Recently, I talked with a young preacher who expressed to me his discouragement about his ministry. I shared with him an article I wrote in 2005 to the church I pastor. The article was on the anniversary of my fiftieth year in the ministry. I pointed out to him that the blessing of ministry far out-weigh the discouragements that come along the way. I want to share an updated version of that article here.
August of 2005 represented a milestone for me, so indulge me in a little reminiscing. One night in August of 1955, I walked down the aisle of the Missionary Baptist Church on South 15th Street in Corsicana, Texas. I took Bro. Riely Dale by the hand and said, “Bro. Dale, God has called me to preach.” That was [now] fifty-four years ago and it began a journey that has been exciting, occasionally disappointing, sometimes downright discouraging but always fulfilling. I tried to think of a song that would reflect on my ministry. As hard as I tried, nothing came to mind at first. Then I remembered a children’s song that sums it up very well. It says, “Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him in the morning, praise Him at the noon time. Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him when the sun goes down.”
As I think of my life and my ministry, I can easily divide it into the same segments mentioned in this song. I surrendered to preach as a young man. When I publicly announced my call, I was preparing to enter my senior year in high school. God’s Word played an important part in my life even as a young boy. A lot of years have come and gone, so all the details are a bit fuzzy, but perhaps I can remember some of the outstanding ones accuractly. Even before I felt God’s call, I had a special interest in studying the Bible. When I was a freshman, in the evening after I finished my homework, I would turn the radio on and listen to a broadcast that originated from Chattanooga, Tennessee. I remember it quite clearly because the program began with the announcer quoting Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The program was called “It’s Dynamite.” The speaker was Dr. Lee Robertson, then pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga. I did not know who he was. In fact, I was not even a Baptist then, but his messages were powerful, and I would sit with my Bible and follow along while he preached. His messages aroused my interest in a more than casual study of the Scripture. It was then that my friendship with Joe Evans led me to begin attending the youth fellowship at the Missionary Baptist Church in Corsicana. The youth minister was Kenneth Bazzar, who was then, as I recall, a recent graduate from the Seminary in Little Rock. Bro. Bazzar’s teachings enlarged my understanding of the Bible even more and introduced me to the scriptural precepts of Baptist churches. I was saved when I was nine years old, but I did not start attending a Baptist church until I was about fifteen. I joined the church and was baptized by Bro. Dale. It was not long until I could not put my questioning off any longer. I went to Bro. Dale and ask the classic question, “Bro. Dale, how does a person know he is called to preach?”
I will never forget Bro. Dale’s answer. It is one I still give men who ask me the same question. He said, “Weeks, if you can see yourself doing anything besides preaching and if you can get by without preaching, then get by without preaching.” That’s all he said.
I remember it as plain as though it were yesterday. I went home and literally threw myself across my bed. I had never felt God’s call stronger. Oh, it wasn’t an audible voice, but it might as well have been. I covered my head with my hands as though I was trying to shut it out. My mother saw me and asked what was wrong. I told her “I think God is calling me to preach.” All she said was, “I’m not surprised. Just make sure.” I don’t think I ever tried to run from God’s call. However, I just couldn’t understand why He would call me. I got sick just thinking about getting up in front of the class at school to give a book report, but to get up before a congregation of people seemed impossible. However, I told the Lord that if that was what He wanted me to do then I would do it, but He would have to be responsible for the outcome.
Those early years were filled with many blessings. My friend, Joe Evans (who has just recently gone to be with the Lord), had also surrendered to preach, and often we would travel to appointments together. He would usually preach, and I would lead singing. We attended seminary and roomed together with his brother-in-law Dr. Ray O. Brooks who is now the president of Texas Baptist Institute and Seminary. During my seminary years, I would drive home every weekend to preach at Providence Missionary Baptist Church where I served as pastor. I call those years “the morning of my ministry” and I give God praise for them.
After I graduated from Texas Baptist Institute in May of 1960, I was called to pastor a young and fledgling church in Alvin, Texas. If I remember correctly, there were twelve or thirteen people counting myself who attended the first Sunday I preached there. I feel the ministry at Alvin was a fruitful one, and I still treasure the friendships I made while I was there.
In the years that followed, I became the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Magnolia, Arkansas. God blessed in those years as well. In 1968 I was called to pastor the historic Union Avenue Baptist Church in Bogalusa, Louisiana. I was humbled and honored for that privilege because many notable preachers had preached from behind that pulpit. While at Union Avenue, I had the honor of being the president of the Bogalusa Bible School. The school served the southeast Louisiana area and offered a full range of Bible studies taught by a number of very capable pastors. Following my ministry at Union Avenue, I became the pastor of Ardella Baptist Church in Lakeland, Florida. While there, I was asked to join the faculty of Florida Baptist Institute and Seminary. It was while I was at Ardella that I was introduced to the Faith Promise plan of missionary giving. God blessed me in a very special way by giving me the opportunity to share this principle with churches all across the country. The calls from churches inviting me to hold mission conferences became so numerous that I felt God was leading me into this ministry on a full time basis. In 1974 I resigned Ardella Baptist Church to start a ministry I called MISSION POSSIBLE which continued until about 1980. With more and more pastors and churches becoming familiar with the Faith Promise concept, the requests for my services gradually diminished until in 1980 I accepted the position of Music Minister and associate pastor of Alvin Missionary Baptist Church under the pastoral leadership of Bro. Darrell Streeter. It was during these years that God gave me two fine sons and a wonderful daughter. These years I call the “noon-time” of my ministry, and though there were some heart-breaking disappointments during this time, I praise God for His blessings.
In 1990 God called me to pastor Westwood Baptist Church in Odessa, Texas. This has been a wonderful period of my life. I have had the privilege again of teaching in a seminary and receiving my doctoral diploma, continuing to serve as a writer for the Baptist Sunday School Committee of the American Baptist Association and being allowed by my church to continue holding Faith Promise Conferences when invited. During these years God has blessed my wife, Mary, and me with four grandchildren and others here at the church who call us Papa and Granny. I am aware that the morning and noon time of my ministry have come and gone, but I can truthfully say that I am still praising Him even as the sun goes down. I am in no way intending to be negative or gloomy by saying this. At seventy, and after fifty-four years in ministry, I fully realize that I have more years behind me than I have in front of me. If that is not the case, then I am certainly going to live to be a very old man. However, I am not looking for the undertaker, I am looking for the Upper-taker.
Someone asked me when I planned to retire. The thought of retirement is not something I am entertaining. Oh sure, there are times when I get tired in the ministry, but I can honestly say I have never gotten tired of it. Yes, I have been hurt a number of times. I have been disappointed quite a few times. I have never gotten rich, and I don’t think I have ever been over-paid (although the jury may still be out on that). But through it all, God has always provided. After experiencing a Sunday or two of disappointing attendances, there might be a fleeting moment when not having to worry about empty pews or tight budgets might look awfully tempting, but then I think of what Bro. Dale said so many years ago...”Weeks, if you can get by without preaching, get by without preaching.” Then when I think of what it would be like not being able to stand behind that sacred desk and deliver a message from God’s Word, I realize I am not ready for retirement. But if or when the time comes that I cannot function properly and become more of a hindrance than a help, I will step aside and find another way to PRAISE HIM WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN.