09/26/2024
Sorta Retiring
This Sunday, September 29, 2024 will be my last Sunday as the Senior Pastor of Valley Baptist Church. This marks my retirement after 46 years of ministry and just a month shy of 24 years here at Valley.
The call to ministry has no retirement or expiration date other than the one etched into a tombstone. I remember the epic words of the late Pastor Shad Rue when he retired as pastor of Paramount Church in Amarillo, Texas. Brother Shad said he retired so he could get back into the ministry. My sentiments exactly.
I am looking forward to continue practicing and teaching biblical counseling. Dr. Ab Abercrombie and I are already in discussion of how to strengthen the Biblical Counseling Institute https://bcinstitute.com/ . I also look forward to helping build our Amazon Basin Ministries https://www.amazonbasinministries.org/ which Stan Hanes and I founded several years ago. I will also continue working with the local MASA organization https://oshkoshmasa.org/ which ministers to the mission aviators attending EAA AirVenture each year. This also will give me more time during EAA AirVenture where I have served on the chaplain team for the past 14 years. My deep concern to keep kids safe and help families thrive will keep me on the Citizen Review Panel Serving Outagamie County. The panel works to make sure the child protection system is working well. Of course, hoping to have a little more flexibility to get out into the woods and on some lakes and rivers.
God has blessed Valley with a new pastor, Dr. Tim Moffett. He and his wife Susan are arriving in Appleton today, Thursday, September 26 and he takes over the reins on Monday, September 30. Pam and I are staying in Appleton and looking forward to serving the Lord as members of Valley Baptist Church.
God is good. The blessings have been great. Can’t wait to see what the future holds.
(Mission Aviation Support Association)