Praise God for 30 Years I Tried To Avoid!!!

Today, is a special day for me.  I don't expect anyone to know this.  So, I offer this post as a public testimony to God's Grace and His commitment.

Today is the 30th anniversary of full-time, professional ministry!  The fact that it is 30 years let alone 30 minutes is all God.  He knows that I did my best to avoid it!!

There's alot of meat to the story but, I am just going to share the bare bones. I pray it encourages you to boldly follow God's Will for you, whatever that may be.  Most likely, something other than professional ministry.  This just happens to be my story.

Having made a commitment to Christ as a freshman, I sensed a calling to pastoral ministry around my Junior year of High School.  This led me to Westminster College in Western PA to pursue a BA in Religion, which I obtained.  While there, I changed my mind and even more, drifted in my faith.  Thankfully, I surrendered my life to Jesus on December 26, 1986 (my Senior Year). My next step was Slippery Rock University's Graduate School to pursue an MA in Student Personnel which would lead me to college student services positions (or so I thought).

In year 2, God led me back to teaching a youth Sunday School class at Second Presbyterian Church in New Castle PA.  The church was a struggling, inner-city congregation in a neighborhood that had changed significantly.  Desperate for a teacher for this class, I was paid $15/week!  Don't judge me! 😁  God uses various means to accomplish His Will.  Some pocket-change was what He used to put me where He wanted me.  Two weeks after I graduated SRU with my Master's, I began as the full-time Director of Christian Education at Second Presbyterian on May 14, 1989.  Two degrees but, very little training for the work I was called to do.  I relied on faith, my church experience growing up, and learning as much from others as quickly as I could.  Mostly, I have been learning on-the-job ever since.

My career path looks like this:

• Director of Christian Education, Second Presbyterian Church, 1989-1995
• Following a church split over denominational theology & practice, I left with the vast majority to launch New Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 1995-2004.
• While there, I moved to a part-time Youth Director role as Lori and I launched a family ministry called Everything Under the Son Ministries, 1998-2002.
• Faith Country Chapel 2004-2016.  I was ordained as an Elder (Pastor) in the Evangelical Methodist Church in 2007 finally, fulfilling my call to ordained pastoral ministry.
• Real Love Ministries International 2017-???, where I presently serve as a Ministry Catalyst for this ministry that serves in Haiti.
• Weaved throughout these years has been opportunities to serve with United Housing Organization, Lawrence County Habitat for Humanity, Lawrence County Youth Ministry, various denominational youth and mission boards, and community programs.

This is what I tried to avoid!  Even more, my career has been a series of stops that I never desired or envisioned for myself.  At every juncture, I always had different plans but, I have always loved God's plan that came to be.

Especially now,  I absolutely love being an atypical missionary to Haiti.  I love the people and the country.  It is truly a privilege to serve with them and for them!  What's more this step of the journey provided the totally unexpected blessing of becoming a Dad for the 3rd time!!  Lori and I never saw ourselves as adopting parents especially, not in our 50s!!  BUT, that's God's crazy plan for us!

I thank God for 30 years and I am most grateful for His patience with me.  I love being His Child, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit!!!  All that I am and all that I have is because of God and God alone!!  I don't know why my 18-year old self wanted to avoid all this???  I would not want any other life than what I have.

That's why I want to encourage YOU to pursue God and His plan for you.  It will be very different than mine but, it will bless you all the same.  In good times and hard times, serving God by serving His people is always the right thing to do. Maybe you get paid for it, maybe you don't but, the joy of it is the same!

To close, I want to give thanks to the people who have shared various parts of this journey with me.  Thank you to the people who served alongside of me--pastors, ministry volunteers, board & committee members, and community & denominational pastors/youth leaders.  I have been blessed to work some great people.  Especially, I want to thank Marji, Dick, John and Matt who took a chance on me in 1989.  I am forever grateful that you saw something that I did not!

Most of all, I am thankful to my family.  Lori has graciously gone on every step of this journey with me.  She has been with me through highs and lows; joy and heartache.  It has not been an easy path at all but, she has made it a good one.  She makes me laugh, she's my rock and she sharpens me.  Most importantly, Lori makes sure I am dressed right!!  God blessed me with a faithful, willing partner in this adventure. 

I am also grateful to Sam and Grace.  Too many ministry kids become jaded to their faith.  Instead, these two have embraced God, passionately love Him and are pursuing their own plan from Him.  That right there makes my heart glad!!  And of course, the newest member of our family, and an unexpected surprise that took 4 years to get here, is truly a blessed response to saying yes 30 years ago!  It is an added joy to be a part of the story that God is writing for Shelda!!

30 years.  Grateful.

PASTOR Russ