A Biographical Sketch and Testimony of
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God’s Call to EvangelismThe Lord first moved in my heart in the summer of 1978 at summer camp in Wellsboro, Pa. My parents had rented the camp for a group of churches which included Maranatha Baptist Church of Mayville, New York and Annsville Baptist Church of Peekskill, New York. God deeply moved in our hearts as I preached to the kids about lost souls going to Hell. I went over to the piano and illustrated by hitting the lower keys, people dropping off into Hell. Teens began to cry and God touched hearts. Years later that message was still remembered.
The Lord moved again in a mighty way in 1990 at Calvary Baptist Church, Newport, Rhode Island. Those folks were ready for Revival and God turned a four day meeting into ten days. Folks were getting right with their neighbours, relationships were mended, people began to hear what God was doing and came from other churches and started getting saved. Some stayed for prayer after the service, one lady spend the entire night at the altar. People openly confessed their sins seeking forgiveness. A faithful family really got victory and said it was a turning point in their lives. They later were called into full-time ministry to a church in Rhode Island. One lady got saved, later on her husband as well. They worked with youth and ultimately took a church in R.I. The Lord moved again for the Connecticut / Rhode Island summer camp at Camp Pinnacle. I saw the Lord soften teens that were sitting in the back row with the attitude ” Boring”. I saw them move to the altar and the rest of the week sit in the front row excited about the things of God. One of those teens stopped me in the cafeteria at Bob Jones University. to thank me for preaching at summer camp and that God had called him to preach. |
I thank God for the small part I have been able to play in the lives of those hungry for revival. Thank God for the Pastors and their wives that have stayed true to the Word of God and the people God has given them to reap a harvest. As I have preached on revival in the home, missions & stewardship conferences we have seen the Lord bless.
I had the joy of growing up in a preacher´s home. My father has started five churches and four Christian schools, I have two brothers that are missionaries in France, a brother that pastors in Florida and a brother that is a deacon in a good church in Pennsylvania.
While I was attending Baptist Bible College East in Shrub Oak, New York God opened the door to pastor 6 adults. God increased our ministry to over 130. Annsville Baptist Church which I pastored for twenty-three years has property valued at Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars, a good missions program, a Christian school and young people that have surrendered to full-time ministry. Every year God allowed me to preach three or four revivals. I felt that some day God would let me become an evangelist after my children were grown and on their own.
God had taken away my desire for organizing the ministry and it seemed that I was losing my vision. We had seen the Lord give us a building and Christian school after 19 years of waiting . Our school was four years old and it seemed like our ministry had been fulfilled. My wife and I had discussed our future and we were praying for direction. On Memorial Day 1999, my brother Tim was visiting and we began to discuss the future. By the way, Ten years earlier Tim and I had both felt that God would call us to be evangelist one day. Now we are discussing my future. I knew God was preparing Anne Marie and I for this moment. I asked Tim, ” Is it possible that God is calling me to Evangelism at this time?” I felt a divine presence come over me and I knew it was time. I remember God´s calling to Annsville Baptist Church and this calling was not hard to identify. We had a season of prayer and I had the peace of God and direction for this new ministry. I cried and rejoiced! I am sure Tim was a little nervous thinking he had been responsible for this call or at least initiating it! I think a few months later he saw the Lord opening doors for us and I sure breathed a sigh of relief.
When I presented my resignation to the church, some were shocked, others in disbelief yet there were those that were not at all surprised.
One lady said, ” It came as no surprise as I felt especially the last few months that we were losing you. I'm only thankful that you will be an evangelist rather than go to another church.”
One lady said, ” One month before you would go do a revival meeting you would be excited and then one month after you returned you´d lose that excitement.”
One man said to his wife, “Pastor is going to leave within a month.”
One lady called me between the time I knew God had called me to evangelism and the day of my resignation. She said,” I don´t want you to think I´m trying to get rid of you but have you ever thought that maybe God wants you to be an evangelist.” Little did she know I was going to resign the next Sunday.
We stayed as members of Annsville Baptist Church for two years. When our son enrolled at Crown College we moved and joined the Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN. Our daughter and son were able to live at home while attending college.
The Lord led us to Texas to direct the Crown Southwest/ Norris Seminary for 6 years. Graduating 35 in the Bachelors degree program and 106 from the Fort Worth School of the Bible which is a two-year program and took over the Lake Texoma Baptist Youth Camp which is still holding camp today! Owned and operated by The Crown College of the Bible in Powell, TN.
An distinctively Baptist College
In June 21, 2014 I re-entered the field of full- time Evangelism! WE are now members of Fairpark Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas and David Waller is our pastor.
God has blessed with meeting! I preach at Missions, Prayer, Couples Retreats, Revivals, Family and Stewardship Conferences! We have seen the Lord work!
I don't call preachers for meetings, We only go where we are invited!
I had the joy of growing up in a preacher´s home. My father has started five churches and four Christian schools, I have two brothers that are missionaries in France, a brother that pastors in Florida and a brother that is a deacon in a good church in Pennsylvania.
While I was attending Baptist Bible College East in Shrub Oak, New York God opened the door to pastor 6 adults. God increased our ministry to over 130. Annsville Baptist Church which I pastored for twenty-three years has property valued at Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars, a good missions program, a Christian school and young people that have surrendered to full-time ministry. Every year God allowed me to preach three or four revivals. I felt that some day God would let me become an evangelist after my children were grown and on their own.
God had taken away my desire for organizing the ministry and it seemed that I was losing my vision. We had seen the Lord give us a building and Christian school after 19 years of waiting . Our school was four years old and it seemed like our ministry had been fulfilled. My wife and I had discussed our future and we were praying for direction. On Memorial Day 1999, my brother Tim was visiting and we began to discuss the future. By the way, Ten years earlier Tim and I had both felt that God would call us to be evangelist one day. Now we are discussing my future. I knew God was preparing Anne Marie and I for this moment. I asked Tim, ” Is it possible that God is calling me to Evangelism at this time?” I felt a divine presence come over me and I knew it was time. I remember God´s calling to Annsville Baptist Church and this calling was not hard to identify. We had a season of prayer and I had the peace of God and direction for this new ministry. I cried and rejoiced! I am sure Tim was a little nervous thinking he had been responsible for this call or at least initiating it! I think a few months later he saw the Lord opening doors for us and I sure breathed a sigh of relief.
When I presented my resignation to the church, some were shocked, others in disbelief yet there were those that were not at all surprised.
One lady said, ” It came as no surprise as I felt especially the last few months that we were losing you. I'm only thankful that you will be an evangelist rather than go to another church.”
One lady said, ” One month before you would go do a revival meeting you would be excited and then one month after you returned you´d lose that excitement.”
One man said to his wife, “Pastor is going to leave within a month.”
One lady called me between the time I knew God had called me to evangelism and the day of my resignation. She said,” I don´t want you to think I´m trying to get rid of you but have you ever thought that maybe God wants you to be an evangelist.” Little did she know I was going to resign the next Sunday.
We stayed as members of Annsville Baptist Church for two years. When our son enrolled at Crown College we moved and joined the Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN. Our daughter and son were able to live at home while attending college.
The Lord led us to Texas to direct the Crown Southwest/ Norris Seminary for 6 years. Graduating 35 in the Bachelors degree program and 106 from the Fort Worth School of the Bible which is a two-year program and took over the Lake Texoma Baptist Youth Camp which is still holding camp today! Owned and operated by The Crown College of the Bible in Powell, TN.
An distinctively Baptist College
In June 21, 2014 I re-entered the field of full- time Evangelism! WE are now members of Fairpark Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas and David Waller is our pastor.
God has blessed with meeting! I preach at Missions, Prayer, Couples Retreats, Revivals, Family and Stewardship Conferences! We have seen the Lord work!
I don't call preachers for meetings, We only go where we are invited!