How did I become a preacher?

That is a long story, and it started before I was born. My mother was a committed believer and married a man who was not. He attended Church with her, and in his thirties, under the preaching of a man named Albert Amos, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

From there, it was a lifetime of transformation. Some parts were easy to change, and others took decades of persistence. During this time, I came along as the youngest of three children. One of Dad’s dreams was for all his children to follow Jesus, too.

On the last Sunday in November 1980, I went forward during the “invitation time” at the close of the program. I looked to my left, and my brother, who was 13 at the time, joined me at the front of the Church. We made our confession of faith and were baptized together.

From there, I watched my dad change and grow. He became an usher, a deacon, an elder, and a Sunday School teacher through those years. Mom was in the choir, helped in the kitchen, and served beside Dad whenever possible. Their example is what laid the foundation of my faith.

When people ask me, “How did you become a preacher?” I know that many expect me to say that my dad was a preacher. Others assume I felt or heard some special call of God on my life. The truth is that I saw my parents take their faith seriously, especially my father – nothing more and nothing less.

I firmly believe that to have children who grow up to love and serve the Lord; the parents must make it an integral part of their life. People rarely stumble into commitment. They are usually guided by those with a deep commitment themselves.

Most people do not desire for their children or grandchildren to serve as staff in a Church. It can be a hard life. But the principle is still the same. If we want to raise the next generation to live with Jesus as their Lord and Savior in every area of their lives, then the people who surround them are a significant part of the story.