His-Story

Gtcotr/ss082822

It’s not just my anniversary, it’s our anniversary. 34 years ago I was offered a position that required bold visionary leadership, a deep-rooted faith, and an unwavering commitment to the families who make up the congregation of this Church. At that time this Church was struggling in the wake of an economic downturn that had affected every business and financial institution in the nation. Times were difficult and people were suffering. Yet God had a plan for the future.

 

In 1988 there was no lack of great preaching, no shortage of dynamic praise and worship, no scarcity of faith, heart, hope, leadership, or a willingness to work. There had however been a great famine of finances in Southeast Texas for the previous few years and thisChurch finally came to the point where it could not pay its bills. With time the debt outgrew the resources available to service the need and it looked like there was no alternative but to close the doors.

 

Two weeks before I moved my family here, Brenda and I drove from Texarkana to Dallas to attend an early morning 5:30am prayer meeting at Church On The Rock, Rockwall. There were hundreds of people praying individually for about an hour and a half. There was no sermon, no singing, no fellowship, just prayer. Afterwards we walked back out to the car to drive back home, and the man parked next to us was also getting into his car. He opened his door and then looked over the roof of that black Mercury Sable and said, “Why don’t you come to Nederland and pastor the Church on the Rock there?” His name was Mike Alexander.

 

He proceeded to briefly tell me about his plans to join the staff of COTR in Rockwall and that he was going to resign that week and was looking for a replacement pastor. I had just been praying about what God wanted me to do and I thought this might be the answer. So I took his phone number, and the rest is His-Story. That next Sunday I was installed as Pastor of this Church. It was the 28th day of August 1988. 

 

I knew it would be a challenge, but I was a young, strong, faith-filled, bull-headed, preacher who actually had nothing else to do. That Sunday, all that changed. 

 

The families of the Church welcomed us with open arms and made us feel loved and supported. There weren’t very many people left in the Church, especially after finding out the previous pastor was not going to be there anymore. He was a powerhouse, a prophet, and a praying man filled with faith. Pastor Mike had made quite an impression on the whole community, and it was evident I was not him. Nonetheless, the families who decided to stay gave me a fair chance and I deeply appreciate them. 

 

I hesitate to start calling all their names lest I forget someone and each one was an important part of the plan God had for Golden Triangle Church On The Rock. 

 

If you were already a part of this Church when I got here 34 years ago today, would you stand.

 

If you came and joined in the few weeks after I arrived, would you stand.

 

God bless you along with each individual and family whom God has sent our way since. Many come for a season, and many come for a lifetime. I am grateful for each and every one. 

 

During my first few days in the office, it was just me and the Church secretary, Cindy Downs, who is still a member of our Church. She and the elders helped me to discover that we were: 

• $14,750 over drawn in the few checking accounts we had around town. 

• $66,000 behind on past due payments.

• The Church didn’t have a useable piece of music or office equipment; nor did we own even one of the chairs in our sanctuary; nor any of the books in our bookstore; nor had we paid for the roof on our building; nor the air conditioners that almost kept us cool.

• We were being sued for outstanding debt.

• The Church building was built encroaching 2’ over onto Sun Oil Company’s land.

• M-Bank had begun foreclosure on our Church building two months before I arrived.

• A $272,000 note had been called and letters were going out to ten families who had co-signed the note some years earlier, six of which no longer even attended the Church.

• Gulf States Electricity would only take cash payments from us because of previously bounced checks. 

• Even the one foreign missionary we had would no longer take a check from the Church since one had been returned to his bank in India for non-sufficient funds and it cost him some great financial strain with his account.

 

Needless to say … I no longer felt I was without something to do. And with true and sincere thanks to God, but for the support of the elders and the families in this Church at that time, the door would have been predictably closed for good. 

 

The Church did not ask for the problems it faced, most of which were associated with things unexpected and things beyond their control. As with everything else, there were some mistakes made but there are always mistakes.

 

We don’t make it or break it on the mistakes we make or the problems we have. We make it or break it on how we handle those problems.

 

Just like any individual, any family, any business, any community, any nation, or any Church congregation, Your best chance is to give it to God and let Him decide what He is going to do about it. Not everything works out like you want it to and not everything turns out like you hoped. However, Every single thing placed in God’s hands can be left there with confidence that He has a plan beyond the problem. 

 

And that’s exactly what we did 34 years ago. Under the ordained leadership God gave the Church and the families He joined in heart with a vision to reach the world with the Gospel of Christ, we revived and recovered, and we have reached the whole world for Jesus.

 

In the past 34 years I have preached a lot of sermons. Not every one of my sermons has a set of detailed notes but most of them do. I started keeping notes of the scriptures I study and the sermons I preach way back in 1978. I have a copy of almost every sermon God has given me. I’m a note kind of guy and I seem to benefit from writing down the inspirations and revelations God gives me. 

 

Here is a binder containing the notes of the sermons I preached in 1988. Here is one for 1989. Another for 1990 and so on with a total of 34 yearly sermon note binders, plus a binder or two of topical teachings and leadership notes. Let me be the first to admit I have a problem, more than just one btw, however one problem I do not have is forgetting those things God has taken His time to tell us here at GTCOTR. It is because of His leadership and His willingness to use us that we have seen such success.

 

As I said earlier, 34 years ago I was offered a position that required bold visionary leadership, a deep-rooted faith, and an unwavering commitment to the families who make up the congregation of this Church.

 

I could not then, and I cannot now fill that position … only Jesus can fill those shoes. But I was willing to follow Him as closely as I could manage, trusting He would supply the strength I needed, and cover my many weaknesses. Today I am proud to report I believe He has.

 

However, I am also well aware that I could not have accomplished all we have done and are doing here in our community and in communities like ours all over the world without you. Those of you on campus and those of you online, thank you for doing your part. Some of you have been goers, some stayers, some prayers and others payers. Together we have seen the truth of the first sermon I preached in this Church unfold right before our eyes. Let’s turn now and read the same scriptures I read to you 34 years ago today. 

 

Matthew 16:18  “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”

 

It’s a great day to celebrate … Happy AnniversaryChurch On The Rock!