July 2008 #4

MY FIRST CHURCH PLANT – A friend, asked a question as to how we happened to start Mirror Lake Baptist Church which she was a part of. Wow, this takes my memory back a long way. /
Back in those days, the fifties, I was praying for an opportunity to start a church. I knew that without having been able to go to Bible College I'd never find a place in an established church and I believed God would open doors to me if I could start a church. / I had called Dr. Powell in Tacoma, Washington about such opportunities. He was just leaving by train for a GARBC meeting back east and asked me to go to the Auburn train station and he would get off briefly when the train stopped there and give me some information. I went to the train station and he gave me the names of a Scott Janikula and Vaughn Nelson. They, along with Malcomb Lange had looked over the Federal Way area and had rented a storefront on faith, trusting they could find someone to help start a church there. / I had trouble running them down, but finally managed to. I shared my burden with them and they each had me speak in their churches to get to know me. Having done so, they turned over the keys to the storefront and told me to go to work. Each church gave a little help to us to pay the rent on the building. I worked swing shift for Boeings at the time and took my off hours and days off to start visiting in the area, handing out advertisements, and scheduling regular services. / The GARBC camp in the area loaned me some rough board benches to use to start with. One church gave us a pulpit, and another an oil stove to heat the place. Some friends helped Kathy and I paint the two rooms of the storefront. Needing a pianist Dr. Powell had given me the name Jeanne Burke, now Jacobson, as a possible pianist. She was reluctant, not knowing who I was, but finally agreed to play temporarily. She stayed with us the whole five years we were there and beyond. She and her mother were the first to become a part of starting the church, purchasing the land and putting up the first building. I had the joy of baptizing her mother and they knew all the woe’s and weal’s of the work, putting up with my inexperience. / God blessed and in 1956 the church called for an ordination council and the area pastors came and questioned me and recommended my ordination and I had my start into all these fifty plus years of ministry. Now you have a little history of my first church plant.

BIBLE COLLEGE OR NOT – Some may question how or even my right to start and pastor a church without formal training. I use to be troubled when people asked where I went to Bible College, knowing I had not had that opportunity. After all these years of experience and ministry it is no longer troubling to me. I have always been an ardent reader and have many of the same books that were required of my children when they attended Bible College. I had a job at Boeing Aircraft in Renton and Seattle, Washington that afforded me opportunity to read theological books during lunch and coffee breaks. Further, one of the jobs I had was operating huge presses that often sealed in parts requiring lengths of time where I simply had to see that pressure and heat was maintained. The foreman and others did not object to my reading as long as I didn’t spend time with others and appearing to be wasting company time. As long as they knew I was watching to see that time and conditions were proper they were fine with it. It was the type of work where I got a lot of extra reading done besides what I did off the job. I also attribute much credit to pastors who taught me, being sound in the Word. Then too, I would remind you of great men like Moody and others that did not have a formal education, but were successfully in ministry and starting educational institutions. Dr. Ketchum, one of the founders of the GARBC, only had a grade school education but he was a powerful preacher, standing strong for Biblical separation. I am not laying claim to being a Moody or a Ketchum, far from it. I am just saying, that through the centuries God has often used common people to do His work. Having said that, I have often felt inadequate and I always felt that I could have done a far better job with a formal education, though it was not the way God led me. There were many such men in years gone by but we have come to a time where most churches are looking for pastors with doctorates and would never consider a person like myself. One beneficial factor I’d add to my circumstances. Too often men enter the ministry with out a background of experience with average working people and having the ability to understand the life of people who dig ditches, labor in factories or clerk in stores. God takes us where He finds us and directs through life those who are committed to His service and not every path or circumstance is the same.

MORE PET PEEVES – Having at a young age worked myself up from a stock boy to managing a chain variety store, I get a little upset or dumbfounded by experiences I have when shopping. Recently I was at Wal-Marts buying some packs of Glucerna for Betty. I usually purchase six to eight packs and they only had two. So, I asked the lady in the pharmacy (the area where these are stocked) if they might have more in the back storeroom. She quickly informed me that the stocker had stocked the area earlier in the day and had now gone home so there was nothing they could do. When I worked in stores, I would go back and see if there was more in back and bring them out, wanting to please the customer and increase our sales. So, I went across the street to Meijers, their competitors, where I used to buy this product but they have raised their prices and I quit buying from them. I picked up four more packs, willing to pay the extra to save an extra trip another day. When I got to the checkout I showed the girl the sales slip from across the street and asked them if they meet their competitors prices. She didn’t know what to say and asked, “Would you like me to call the floor manager?” I said, “Yes.” I then explained, “I always use to purchase these here but you’ve raised your prices too much. Will you meet your competitors price?” Her answer, “We only match advertised prices.” So, I paid my money to save a trip and made a decision that this was my last time to shop at that store. Sometimes while shopping I’ll ask a clerk where I can find an item to save time and a lot of running all over the store. Some will either look stupid of shrug their shoulders and say, “I don’t know” and go on their way. Wise merchants will train their help to say, “I don’t know but I will find out for you.” Or, they will actually lead you to the place where you will find your article. I know you have been through these same experiences and shared the same frustrations.

PERSONAL ITEMS FOR PRAYER – I have been able to get help for the vertigo. There are many types but mine is “benign positional vertigo” which is very simply dealt with. No medicines, I’d been given some that only made me sleepy but didn’t help. The doctor checked me out and then showed me a procedure I could use myself to relocate the crystals in the ear fluid to correct the problem. It seems to have helped. / The heart doctor’s reports were not so simple and the tests indicate some blockage and they will be scheduling a catherization. Maybe stints and angioplasty, depending on what they find. I have told them I don’t want to wake up from the procedure and find that they have decided to do bypass surgery. I really don’t think that is needed but I guess we will see. / I have scheduled Betty to see her GP on Monday because of the difficulties she is having with stomach pain and is so easily winded when she tries to do some thing. / I really don’t like to sound like I am always complaining about physical things but we do appreciate your prayers and God’s enablements.

RESURRECTION – The youth pastor brought a welcome and interesting sermon Sunday while the senior pastor was on vacation. It was a practical message dealing with the resurrection and something we all need reminding of from time to time. In reality a large portion and basis of our faith in Christ includes this wonderful Biblical doctrine. Basically his premise dealt with “Physical Resurrection.” My only concern with such a message is that we also need to realize that physical death and burial and eventual resurrection of a physical body, is that God has also provided an interim condition. For young Christians who don’t know their Scriptures, they might be led into a false doctrine if gotten hold of by the wrong people who teach “soul sleep.” The emphasis of the message dealt with the numerous verses that use the term “asleep” to describe the condition of believers who have passed away. Seventh Day Adventists and others teach that the “soul and spirit” sleep in the grave with body until the resurrection and judgment. Paul taught, “Absent from the body and present with the Lord.” Only the physical body sleeps in the grave, not the soul and spirit. This is not a criticism of a good message, just an addition to it.