Hello everyone! I'm a Georgia boy, Macon-born
and educated. My granddaddy sent me off to Mercer University with these
words: "Son, you've heard how folk have said that Mercer ruins
many a preacher boy. You will hear things at Mercer that you haven't
heard in Sunday school or church. You know what you believe; whatever
you do, keep an open mind." That was and remains the best advice
anyone has ever given me. Granddaddy lived just one month after I finished
seminary; he saw me through into adulthood and he had met Martha, my
wife-to-be, several times. I am most grateful for this memory.
After having trained for the ministry in university and seminary, where
we met and started dating, and having served in a couple of places as
a Summer missionary, Martha and I started our married life in Durham,
NC where she was doing a year of Clinical Pastoral Education. It was
there that we had our first opportunity, as graduates, to serve the
local church under the tutelage of our pastor and mentor Rev. Ron Johnson.
Ron asked us both to serve as the pastoral interns for the academic
year, '88-'89. As that year came to a close, I was asked to fill the
pulpit in a church near Burlington, NC, where the pastor was in hospital.
After three Sundays, one in each of the Summer months of '89, they asked
that I be their interim minister while their pastor recovered. I served
them for eight months.
While I served there, my profile circulated in the area and a search
committee in Sanford, N.C. came to hear me preach. They wanted to know
if I would be interested in serving them as pastor. Martha and I asked
if they would countenance taking the two of us as co-pastors. They did!
Our daughter Hannah was born near the beginning of our third year in
Sanford; when we returned from the care of the midwives at Durham County
Hospital about a dozen members greeted us at the manse. I can still
see that happy sight today!
We served them for three years and three months before moving to England
in October 1993. Our mentor Ron had spent a sabbatical in England and
came back singing the praises of the United Reformed Church. [The URC
is an amalgamation of The Presbyterian Church of England and The Congregational
Union of England and Wales, in 1972, the union of The Re-formed Association
of the Churches of Christ {The British counterpart and cousin to the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)} in 1981 and the union of the
Congregational Union of Scotland in 2000.] Ron encouraged us to "spread
our wings and broaden our horizons." We did and we have!
Together, for six years, we served two churches near Liverpool, England;
one was near town, in a suburb, and one was surrounded by 'greenbelt'
-- farmland. We officiated at nearly 150 weddings over this period,
most in what was the picturesque village. We always thought of this
as a very special ministry; this meant that we also baptized a few along
the way as well.
Our daughter Amelia was born in the manse in Prenton, Birkenhead, Wirral
Merseyside (now that's a mouthful!)... with the aid of three midwives
and... dad! Hannah's surrogate, English 'nana' and granddad, who'd cared
for her while the birth was taking place, brought her back to see her
little sister just a little while after she was born. That, too, remains
in my heart.
Though we had set our sights on serving other churches, separately this
time, (we thought!), and I had already started to interview with one
church and Martha had started to interview with two churches in the
same charge, the post for the Free Church Chaplain at Aston University
was advertised in our national URC magazine. Martha knew, through work
on a national committee, the chaplain who was moving on and she said
to me, "David, don't you think you'd love to do that?!" I
shuddered... When the advert was in the magazine the next month, again,
she said, "David, DON'T YOU THINK YOU'D LOVE TO DO THAT!?!"
I said,"Yes, dear...."
So for the last six years I have been living the dream ministry position.
I had found the proverbial best job in the world. There are a million
and one things that I could point to and say, "see, that is what
I mean" but it seems that one would have to be there to appreciate
it. However, this abiding memory that has remained with me over the
last six years: not a day has gone by where I haven't determined the
'success' of the day by having had a significant pastoral conversation
with at least one person, be they an academic, a staff person or a student.
Letting the Spirit of God measure the spiritual growth of such persons
has been the most wonderful gift I have received these half dozen years;
I only hope that those persons have received a small gift from me, through
a listening ear.
It is my prayer that we will count our successes day by day and that
we will do so with reference to significant and meaningful relationships
to others, in, through and by Christ.
I look forward, with meaningful expectation, to the ministry including
Santa Fe Community College and The University of Florida.
We have missed Southern hospitality for nearly twelve years; we trust
and hope that Florida hospitality is similar!
God bless you all,
David
