Stepping onto a stage to direct a full-length play takes guts. I’d never been the main-man, the one in-charge of a whole production, but I wasn’t alone. That’s so important in any endeavor! Refuse to “go it alone.” And Adrienne, the playwright, seemed to be more in-charge than I was. So, as co-leaders, things fell into place! Her church family and my church family began to offer assistance in every area of need. Those two stage productions increased my confidence and prepared us for God’s next big challenge.
Backing up a bit historically, before I’d graduated from college, and being home for a summer, I was asked to baby-sit one of my niece’s. I think she was around seven. I remember telling the story of Jonah, off-my-head, meaning I made it up and added some on. But I never forgot that “made-up” part. I eventually turned it into a play called Jonah’s Secret. Maybe I’ll see it produced on stage sometime.
But after producing these two major productions, I sensed God telling me to go “candidate” for a church, to be their pastor. I told my wife about this “nudge” from the Lord, and she seemed fine with it. I applied for my ministerial license in 1980, with Open Bible Churches, and received it. Now, to sense God’s calling into fulltime ministry as a pastor with my wife’s help and support, a challenge to be faced!
We applied to three churches in South Dakota at that time. The first two congregations didn’t fit us well, but the third seemed to open its arms to us. We felt this “calling” become a “caring” ministry, and slowly began to know the people and their needs. For two years we involved ourselves in that community of Onida, S.D. and found mutual interests with the other pastors, community leaders, farmers and ranchers, and formed close relationships.
Prior to, and during this time of ministry, my wife, Delli, and I were actively seeking to adopt our first child. Since I was found to be infertile within the first two years of our marriage, we both felt strongly that adoption would be our next best option.
Unfortunately, after two years of connected ministry, our small first church congregation in Onida, did not work out. Our District Superintendent and Open Bible ministries felt, since we were leaving, they would close the church there. We, as pastors, and the congregation, agreed that it was time for the church to disband, and find other churches in the community to attend.
To be continued…