Pastor Announces Retirement

One of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, I made last week. I love our church and I love our people. I always look forward to the services and the fellowship that is part of Calvary Baptist Church.

But there comes a time when the Lord makes it clear to you that you must begin to make different arrangements, head in a different direction, prepare for the future.

The most important thing in my life, outside of my wife and my family and our dear friends, is His church here at Calvary. After much prayer and consultation with my family, who are in complete agreement, as of today, June 24th 2012 I am resigning as your Pastor. I do not do this lightly but because I believe it is best for our church. As most of you know, I have terminal Renal Cell Carcinoma in both lungs and in one adrenal gland.

The last C.A.T scan showed it shrinking in the adrenal gland but the lungs showed no improvement. The doctors tell me that the cancer will eventually begin growing in size again where the medication cannot keep up with it.

I am on a cancer drug that can have varied side effects. There have been times, just in the last several weeks where I have preached with blisters in my mouth and on my tongue from the chemo drug. In the last several weeks I had gained 15 pounds of fluid and now in the last week have lost the 15 pounds.

There is body pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting etc. that all go with it. Most of the time this keeps me very weak.

They told me that the average life expectancy with this type of cancer is one to two years. That was 7 months ago. However, even if I lived for another year or two, it does not necessarily follow that I would be able to function in a way that is beneficial to our church. Of course this is all contingent on the Lord’s plans, He could completely heal the cancer tomorrow if it were His will.

Even now there are sometimes that I am so sick when I come to church that I have to pray that the Lord gives me the physical strength to just to be able to preach or teach. And by the way that is not just an empty statement that is a fact. So far the Lord has given me that strength, supernaturally, but I seem to be headed down hill.

One thing we are pretty sure of outside of a miracle of God, my condition is not going to get better but only deteriorate. In other words I am probably at my best health right now.

I do not want to continue to hang on to the Pastorate and then get to the point that the Church has to make a quick decision on a new Pastor. I hope that my resigning now will give us the opportunity to form a pulpit committee that can take the time to pray and wait on God for the Pastor He wants here.

Now that does not mean that I will be gone after today, I plan on staying here and doing what I have done all along, up to my ability, until we can call a new Pastor. My resignation will be finally effective the day we vote in a new Pastor.

I am excited for Calvary Baptist Church. This church will continue on, of course, because it is His church. He died for His church. He loves His church and He works daily in His church.

And I believe that with the base of spiritually strong, scripturally grounded, godly, dedicated, people that we have here at Calvary to build on, that this Church will flourish under a new Pastor.

I am NOT retiring. I am retooling; to be used of the Lord in whatever way He sees fit, for as long as He gives me the strength, to the abundance of His glory.

1 Peter 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

And remember: The Lord has everything under control.