Several years ago (2007) after working over a year on a major project for church growth, the church fired me. In 2004 after working for over a year in building a program to start a Sunday School that had been dead for two years and seeing the success, another pastor fired me. in 1971 and again 1979 after seeing the largest teenager class in the church history the pastor of another church fired me. In 1967 after seeing the largest Sunday training union started in the history of the church, the pastor fired me. I could go on, but what I am saying, Several times I have resigned but I have never quit serving the Lord.

Since 2008 I have been pastor/teacher of Rivers of Joy Baptist Church, and I have NOT fired myself yet, and the good folks have not ask me to resign.


Perhaps I should clarify something I said about previous ministries in which I was fired by the pastors. They would say, "You need to fine a church to pastor" and" don't tell the church that I fired you". Never did like that either. You would leave town with out the people of the church knowing why you left, I wouldn't do that today, I would tell the church what happen. My mother said, "Charles if you are successful the pastor will fire you." She was so correct.
Thank the Lord I have had some wonderful places to serve the Lord, as a matter of fact most churches I have been in have had some wonderful folks, and to this day have some great friends.
I should add for clarification two churches where we were the pastor/teacher I resigned: Madison (1971-1974), and FBC, were wonderful churches to serve. (1980-1996) I was not ask to resign and have been invited back several time

 

I have written on this subject on this blogger back in 2005.  I will no longer project those preachers.  

I should also said, there were a few churches when I was the Youth Pastor that some of the parents were bad at what I was doing with their youth.  The were upset that we believed that teenagers live a Christian lifestyle.  I must say that they would say something to the pastor and ask him to fire us or tell us not to be so strong on Christian living.  I don't believe the teenagers were bad at me as much as the parents.  

In every church where I was ask to come and be the youth director by the pastor, gave me the freedom to be the youth pastor.  Then after a time said he didn't like what I was doing.  

I was young and thought that I was  to respect the pastor and let the people know that I was going to resign when in fact I was fired. Hated that for sure.  I hurt a lot of teens at the time. But over the years I have set the record straight.    

I was the youth pastor at my home church, were my Dad was the pastor for 27 months, (12/1964-2/1966) until he died, and it was the best 27 months of my life.  Dad gave me encouragement and help all the time.  I have never had the support of any pastor like I had from my Dad.  Well when Dad died, later I went to Fellowship Baptist in Roanoke, and Gene Arnold was also a wonderful pastor to me. He allowed me to teach a class and also preach on his radio program and preach for him as well.

Then I went to Seminary.... that is another who story.  Dr. George Norris was so wonderful to me, and was such a rich blessing and help to me and he let Charity and I to graciously work in the church at Gideon.  He was a wonderful pastor in 1969-70.

It was when I went to Wooster OH  after school that the problem with the pastor began.  He was leaving and was trying out for other churches when I got there, and told me not to tell anyone else or he would fire me.  The church was one of the best, Charity and I loved the people and the youth, and we still do to this day.  We had a wonderful time from the first day we were there until we left, 14 months later (at the pleasure of the pastor J.B.C.)  We just about quit the ministry as a result of this experience.

Then we went to pastor the Madison Missionary Baptist Church in Minford OH.  A church that had 5 splits in five years I was told years later.  Our first Sunday there was 12 people I believe.  After the first six months we had 60 people, and the deacons ask the church for a vote to vote us out.  They voted to keep us. The next three years we had a great time and I don't believe they have had a better attendance.  We resigned after struggling with finances, we were paid $35.  But we have been back and the church is doing good.  (1971-1974)

Then we went to preach at the First Baptist Church in Altoona, KS, in 1980. The church was started in 1952 and had 12 preachers and they had about 25 people when I came.  After the first six months the deacons ask for a vote to vote me out.  Well, they didn't and I stayed another 16 years.  We had our ups and downs, and troubles and discouragements and successes, but we loved the people and loved preaching.  We resigned due to working at a secular job for most of the time we were tired and were getting weak and that was very hard, and we had an change to teach in a college in Lexington KY, so we resigned. We really hated that, we love the people.  We have been invited back several times.

We tried to pastor two Southern Baptist Church and lasted six months at each, we just didn't fit in. 

We came back to Portsmouth Ohio in 2001. We were ask to come to PBC and work in the church anhelp re-established the Sunday School and then the the preacher was going to retire (Perry) but after a very successful time he fired me.  Hated that, and I was about to quit this again.

Then I went to Bigelow Church in Portsmouth just as a member, was there from 2004 to 2007. This was just a great experience for most of the time, up to the time I was fired from a job that I was voted into but was told that I was not to start before I started.    I will say this was the straw that almost broke the goats boat. I just about 99% wanted to quit this whole ministry.  

Then in June of 2008 Bob Temple got me to go to Rivers of Joy Baptist Church, Minford, Oh, the one church that Charity and I did not want to go to at all.   Q. King started the church and he was not the preacher style and pastor style that I was at all.  But we went and after the first month, they people voted me as pastor.  People have come and gone, and quit. But there has been a sweet spirit in our fellowship and we love preaching/teaching each week.

Now after six years 11 months we are still here. I will be honest it has not been easy for sure.  It has been hard to over come the history of the church.  Our style of ministry is so different. I don't know how you judge success in our cases.  We have not seen people saved, we have not seen growth, but we have seen people come and go.  But we have a group of people who seem to love each other, and they love they say our teaching and love Charity and I, and it is a pleasure to go each week and teach the word of God and have fellowship with the folks.