Minister of Word and Sacrament

               Thirty years ago today (June 26, 1983), Nancy and I were ordained as ministers of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA).  We were both candidates for ordination under the care of presbyteries (Nancy - Wilmington Presbytery; Phil - Atlanta Presbytery) in the former Presbyterian Church in the United States (the former "Southern" church).  However, we were ordained shortly after the reunion of the PCUS and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA).  We graduated from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA.

               We were ordained by the former Presbytery of Albemarle, which was located in the northeast corner of North Carolina.  Albemarle Presbytery became part of what is now known as New Hope Presbytery.

               We were ordained at the First Presbyterian Church in Rocky Mount, NC, where Nancy and I both served as associate pastors from June 1983 - August 1986. Here is a picture of FPC.

 

          We returned to Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA in August 1986 and I began my Ph.D. studies in New Testament.  We lived in Richmond for two years while I fulfilled my residency requirements, took my required courses, and passed my doctoral exams.

 

           In September 1987, we were asked to supply preach at the Stanley White Presbyterian Church in Roanoke Rapids, NC.  We ended up preaching there quite regularly (about twice a month) for the next year (and also preached at the Littleton Presbyterian Church in Littleton, NC).  We were called to be co-pastors of the two churches in September 1988 and served until March 1998.

 

           In January 1998, I was called to be pastor of the Wallace Presbyterian Church in Wallace, NC, and began serving on April 1, 1998.  Here is a picture of WPC (the painting of the stained glass window was done by a church member, Sharon Moore).

 

 

          I have served half of my ordained ministry as the pastor of the Wallace Presbyterian Church.  I am most grateful to God for the opportunity to serve at WPC and for the many wonderful saints in our congregation.  God has blessed me with many interesting opportunities during the last thirty years.  This teaching experience at Justo Mwale Theological University College is one of the highlights.

 

         As I said in my sermon on June 2 at WPC, "I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.  I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.  It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me . . . For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.  And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God."  (Philippians 1:3-11)

 

          The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.