It has been a wonderful life
September 6, 2007 (THURSDAY) – Retirement has been a great surprise for me. I didn’t know what to expect. I was afraid I would not preach much, and I was concerned about living on a reduced income. So far, I have had no reason to think about either concern. Brother Loyd Chapman had assured me that even though I would have a smaller income, I would not need as much in retirement, and he was right about that. Money has not been a problem. I discovered also that my age has been no barrier to being asked to preach. At least not so far (I will be 76 this month).
For the first year, Wanda and I spent a lot of time in Houston with our daughter and her family. When the time came for us to return to Rockport, we were contacted very soon by the First Baptist church of Refugio to become their interim pastor. I preached for them four months until the summer of 1997, when they found a new pastor, Lance Freeman.
I then attended church here off and on, because on many Sundays I was asked to preach at one church or another, supplying the pulpit in the absence of the pastor.
After a while, the Bethel Baptist Church of Ingleside became pastorless and asked me to become their interim pastor in late summer 1998. I preached for them about one and a half years before they found a pastor, Larry Johnson. They needed a music director while we were there, so they asked Wanda to serve in that job. We were both “back at it” for a while at that church. Finally they found a pastor, and I was no longer needed. When Wanda was assured that their music program had a leader, she resigned also.
At some point since retirement — I don’t remember just when — I worked a lot with the former mission of First Rockport, the Bethel Baptist Church of Rockport, teaching some courses and worshiping on Sundays with them. I even preached, including in sermons a little Spanish (very little) occasionally. I think all that took place during this interval (January 2000 to September 2001) between interims.
It wasn’t so very long until First Baptist Church Refugio needed an interim again, so they asked me to do the job again. This time it was about one and a half years before they found a new pastor, David Parks, who began his work January 1, 2003. It was while there that Wanda became ill and died in January 2002. You may recall I had a heart attack also. But the Refugio church refused to let me resign and asked me to come back when I was able. Bro. Dale Pogue preached for them, until I returned and served until January 2003.
Again I was back to preaching now and again in various churches as needed and attending church here at Rockport the rest of the time.
In July, 2004, I began preaching at the Timbergrove Baptist Church of Houston because their pastor, A.M. Stone, was ill. He decided to retire at age 82 in August, and suggested that the church call me to take his place. Eighteen years after retiring from a long and fruitful ministry at Fairbanks, Bro. Stone retired a second time. The church accepted Bro. Stone’s resignation and called me as pastor in the same motion. Quite unusual. I became their pastor in September, 2004.
I lived next door to the church in a garage apartment, owned by the church, while pastoring in Houston, but did not sell the house here. I served at Timbergrove about two years. I liked having the title, “pastor,” again. I got used to the freeways, and was happy to be near my family. It was great working with my lifetime friend, Troy Conner, and his wife, Ruth, after all these years. I loved meeting the wonderful people in the church in Houston, and working together with them week after week. It was all good for me.
The First Baptist Church of Rockport asked me to become Interim Pastor after our beloved Walter Knight retired because of illness. Walter resigned on Mother’s Day and I started on Father’s Day. So, here I am. I will be 76 in a few weeks, and intend to be faithful in doing whatever the Lord wants. I have no idea what I will do after being interim pastor here. If I find there are no more mountains to climb or rivers to cross, I’ll still be happy, because it really has been a wonderful life.
_________________________
(footnote:Final Sunday as Interim Pastor at Rockport January 6, 2008. First Sunday back as pastor at Timbergrove in Houston January 27, 2008).