May 10, 1997
I had been asked by my pastor in Centerville, Ind., to attend a Promise Keepers event in Cincinnati a week earlier and everything in me wanted to shout no and run. I was a 32-year-old man attending church, going through the motions, but having no real faith in Christ.
I was battling addictions. I was a workaholic. I was a hypocrite. And I had my suicide planned two weeks later. . . Even though I was the executive editor of a major Gannett newspaper earning close to six figures. Even though I was being groomed to take over a top position in the company. Even though I had a beautiful wife and two great children. I was lost and had no hope.
One day before my 33rd birthday, I piled into a “Jesus” van with “Jesus” freaks singing “Jesus” songs going to a “Jesus” conference. I was miserable. We sat in the upper seats of old Riverfront Stadium with close to 70,000 other men. The first speaker was an African American Baptist pastor in Georgia. He told one joke and it wasn’t funny. He stepped away from the podium for about 10 seconds before coming back and saying: “I apologize guys. I was brought here to tell some jokes and break the ice. But I don’t feel funny tonight. There’s a guy here who if he doesn’t get his life right with Jesus right now will be dead in two weeks.”
That moment I was convicted, convinced and comforted . . . all at the same time.
One day before my birthday, I was born again. I gave my life away to the One who gave His life for me. And at the same time, I answered a call into full-time ministry that began when I was eight and that I had been running from ever since.
That was 19 years ago. Today, I’m the pastor of Pfrimmer’s Chapel UMC in Corydon, Ind., where we’ve served for 12 years. By the power of the Holy Spirit, a dying and dysfunctional church of about 90 in one Sunday morning service has been transformed into a unique ministry center of 9 weekly worship services with 1,200 in average attendance. (two on Sunday morning; four throughout the week attracting more than 350 folks battling addictions; two international church plants in Colombia; and one coffee shop service for young adults.
Just as exciting, more than 100 men, women and teen-agers have answered a call on their lives since we began Encouraging the Called in 2010. ETC is a ministry specifically targeted to raising up leaders with this DNA: grace of the Gospel, truth of the Word, and missions of the world. We are now partnering with and/or overseeing nine different churches around the region and world with some of those ETC leaders as pastors, planters and preachers.
Without the Holy Spirit, none of this happens. And without Asbury Theological Seminary, I would not know the Holy Spirit. But thanks to such giants in the faith as Maxie Dunnam, Steve Seamands, John Oswalt, Tapiwa Mucherera, Bob Tuttle, . . . I would not know the grace, the power, and the love that is available to me as a Wesleyan, Spirit-filled United Methodist.
I came to Asbury in February 1998 as an empty sponge. I left this holy campus in May 2001 as a overflowing cup, ready to be poured out. Praise God for ATS!
My wife, Pam, and I are blessed to have the best marriage on planet Earth for the last 25 years. We have three incredibly anointed children; our son, Taylor, 22; our oldest daughter, Merritt, 20; and our youngest, Olivia, 16. We are also the proud owners of a 120-pound, 9-month-old small pony (otherwise known as a Great Dane puppy) named Meshach.
The latest dream God has laid on our hearts is ForeverFruitful, a ministry specifically geared to heal and train in the Biblical foundations of marriage (foreverfruitful.org). We launched this ministry last month and already have three more events we are planning in the next six months. Words cannot describe the utter joy it is to minister alongside my best friend, my covenant partner, my wife.
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