I was connected to Southern Baptist’s even before I was born. In the olden days (1950’s-forward) SBC churches often enrolled preborn children in what was called ‘Cradle Roll.’ If a mother chose she could identify her projected due date and enroll their unborn child. Since I wasn’t quite there, I’m not sure of all the resources my parents received from their church.
My earliest memories of church are in Southern Baptist Churches in Kansas City and Raytown MO. I grew through the various mission programs from children – including Royal Ambassador’s. I attended two week Vacation Bible Schools – eventually becoming a teacher’s aide as I grew through elementary school. My family attended church almost every time there was some sort of activity. Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings and special events found my family in attendance.
When I was about 11-12 yrs old I was privileged to spend a few days during my summer break shadowing the pastor of our church. I assisted him in printing bulletins, newsletters, and other materials. I remember a few harrowing moments in automobiles as he drove from place to place (I believe he once mentioned he’d been ticketed by most every police officer in our section of the city!)
It was in this family church I found freedom to sing, and at age 15 I was given the privilege of serving as ‘Youth Pastor’ for Youth Week. I preached my very first sermon on the Sunday of Youth Week. As I recall, my message only lasted a few moments, so I preached it two or three times so we wouldn’t end the worship service early!
I attended a Southern Baptist college for my freshman year – but discovered I wasn’t able to afford tuition, room and board, and other expenses. Transferring to a state college in northwestern Missouri I immediately discovered Baptist Student Ministries – supported by the Southern Baptist Churches in and around St. Joseph MO. It was in this environment I was discipled in earnest. I met the woman who would become my wife in this Baptist group.
Not long after we married my wife and I were sent by our college group and the Home Mission Board of the SBC (now the NAMB) as ‘summer missionaries’ to the Northwest. We landed for three weeks at Calvary Baptist in Burlington and spent the remainder of our summer on Whidbey Island, working with Oak Harbor Southern Baptist Church.
During that summer, Calvary Baptist invited me to become their associate pastor – a position I eagerly accepted. Cindy and I moved at the end of August, 1977 to Burlington. She worked as I attended Western Washington University in Bellingham,WA.
After graduation God opened a door for us to move to Columbia Heights Baptist Church in Longview WA for a ‘full-time’ ministry position: Minister of Music, Youth, and Education. During our time there I began seminary at the Pacific Northwest Center of (then) Golden Gate Seminary (now Gateway Seminary).
In 1981 a small church in an out of the way place called Allyn WA asked me to serve as their pastor. For six years Cindy and I served that fellowship. We grew – and so do did our family! During our tenure there both our children were born.
In 1987 Southern Heights Baptist Church in Salem OR asked me to come as their pastor (the church has been re-named since my tenure). We were there for four years. I finished my seminary education while there and graduated in 1987.
In 1991 Community Baptist Church, Winston, OR asked us to serve as pastor – and we have settled here.
During our years in the Northwest I have served the SBC and the NWBC and several associations (local/regional networks of Southern Baptist Churches) in many different capacities. In 2009 I was privileged to graduate from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY with a Doctor of Ministry Degree.
All this is to underscore why I remain committed to the SBC.
- Each church I’ve served is completely and fully independent. There is no hierarchy among Southern Baptist. No agency suggests what our church must teach, what services and opportunities our church must provide. Each church I’ve served has sought to serve their local community with programs and ministries suited to those communities.
- Doctrinally I stand with the Baptist Faith and Message as adopted in 2000AD. I encourage you to look up that statement of faith here (https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/) or ask me to send you a copy.
- The Cooperative Program, developed by Southern Baptists in 1925, is the most effective and efficient way of supporting missions and other causes. Each church (now some 47,000 SBC churches across North America) determines an amount from their general receipts to share with the Cooperative Program. Those amounts are not proscribed. Each church determines the amount they choose to give freely. Those funds are then funneled to Nashville, TN where collectively they are disbursed according a formula and budget determined by representatives from SBC churches in their Annual Meeting. The largest amount of those funds go to the International Mission Board which currently serves around 3,500 missionaries and their families in over 100 countries across the world. The second largest amount is given to the North American Mission Board, which supports evangelism, church planting, and serving emergency needs across North America. The remaining dollars are distributed to our six seminaries, allowing students from SBC churches to receive quality graduate education (Masters degrees, Professional Doctoral degrees, and Research Doctoral degrees) with no tuition costs.
Our church currently gives a little more than 10% of our undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program. We are cooperatively able to support mission efforts, evangelism, church planting, and Disaster Relief efforts around the world and in North America. We can proudly claim to support quality graduate level education in all six seminaries. Our CP dollars also are disbursed to assist the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission which assists us in lobbying efforts in Washington DC and across the United States supporting life, religious freedom, and other biblically important issues.
- I continue to support SBC causes – even when I disagree with some of the decisions made by our national and regional groups. WHY? Because I am thoroughly persuaded of a principle I believe to be embedded in every person created by God: the absolute freedom of any person to access the person of God freely on their own. No church, no priest, no official hierarchy is needed to intercede or intervene between me and God. What Jesus did on the cross secures forever my access to God as God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son. I don’t have to agree with every other believer and they are free to disagree with me. In Christ, we are one and we are better together than we could ever be separately.
I could write more, but will pause here for now.
IF YOU HAVE questions, please reach out.