I Love My Church

Churches are not buildings. They are people. The people of Thalia Lynn Baptist Church are wonderful. I can't say enough about them.

I have been pastor here for almost four years. (I came March 27, 2005.) The people here have been the most loving, friendliest people that anyone could ever meet. They have accepted me with extreme grace for I am far from perfect. They receive people with love for that is where grace originates. Their love covers over others flaws.

I was contacted by Thalia Lynn in October of 2004 concerning coming to be pastor here. The committee member told me that Thalia Lynn was a "moderate" church. I had already told another church who had contacted me that I was not a "moderate" about anything. Thankfully, I asked what that word meant to Thalia Lynn. The answer was, "We also have women deacons." I knew the New Testament Church had women deacons so this did not bother me. All Baptist churches have women deacons (servants), most just don't ordain them.

Thalia Lynn proved itself to be a church who wanted to be biblical. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely a Baptist church and preserves Baptist principles but it does so because they are biblical rather than traditional. I love to preach because they are excited to hear the Bible and are willing to correct me when I am wrong. They are gentle but they will surely tell me my errors. This, too, is biblical.

The church does not have a lot of rich people. We have no medical doctors and only a couple of lawyers. Most of the people are just the hard working, friendly sort of people you would love to have as neighbors. They are compassionate toward others and endeavor to meet others needs.

The church has about fifty ministries. I couldn't list them all here but there are a couple which exemplify their compassion. The church feeds over 100 people each week who need food. Members come to the church each week to meet people who can't feed their families. Some are between jobs; others just can't make ends meet. They do so with a spirit of love and often pray with these folks for their other needs. It is truly an example of what the church is as a whole.

I tell the members that I don't give them a good recommendation. I tell them that I tell other pastors that they are the meanest people I have ever met. When they ask me why I would say such a thing I say, "If I told these pastors the truth my life would be in danger. They would knock me off so they could become your pastor!"

I don't deserve Thalia Lynn Baptist Church. I am not that good of a pastor. I thank God for them. I know they are God's grace to me.