THE INFLUENCE THAT JOHN MACARTHUR HAS HAD ON MY LIFE AND MINISTRY
I finished Seminary in May 1969 and Charity and I were married in June 1969. I was in Gideon Baptist Church, under Dr. George L. Norris. He taught Theology in Seminary which was the bests class I had.
The first church that I was the pastor was at Minford, Ohio at Madison Baptist Church in 1971. I had hear John MacArthur speak from Ephesians 4:12. And I bought the tape and listen to it, and then took notes and preached the sermon at the church and then again at a WBF fellowship meeting at Victory Baptist Church in West Portsmouth, where Bob Temple was the pastor.
The message of that tape became by theme for ministry.
Well, following Madison, we went to Victory Baptist as Assoc. then went to Fort Worth Texas, then Mansfield Baptist Temple as Camp Directory and later as College and Career Teacher. (Randy Webb was in our class).
Well, then in March of 1980 I went to First Baptist Church in Altoona, Kansas. My first year up to June of 1982 I followed the pattern of Jack Hyles, which was not all that bad. Hyles taught me that I need to love people more than I loved the work at the church.
But I still loved to hear John MacArthur on radio. And I was able to go to the Shepherd's Conference in California for a week. There were only 200 preachers there, and that was really upfront and personal. That changed my life and ministry to this day. I had turned 35 years old in 1981 and went to Disney World following the Conference. I stayed for a Sunday Service. I set beside John in the Morning Service on the front row and read his sermon notes and held his bible. Thank of that.
It was the greatest experience I had in ministry up to that time. My whole outlook on ministry changed. My preaching style changed. I became a teacher of the Word after that time.
The style of ministry was changed. My theology about God changed. My approach to doing church ministry changed.
I learned my style of preaching the Scriptures changed. I learned the importance of personal accountable to the Lord for my life and how to better be a husband and dad, which I was a slow learner I am afraid.
So for the last 40 years I have gleaned from the ministry of John MacArthur. I have had the joy of preaching and teaching the Word of God.
Matthew, Acts, Romans, I Corinthians, Daniel, Ephesians, Philippians, I Thessalonians, First Timothy, Jude and Revelation. (All at First Baptist Church in Altoona, Kansas) Then I am again teaching Romans and Philippians at Rivers of Joy in Minford, Ohio.
Some one ask who believes like you believe about the Bible, and I always say John MacArthur. There are few who I believe have a better understanding of the bible and ministry than John does.
I have taking a lot of flax for my style of preaching from preachers in the WBF fellowship, but that is okay, their lost. They think I teach rather than preach, and that is okay too. I teach the Word and they preach their opinions.
