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Many of my years on earth have been lived without a pastor. It wasn’t that I did not embrace my Christian faith or was out fishing on Sunday morning. Many years of my adult life was being the pastor.
During those countless weeks of giving my soul away to others, I have great memories of spiritual renewal, lives changed for all eternity, and deep-seated friendships. Oh, there were trying times, goofy people, and strange “Christian behavior” but why linger on those rare terrible moments?
After so many years of living without a pastor, I am relishing being a part of a healthy church with an outstanding pastor. Pastor Gregg Matte handles the Word very well, he is a godly leader, and he loves God as well as his people. It is easy for me to give my heart to him.
(By the way, every Christian that is committed to doing church the right way, should give their heart to their pastor. Just saying…)
During these horrible and scary days of the world-wide pandemic, putting my shoulder to the wheel of whatever wagon Pastor Gregg identifies is very satisfying. For us as a church we all are passionate to make a difference in our great city of Houston. Our church body is incredibly active in our city, our country, and around the world.
Has this national quarantine disrupted our involvement? No. Our church has gone online so that we are in compliance to the guidelines of our authorities. Nevertheless, our church’s active ministry keeps going on under our pastor’s tireless leadership.
Pastor Gregg Matte is studied up and fired up as he teaches the Bible to us. His leadership applications and challenges are spot on and invigorating. Worship is engulfing. Sure, I miss the smiles, warm handshakes, bright eyes of friends, and the sounds of many people gathering. But, those times will eventually return. We will get through this.
Then, God will show us what he has been doing all this time. The products of these world-wide moments of sequestering will likely surprise us. Then, the whole world will better know that he is truly Almighty.
photo by brucefong photography
On August 22, Wednesday from 430PM to 630PM at Houston’s First Baptist Church there will be a Meet the Author gathering in the Fellowship Hall. Many of us who have had the privilege of putting words to paper will look forward to shaking hands, meeting you, signing books, and having some fabulous fellowship. If you are close by, then I hope to see you there.
photo by bruce w. fong photography
Our move to Houston had a number of priorities on our relocation list. The normal items of finding a home, establishing myself in my new job, finding a new job for my bride and of course, finding a new home church. This last item was not the lowest on our priority even though it comes last on my list.
During our visits to Houston we not only shopped for a place to live and find a house to buy in the area that we chose to be our home, I asked a lot questions about church recommendations. My list for churches that others were excited about was growing longer. Now, it was time to systematically make our visits and trust God to lead us where He wanted us to serve.
Essentials on our list for a church to call home were simple. There was doctrinal alignment. Worship vibrancy was on our list. Most importantly we wanted a church home where we would be able to love our pastor, support him and his family and be a couple that he could count on as the church moved forward.
We seemed to visit churches forever. Each time we like so much of the many very good churches in Houston. Yet, we just could not connect with our list of essentials.
Then, we met Pastor Gregg Matte of Houston’s First Baptist Church. He was on Sabbatical the first time we visited HFBC. In the meantime we roamed the city visiting all of the churches that people recommended to us.
When our list ran out we heard that Pastor Gregg was back from his sabbatical. We chose to visit. We were blown away!
It is like meeting an old friend and connecting right off the bat. We met for a Dr. Pepper break, he invited us to their Christmas Celebrate and after a short decision discussion, my bride and I went forward in December 2012 and joined the church.
After years of serving as a pastor, cheering on other pastors, encouraging broken pastors, standing by the side of besieged pastors we are solidly in our Pastor’s corner and doing everything we can to honor his life and ministry. Often our friends in far away states in California, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Tennessee ask how we like living in Houston. Our response always includes the great reality that we love our church and our pastor. That’s the way it should always be.
photo credit: yvonne fong photography