My 39th Year Recollections

The year I was 39 turned out to be the last of nine years in one location as youth minister, though at the time I turned 39 I had no idea that I was going to be making a move, and certainly not to the pulpit. I had been successful and happy in my ministry is expected to continue in that place for considerable time to come. I did not have any aspirations to preach.

But our preacher had left for greener pastures, and in addition to my youth ministry duties, I preached twice a week for 13 months, which covered a good portion of my 39th year. When the elders had found our new preacher, and told me the date that he would be arriving, I had a realization that I was not through saying all that I thought needed to be said. It was my first inclination that I wanted to preach.

A few months later, while it summer camp with our teens, I was approached by one of the elders at the congregation at which I now preach. He wanted me to consider coming to work with them. I was intrigued, but scared as well. I was not at all sure I had what I believed it would take to carry out a long-term preaching ministry. Through the "courting process" it became clear that I was the kind of man that the elders here were seeking. When they made the official offer, I told them the only doubt I had was that, "I am not sure that I want to work for a group of men that would hire me to preach."

Between the time I accepted the offer and actually made them live, I had had my 40th birthday.