18 Years as Pastor - 30 Years in the Ministry

 As of today, August 1, 2025, I have had the privilege, duty, and honor, to serve the Lord by being pastor Immanuel Southern Baptist Church for 18 years. Looking back, this is also my 30th year in vocational ministry.

Me, in 1990, at the HK Baptist College Recreation Centre

I served for 12 years with the International Mission Board (2 when it was the Foreign Mission Board).

Our missionary prayer card for 2002

The Lord has taken me to Hong Kong (British Territory), Ecuador, China, Guinea, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Gambia, Benin, Thailand, Hong Kong (Chinese Territory), Mongolia, Tibet, Israel, Ukraine, and Pakistan. I can add many more countries to this list, but these are the primary ministry places. (I've been to Israel, Ukraine, and Pakistan since entering service as a pastor)

My wife, Sally, and me at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

As a pastor I've had numerous VBS pies in my face, baptized scores of believers, sat at a church camp security hut for hours upon hours, flipped innumerable pancakes and hamburger patties at Falls Creek, and officiated many weddings and way too many funerals. 

On duty at the KBA Security Hut

In many ways, pastoring is harder than being a missionary, well, at least when you don't consider the culture and language barriers. A minute minority of church members are constantly on the lookout for any excuse to get mad and leave. A few believe that Gossip is a spiritual gift. Some consider the church building "theirs" and any changes or repairs must go through them. 

Baptizing a family in 2010

But the majority of church members are truly good people. It is an absolute delight to see people being transformed by Jesus! A pastor who skips from church to church and has no longevity doesn't get to see that. The Lord has blessed me with 18 years at the same congregation!

18th Anniversary Pic

The Lord has been with me every step of the way! He is faithful! My wife has been by my side every step as well. Being a preacher's wife is no easy task. But that's a subject for a different blog post!

Sally and me with our grandkids at VBS this year.