A wonderful place for us
March 22, 2010 (Monday)
Brother Olin Waldrip asked me to become his associate pastor at the First Baptist Church of Groesbeck in 1950 when I was a freshman in college. The next year he recommended me to nearby Oletha Baptist Church as pastor. After I completed my seminary education, he recommended me to the First Baptist Church of Kosse, about 15 miles south of Groesbeck. I owe a great debt of gratitude to him for making these places of service possible for me as he felt led of the Lord.
Kosse’s sign said, “Population 300.” It had a school, a bank, grocery stores, drug store, hardware store, barber shop, café, post office, several service stations, a funeral home, several churches, a big community meeting house, a telephone office, an insurance agent office, and a number of empty buildings that had once housed businesses. It was 17 miles from Marlin, which had medical facilities and about 50 miles from Waco, which had everything one would want. Wonderful people lived in Kosse. Half the town was 65 years of age and older, people who had been born in the previous century and who had great faith and love for the Lord. Bro. Sealy had pastored the church for 33 years. I was the fourth pastor since he died, but his name was legendary. He never owned an automobile, had been a professional baseball player, and was an ardent writer, a trait greatly admired by Jack Hawkins, owner and editor of the Groesbeck Journal, which carried a section named, “The Kosse Cyclone.”
Jack Hunt, local postmaster, was chairman of the pulpit committee that recommended me to the church. He was a tremendous inspiration to me, always encouraging me (even to this very day), faithful to his Lord and his church, proud of his brand new automobiles (always had one), which he said “belonged to the Lord.” In his forties when I met him, he was one of the younger members of the church and community. A perennial optimist, he was a joy to be around.
Wanda’s relatives lived near Kosse, and we got to visit with them as much as we desired. We were happy, and soon to be blessed by the arrival of our third child, Debbie, not long after we arrived there. More tomorrow.