The Great Adventure!

January 27, 1991 I began my first Sunday as the interim pastor of Nags Head Baptist Church with a series on Sunday morning in the book of Galatians, followed that evening (we had a Sunday evening service then) with a series on the church: "God's Work God's Way".

From the very first Sunday we recorded the sermons (on cassette tape in those days on a karaoke machine), so it's around somewhere. Those tapes came in handy some time later when someone accused me of not preaching the Gospel!

As I recall there were about 40 people in church that Sunday morning and the offering was about $400. I don't remember what three hymns we sang, but I do chuckle when I think of it.

When I explained to the two elderly deacons that we would begin to do the offerings at the end of the service instead of after the second hymn the response I got was, "I never 'heerd' of such a thing before." I'm sure that wasn't the last time he uttered those words or thought those thoughts.

Later that week I called the phone company and asked them to turn on the phone line that had long been disconnected. Then I called the copier people and asked them to repair the copier that had been broken down for six months. I also spent $40 on an answering machine.

My sermon notes were all written by hand in those days, and my studying took longer, with a spread of commentaries on the donated surplus desk from an insurance office. To insert Scripture texts into my notes I would photocopy the page from a Bible and cut and paste - literally. It would be several years before I got a computer that could run Bible software.

Initially I was paid a part-time salary and either did odd jobs to make up the rest. But the church wanted us to move into the parsonage and paid me to do much of the renovations, including adding a bathroom and painting. Our children were 9, 7 and 5, and the extra bathroom (with a tub!) was a big help. Church volunteers, like Tom Lee helped out with things I couldn't do. Andy came from wherever he was living to help with the painting. (By the way, Andy, those ceilings have not been repainted since, so, come on over.)

I wore a suit or sport coat and tie on Sundays. Occasionally over the next few years some kindly church members would take me out and buy me a new suit or jacket. My hair was still dark and my eyes didn't need glasses! Being the lone pastor, I found myself wearing lots of hats around the church, doing just about whatever needed to be done.

Once the copier was fixed we began producing a Sunday bulletin each week. The copy was typed on a portable electric typewriter that I got as a high school graduation present. Soon, a young mom in the church offered to type it for me. Sandra Lee became our church treasurer, stepping out of her comfort zone but filling a need.

My first baptism was soon held at Manteo Baptist Church and included baptizing Charlotte Weaver, a converted Catholic grandmother. Then in May, another baptism was done at the old Tan a Rama Motel in Kill Devil Hills. Harry Francis was filling it up for the season and it was cold! But there were about a dozen baptized that day, including my kids.

In April, at the quarterly church business meeting the motion was made to call me as the pastor, removing the "interim" and to appoint a committee (we used that word in those days) to come up with a budget (the church had not had one in many years) and see if it wouldn't be possible for me to serve full-time. Offerings had tripled by this time and the church was steadily growing. So, in an act of faith, I became their full-time pastor, trusting that God would provide the funds.

Those first few months were exciting. Many new people began to come to the little white church house. In March we purchased a used van and Al and Marilyn Dolley began bringing children from Colington. We began a Children's Church to provide our growing number of children a worship experience at their level. Our nursery space (you should have seen it) was expanded and improved.

I could go on and on. So much has changed, and I hope for the better. Still hanging around from those earliest days in 1991, along with my family are Tom and Sandra Lee and their daughters Jenny, Cindy and Lauren; Marilyn Dolley; Ina Phelps and George Robinson (when he's down visiting from PA). Others like Steve and Diana Wise and Charlie, Nancy and Andrew Huff weren't far behind.

How in the world have I stayed around this long? Well, one reason is it must be God's plan. That I'm sure of, because it's otherwise unexplainable. Another reason is that from the very beginning there was vision - a dream of what could be on this corner in Nags Head. And just as importantly, the people God began to send, and continues to send, have never stopped discovering life in Christ. Through you all Christ has seen to it that His glory is in this church.

How much longer? I don't have an answer to that. God knows. I hope I have a few more good years left in me before I become a chaplain on a cruise ship or something... But as long as God and the church think I should stay, I'll stay. As soon as He says, "Move on" I'll move on.

In any case, I believe greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done here. The Great Adventure continues!

Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our Leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure
(Steven Curtis Chapman, 1992)