{"id":11684,"date":"2023-10-05T12:13:20","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T17:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?p=11684"},"modified":"2023-10-05T12:13:20","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T17:13:20","slug":"a-life-in-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"A Life In Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Steve and Roseanna James were an effective pastoring team. Now it\u2019s time for transition. They\u2019re not done, but they know what words they hope to hear one day, \u201cWell done, good \u2018n faithful servants\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Steve James has retired, as pastor of Trinity Baptist. He has a story to tell.\u00a0 <\/span>Whether it\u2019s a story, or whether it\u2019s a sermon, is between God and the reader\u2026<\/p>\n

Grapes Of Wrath Migration<\/b><\/p>\n

His father\u2019s family called Fort Smith, Arkansas home, until the Great Depression left them even more desperate. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKids would get an orange for Christmas\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey thought store bought bread was a luxury.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With nothing to lose, the family did the Grapes of Wrath migration, to California. His father Pete, first time, ever, in a hotel, \u201che spent the whole night flipping light switches on \u2018n off, and flushing toilets.\u201d He had never known either.<\/p>\n

Through hard work, the family situation rose. His father was a truck driver, his mother held a job, between them they were grossing $1650 a month in 1950s money. \u201cBig house, at Christmas, toys everywhere under the tree.\u201dAnd then his father, Pete, found Jesus, and went into the ministry.<\/p>\n

First church, just a handful of people, mostly family. His father made $25 a week. He drove a school bus, for extra money.<\/p>\n

As For Steve The Teenager\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026I knew about religion, but I had no relationship.\u00a0 <\/span>I knew \u201cabout\u201d Jesus, but I didn\u2019t know Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

He graduates from high school in 1969. \u201cYou were either a Hippie, or a Hood.\u00a0 <\/span>I was a Hood.\u201d (Later in life his mother told him, \u201cYour father and I thought you\u2019d end up in prison.\u201d)<\/p>\n

He was churchy at church, and otherwise, elsewhere.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI felt fake, phony and plastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

One night, a visiting preacher made an altar call. Down the aisle, comes the preacher\u2019s kid. His prayer was short, and simple, \u201cJesus, I\u2019m a sinner. Come into my heart.\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s all I said, but I meant it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A year later, he \u201cfelt the call.\u201d Met his future wife, Roseanna, two weeks before college.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019ll be 50 years, next July\u2026<\/p>\n

He graduated from seminary in December of 1978.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His first church was in Winfield Missouri, \u201cThey had a washateria, a city hall, a gas station, and a few empty houses.\u201d Town population was 620. Church attendance doubled, by the time he left.<\/p>\n

God Qualifies The Called<\/b><\/p>\n

Years pass, churches get bigger, James is pastoring in Baytown Texas, when someone tells him about Trinity Baptist, which was about the same size as the Baytown church. He doesn\u2019t act. Time passes, still nothing. When finally he submits his name, someone asks him, why the reluctance?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When James came to Trinity, Nelson Road was two lanes, and this property was rural \u2018n rustic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe previous pastors were all Dr., Dr., Dr., and I\u2019m just a Bro. \u00a0<\/span>\u201cI drive a white pickup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who doesn\u2019t identify with that?<\/p>\n

Moses sent to confront Pharoah, David sent to confront Goliath, Peter sent to pickup where Jesus left off, the history of the church is filled with people whose first instinct was \u201cWho am I, for this job?\u201d<\/p>\n

But over and over again, God doesn\u2019t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.<\/p>\n

The year is 1996. Nelson Road is two lanes. The property where the church now resides felt far away, raw, and rustic. The church has want-to, but isn\u2019t sure what-to, or how-to. And here comes the new preacher\u2026<\/p>\n

27 Years Later<\/b><\/p>\n

The main building was built in 2000.\u00a0 <\/span>Then came the next thing, and the next things, until we reach the present, where Trinity Baptist is now settled, and established.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s it been like, to be the pastor of Trinity Baptist?<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything about Trinity is a God thing,\u201d says James. \u201cGod has used every church to teach me something: An informed church, is a happy church; He will provide for whatever He ordains; He is in control, even in difficult situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

James has learned, from being on both sides of Hurry versus Wait. He\u2019s been impatient, and learned from it. But he\u2019s also been hesitant, and learned from that too.\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s recalls a certain situation:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was as if God was saying to me, \u201cSteven, what are you waiting for?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m waiting for You.”<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Trinity Baptist was built for growth. Membership is in the thousands, and 1500 attend services any given Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Go Where You\u2019re Sent,\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Stay Where You\u2019re Put,\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Give What You Got<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cVision\u201d was the emphasized word of James\u2019 last sermon.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s time for a new person, with a new vision.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s 72.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019ve been at this for 44 years.\u00a0 <\/span>Any other profession, I\u2019d have retired years ago.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The same motto that applied to ministry will apply to retirement:<\/p>\n

\u201cGo where you\u2019re sent; Stay where you\u2019re put; Give what you got.\u201d<\/p>\n

But how exactly, does one retire from the ministry? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t retire from spiritual,\u201d says James. Being part of saving someone \u201cchanges eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n

James has been to Africa more than 20 times.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIf you cut me, I bleed \u201cevangelism.\u201d\u201d Africa is so very one-on-one, \u201cHut to hut,\u201d he calls it. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One time, he was walking down a path, the guide suggested they change course, but James urged them to continue.\u00a0 <\/span>They came across a man who told them that he\u2019d had a dream, about a white man, carrying a black book.\u00a0 <\/span>Eternity changed.<\/p>\n

Husband And Wife\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a Bible verse about marriage, about being \u201cequally yoked.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Complimentary talents, complimentary personality strengths, and clarity about direction, this is part of what made Steve and Roseanna James an effective pastoring team.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

James has visited Africa more than 20 times. \u201cYou don\u2019t retire from spiritual,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Now its time for a pause, time for transition. They\u2019re not done, but they know what words they hope to hear one day, \u201cWell done, good \u2018n faithful servants\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steve James has retired, as pastor of Trinity Baptist. He has a story to tell.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s a story, or whether it\u2019s a sermon, is between God and the reader\u2026 Grapes Of Wrath Migration His father\u2019s family called Fort Smith, Arkansas home, until the Great Depression left them even more desperate. \u00a0 \u201cKids would get [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11704,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[917,59],"yoast_head":"\nA Life In Ministry - BestOfSwla<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Life In Ministry - BestOfSwla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Steve James has retired, as pastor of Trinity Baptist. He has a story to tell.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s a story, or whether it\u2019s a sermon, is between God and the reader\u2026 Grapes Of Wrath Migration His father\u2019s family called Fort Smith, Arkansas home, until the Great Depression left them even more desperate. \u00a0 \u201cKids would get [&hellip\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BestOfSwla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bestofswla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bestofswla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-05T17:13:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Last-Service-2-scaled-e1696520238785.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1172\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/\",\"name\":\"A Life In Ministry - BestOfSwla\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Last-Service-2-scaled-e1696520238785.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-05T17:13:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-05T17:13:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1ae53712bfaf619609a7e481e68536d1\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Last-Service-2-scaled-e1696520238785.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Last-Service-2-scaled-e1696520238785.jpg\",\"width\":1675,\"height\":1172},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Life In Ministry\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/\",\"name\":\"BestOfSwla\",\"description\":\"Powered by Lagniappe Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/#\/schema\/person\/1ae53712bfaf619609a7e481e68536d1\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/da91dccb9a62c46bfbdac3f0a839acd1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/da91dccb9a62c46bfbdac3f0a839acd1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bestofswla\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Life In Ministry - BestOfSwla","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2023\/10\/05\/a-life-in-ministry\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Life In Ministry - BestOfSwla","og_description":"Steve James has retired, as pastor of Trinity Baptist. 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