving, good husband. He allowed me to experience bring a child into the world. Then He started to prepare me to love and take care of another child. An adopted child who would need all the love, patience and understanding he could possibly receive. God knew I could do this and that's one of the many reasons I praise him 24-7. He believes in me as I believe in Him.

GOD IS GREAT! GOD IS GOOD! HE IS MY SAVIOR!!!

Janis Pence, June 13, 2006

