The Journey Part 4: The Assemblies of God Years

I returned back home and told my girlfriend that my life had changed as a result of my decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. At the time I didn't know that she had made a decision as a youngster but had strayed from the faith in her early adult years. She had been taught that a relationship would not work unless both partners were committed to serving the Lord. She rededicated her life to the Lord and a few short weeks later we we started a new life together as a married couple.

Since the only church background I knew was Catholic, we visited a Catholic church. The mystery was there, but the understanding was still missing. The following Sunday we attended a Nazarene church and I knew that we were on the right track. The pastors sermon helped me to understand what was in the Bible, the people were incredibly friendly, and the hymns we sang were spiritually enriching. We were only there a few short weeks as we moved to a house closer to the base where I was stationed.

One of my friends had also become a Christian while I had been doing my tour in Guam. He was attending a local Assemblies of God church and invited us to attend with him. I didn't know the difference between a Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic or Pentecostal, but on our first visit to this A/G church I sensed a genuineness among the people, the pastor had passion as he preached and the singing was extraordinary. There was much audience participation and it was there I was introduced to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of spiritual gifts. We made it our church home for the remaining 3 years I had left in the Air Force.

I learned about Bible study, worship, evangelism and serving. During those years we were very active in street witnessing, jail ministry, worship leading, and teaching Sunday School. Eventually I was asked to serve on the deacon board. These foundational years exposed us to the charismatic stream of the Church. During that time my calling into ministry was confirmed as my love for God, His people, and those who were still in need of salvation, continued to grow. I was asked to preach my first sermon a couple of weeks before I was discharged from the service. I was scared to death and I felt that I had bumbled my way through, but I had enough confidence to give a simple altar call and four people responded to received Jesus as Lord. I was hooked. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that being full-time in ministry was the Lord's calling on my life.

The intimacy of living and walking in the Spirit filled a great void in my life. The study of the Bible increased my understanding of God, and the experience I was able to get in various sorts of ministry whet my appetite to want more. This yearning has not ceased to this day as I have found that growing in the Lord is a lifetime pursuit.

I knew if I wanted to serve God in full time ministry, I would have to go to Bible college or seminary to properly prepare. The journey continues with my attending a variety of Christian colleges and seminaries which have helped me to be open to the valid and various expressions of church life that comprise the Christian church. While I have certainly seen that each group has its strengths and weaknesses, I have found my greatest fulfillment in concentrating on what these groups have in common rather than in their differences.

The journey continues as I fill in the background of the experiences I have had while doing and being trained to do ministry. Come back for The Journey Part 5: Denominatinalism and Exclusivity.