A pivotal pastorate
March 23, 2010 (Tuesday)
We finally graduated from the seminary and moved to the First Baptist Church of Kosse in July, 1959.
We bought our first new car, a green 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne. Herman Adams, the dealer at Bremond, was a member of the Kosse church and a director of the First State Bank of Kosse, where Frank Mitchell, a wonderful Methodist layman, was president. Together, they made it possible for me to buy the car with payments I could afford. We traded for $1995. Hardly seems possible when we think of today’s prices. The car was not air conditioned. Not many cars had that feature in those days. Later, I had an under-dash type installed. I needed a good car because all hospital visits were in Marlin, Groesbeck or Waco, and my old car was no longer able to make those trips. It had required a valve job every 10,000 miles and a rebuilt transmission twice (price: $75 labor and all! No, really, I’m telling you the truth).
Debbie was born in August, when David was 5 and Danny was almost 4.
We enjoyed the pastorate at Kosse. The people were kind and loving. The congregation always showed appreciation for our work, and prayed for us. Their faith was strong. They had been raised in different times, without worldly distractions, and had learned to trust the Lord and love His Word. After the difficulties of the previous several years, the situation seemed like Heaven itself to me. My faith was strengthened through association with those wonderful people who encouraged me every day.
I can see now, as I look back, how God was leading me and teaching me every step of the way in each of the places to which I was called. Those two years without a church, 1955-1957, taught me great lessons also. They convinced me that I needed to be a pastor. Our experiences at Briar and Kosse confirmed that knowledge.