YOU and GOD

March 13, 1953 – February 16, 2025

This eulogy, read at Gene’s memorial service, is printed in “You and God” with permission from his wife, Miracle.

Gene Satterfield made a mark on every life he touched, for he could not, would not, be ignored. And, when he was on target spiritually and right with the Lord, he had something to say that one would do well to listen to.

I was privileged to know Gene the past 15 or 20 years—and to have been his pastor for most of that time. So I speak with a different insight into the man than most others would have.

I cannot, will not, paint him as some super saint, and if you knew him you would no doubt agree. But he was authentic. I did not know Gene in his earlier years, but he shared with me enough about those years that I know he fought some spiritual battles—with that old roaring lion, the Devil, and that old nature with which all of us daily deal—that too often left him with his back on the ropes. But, though he was down for the 9 count more times than he would have liked to remember, he always got back up—battered and bruised but not beaten. During much of that time, he survived by returning to God’s Word, memorizing it, meditating on it, and messaging it to whomever would give him an ear. He knew many key passages. He could recite verse after verse that was not only in his head but hidden in his heart.

Some years ago, when the Satterfields landed at Thompson Road Baptist Church, Gene attached himself to some men in the church who wanted to help him spiritually. They knew what he was going through; they could speak the language, and they could understand what Gene was all about. It might be more accurate to say that these men—led by Lonial Wire, a long-time member and song leader at our church, who had fought some of the same battles—attached themselves to Gene. They met with him every week, usually before prayer meeting on Wednesday nights, prayed with him, encouraged him, listened to him, and held him accountable. And, it worked! During those years, Gene was a vocal, visible witness for his Lord and Savior. He was at times a one-man “Amen corner” at TRBC during the preaching hour. Sometimes, others joined him in a chorus of amens, which was just like saying “sic ‘em” to this preacher. And, it was not just during the preaching—it was before and after. His countenance shown with the joy of the Lord; he loved God’s Word; his prayers were like those one could imagine hearing in an old-fashioned revival meeting.

But, more important than any other person (other than Gene’s Lord and Savior) was his devoted wife, Miracle (named so by her mother at birth because she was not supposed to have made it into this world intact—but, by God’s grace, she did!). I added the word “woman” and called her “Miracle Woman,” which she earned if for no other reason than that she was a steadying and steadfast stalwart beside Gene every day that he wobbled or wandered. Miracle was the glue that held the Satterfield family together. He would not have made it without her patient and unwavering support.

Gene joined a Tuesday-morning book-study group that 10 or 12 men have been attending for a dozen or so years. His comments were always relevant. He was direct, plugged in, energized, and always a welcome addition to any of the meetings that he was able to attend. We never could convince Gene, though, that when he gave himself an insulin shot before eating the donut in front of him at our early morning meetings, it would be better if he would not stick the needle through his shirt or jacket—as he would invariably do—rather than rolling up a sleeve for the injection!

So, this sometimes not-so-saintly saint—never one to drop out and fall by the wayside—was one of a kind. He is one that this pastor can never forget and will always be grateful to God for allowing our church to be challenged by, here on the corner of State and Thompson Road. He was ever a presence in any assembly. He was bold, blunt, and when he was right with His Lord, biblical. He spoke the truth, not with an air of superiority but with humility—as one who had not yet attained but was determined to ever keep on keeping on.

What Jesus ended His letter with to the church in Smyrna—when He sent messages to the seven churches that are recorded in the Revelation—I think appropriately concludes my remarks about my beloved brother and dear friend, Gene Satterfield:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” (Rev. 2:18)

Gene is an overcomer finally, fully, and forever. “For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:4,5)

Gene would qualify for the white stone and new name. How about you? Will you join him in the victor’s circle?
 

Pastor Anthony Slutz

February 21, 2025

Mark tells us that Jesus “ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.” (Mark 3:14) These men, ordinary as they might have appeared to some, became known as “the apostles” of our Lord Jesus Christ. He prayed with them and for them, and when He called them to follow Him, they forsook all and followed.

One of the 12 was James, brother of John. In the minds of most, John would come across as the more prominent of the two fishermen-brothers. He was always closest to Jesus—as in the Upper Room at the last supper. Five books of the New Testament bear John’s name; none the name of James. One observer noted that James “passes by in silhouette rather than in photograph; his portrait is recognizable with scant details.”

In this brief bio of the apostle whose brother was the “one Jesus loved,” note with me his life, his leadership, his legacy and his lessons.

1. His life. Sons of Zebedee, James and John were, with their father, partners in the fishing business with Peter and Andrew. The business was probably large and lucrative. Their mother, Salome, was a devout follower of Jesus of Nazareth. James and John were renamed by Jesus the “Sons of Thunder,” possibly for their thundering out against the evils of their day; maybe for the lack of restraint of their volatile tempers; or maybe because of their boisterous, often noisy and impulsive personalities.

These brothers were called by Jesus first to be disciples, then apostles. (Luke 6:13) Upon that divine summons, they “forsook all and followed Him.” (Luke 5:10)

We could probably say the following without being too imaginative about James: “He was young, successful, intelligent, serious-minded, a picture of success and self-confidence; with his brother, John, never one to back away from a challenge, conflict, or confrontation.”

2. His leadership. James was a trusted member of Jesus’ inner circle of three. With Peter and John, James saw Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter from her death bed; with the same two apostles, he was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1) when Jesus unveiled some of His glory to these three followers. Again, he was part of the trusted triad who accompanied Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane—and not just into the garden, but to a place of seclusion where Jesus invited them to “watch” with Him in prayer. (Matt. 26:37,38)

James, brother of John, not to be confused with the James who wrote the Epistle of James, who was a half-brother of Jesus, never wrote a book that bore his name; he never spoke any memorable words that have been recorded, nor is he known for any heroic deeds. John, to the contrary, was never far from the middle of the mix. Although he wrote five of the 27 New Testament books, in none of them—not even in the Gospel of John—did he mention the name of his brother, James.

James, though, was zealous for his Lord. He cast out devils (Luke 9:40); and he was ready, with his brother, to call fire down from Heaven to destroy the Samaritan city that refused to receive Jesus and His twelve into their city. (Luke 9:51-56)

He was also a man of prayer (Acts 4:23ff.) and, without question, an ambitious follower of His Lord. (Matt.20:17-28)

3. His legacy. James was faithful unto death. Herod the Great tried to kill Jesus, and his evil edict—that all the children two years old and younger in Jerusalem and in all the coasts thereof be killed—was another failed attempt to kill the Messiah; Herod the Great’s son killed John the Baptist, and Herod the Great’s grandson killed James, the apostle. This first apostolic martyr became—with Stephen, the deacon who preceded him—the first of millions of Christians, yes, multiplied millions to follow in martyrdom. Their blood became “the seed of the Church.”
4. His lessons. (1) God chooses all kinds of people to do His work and execute His will—from respected fishermen, to despised tax collectors, to doubting Thomases, to impetuous Peter; (2) He is the One who does the making of His disciples: “I will make you….” (3) Following Him will transform your life: “A noisy zealot who had thundered out against the evils of his day and denounced hypocrisy in high places, James became a man of peace and quiet; a man in command of his temper, with a bridle on his tongue and a calm in his heart.” (copied) (4) Growth in Christ is not instant, but gradual. God is patient in perfecting us and dealing with us as individuals, not as with a group.

“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” (Acts 12:1,2)

She and her husband have been serving on the mission field in the US Intermountain West for 35 of the 40 years they have been married.  We will call her Diane, as that is her name.  In her earliest years, her home environment made her the most unlikely candidate for a future missionary. But God!

Church bus workers knew how to draw children back week after week (with candy!). Diane says she got hooked, not only because of the candy but, more importantly, because of a loving church family that took her into their hearts and homes and nurtured her. She became a child of God through her new birth following a gospel message at a Christmas Youth Group party.  Dr. Fred Moritz, then pastor of the church she was attending, baptized her.  The rest is history.  She became the “adopted” child of a half-dozen or more loving church families while cherishing Psalm 27:10: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” 

In ways that only a sovereign God could have engineered, Diane was able to enroll at Bob Jones University after a wise youth pastor and his wife took her on a trip to BJU. For the first time in her life, she got to experience “a little bit of heaven on earth.”  She did not know what she wanted to do but, through her first semester, “it seemed all I heard in chapel, in my Bible classes, and in my devotions—the Lord kept pointing me to missions. That summer, my pastor, Anthony Slutz, preached on John 15:16.  All I heard was, Go!  I didn’t know where the Lord wanted me to go, but I was willing to go wherever He led me!  I went back to school in the fall and changed my major to missions.”

Tony Miller, leader of a missions team to the Intermountain West, spoke in a missions chapel that semester—also on John 15:16. Diane says, “I went to the team meeting to learn more about it.  I really believed the Lord wanted me on this team, but I had no idea how I was going to return to school next year, let alone go on a mission team!  I told the Lord I was willing to go, but He would have to provide.  A few days later, I learned that my Dad had money in an account that no one knew about at the time of his death.  It was enough for me to go on the mission team, as well as return to school in the fall!  My heavenly Father knew that the money was there when I would need it.”

That trip sealed Diane’s burden for the Intermountain mission field, and on that trip was a handsome young man that she was drawn to: “We’ve been married for 40 years and have been serving the Lord with Northwest Baptist Missions for 35 of those years.  God has always been so faithful and good to us!” God has blessed Mark and Diane Dupont with three sons and a daughter, and they are enjoying watching their twelve grandchildren, ranging from the age of 1 to 12, progressing through childhood.

Most members of Diane’s family have never professed faith in her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, though by her life, love, letters, and prayers she has wept over them and waited with hope of hearing that her Savior has become theirs through faith.  She had little or no encouragement from anyone—outside of her church family and Christian circle of friends, including a Christian school—to attend or continue in church, attend a Christian college, or become a missionary.

Diane’s story is one of the grace of God, the skillful guidance of His hand, and the loving care for a child pretty much “on her own.” She was found by some faithful bus workers, evangelized by a faithful youth pastor, nurtured by a faithful church family, and mentored by teachers whose sole interest in Diane was a soul interest in Diane.  May their tribe increase.  The host of believers whose lives have been interwoven with Diane’s for the past 40+ years can rejoice, praising our great God for a child whose heart was open and drawn to our home mission field—and who, listening through messages, testimonies, and lessons, would later testify that “All I heard was, Go!”

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I; send me.  And He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed….” (Isaiah 6:8,9a)

I beg of you, my loyal readers, your indulgence of my peek back into the past for this personal Special Valentine’s edition of “You and God.” I have before me a yellow-stained, faded copy of a “love” poem that I wrote to my fiancée in 1964, the year we became engaged to be married. She was 19 and I was 22; she was in her sophomore year of college and I was in my senior year. Our plan was to be united in marriage in August of 1965. So, I am looking back for more than 60 years. I hope many who read this blog will be able to remember those youthful yearnings you too have harbored in your heart. (Note, the mountain referred to in the 3^rd stanza is one of the Blue Ridge mountains close to where Ellen grew up; Georgia Creel, mentioned in the next to last line of the poem, was the name of the Bob Jones University dormitory that was home to Ellen in the fall of 1964):

I PROMISE

E’er since we met this time a year ago,
	We’ve come the good and bad of each to know;
We met, we liked, we loved and that love grew,
	A love that shall forevermore be true.

As we behold the threshold of our life,
	We see a world of restlessness and strife.
Together we do pledge our lives to give,
	The truth that can forever make men live;

My Dear, I’m glad that on that day in June,
	When on high mountain underneath bright moon;
You promised me—and sealed it with a kiss—
	To give to me your love—my greatest bliss.

My wife you’ll be, and I your husband, too;
	And we shall live and thrive on love that’s true;
And if a trial should come our way each day,
	With joined hands and hearts to God we’ll pray.


Darling:


To love you always is my highest goal;
	To love you, Dear, with body, mind and soul.
Until I die, I’ll live to love you more,
        Until I die, your being I’ll adore.

Until I die, I’ll kiss away your tears;
	Until I die, I’ll chase away your fears.
Until I die, I’ll make you laugh and smile,
	For ‘till I die, I’ll love you all the while.

As long as I have breath to love you, Hon;
	I’ll love you as my wife, for we’ll be one.
No parting then at Georgia Creel’s front door—
	Just love, and love, and love forevermore!

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can
the floods drown it….” (Song of Solomon 8:7a)

(Editor’s Note: When I penned those words as a
young man, life with Ellen was a dream; now, as
an old man, I can say truthfully that life with Ellen
has been a dream come true! I know Ellen joins me
in wishing you all the fullest realization of your
fondest dreams. Happy Valentine’s Day!)

Since all of us are often under a great deal of stress, once in a while it does us good to give ourselves over to something that is of a “merry heart.” In that spirit, I am sharing the following “tongue in cheek” essay on “How Much Is That Preacher in the Window?” I clipped it out of a publication that came to my desk twenty years ago. It was originally published in Please Don’t Stand Up in My Canoe by Jean Shaw (Zondervan, 1975). I got a chuckle out of it and I hope you will, too.

“Good morning, madam. May I help you?”

“Yes, please, I’d like to buy a minister.”

“Did you have a particular model in mind?”

“I’ve got a description from the candidate committee right here. We want a man about 30, well educated, with some experience. Good preacher and teacher, balanced personality. Serious, but with a good sense of humor. Efficient, but not rigid. In good health. Able to identify with all age groups. And, if possible, sings tenor.”

“Sings tenor?”

“We’re short of tenors in the choir.”

“I see. Well, that’s quite a list. How much money did you want to spend?”

“The committee says $15,000-$15,500 dollars.”

“Hmm. Well, perhaps we’d better start in the bargain basement.”

“Tell me, how much is that model in the window?”

“You mean the one in the Pendleton plaid suit and the grey suede dune boots?”

“Yes, that one. He’s a real dream.”

“That’s our Dallas #467. He has a Ph.D. and AKC papers?”

“AKC papers?”

“American Koinonia Council. He sells for $16,000 plus house.”

“Wow! That’s too rich for our blood. What about that model over there?”

“Ah, yes. An exceptional buy. Faith #502. He’s a little older than 30, but excellent experience. Aggressive. Good heart. Has a backing of sermons, two of which have been printed in Christianity Today.”

“He’s not too bad. Can you do something about his bald head? Mrs. Fulton especially insists that our minister have some hair.”

“Madam, all of our ministers come in a variety of hair styles.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Now let me show you Olympia #222. Four years of varsity sports at Southern U. Plays football, basketball, volleyball and ping-pong. Comes complete with sports equipment.”

“What a physique! He must weigh 200 pounds!”

“Yes, indeed. You get a lot for your money with this one. And think what he can do for your young people.”

“Great! But how is his preaching?”

“I must admit he’s not St. Peter. But you can’t expect good sermons and a church-wide athletic program too!”

“I suppose not. Still…”

“Let me show you Westminster #801. Now, here’s a preacher! All his sermons are superb—well researched, copious anecdotes, and they always have three points. And he comes with a full set of Calvin’s Commentaries at no extra cost! You get the whole package for $18,300!”

“He’s wearing awfully thick glasses.”

“For $200 more we can put in contact lenses.”

“I don’t know. He might study too much. We don’t want a man who’s in his office all the time.”

“Of course. How about that minister over there? Comes from a management background. Trained in business operations. Adept with committees. Gets his work done by 11:30 every morning.”

“His tag says he’s an IBM 486x.”

“Madam, you have a discerning eye. Innovative Biblical Methods! This man will positively revitalize your church.”

“I’m not sure our church wants to be revitalized. Haven’t you got something less revolutionary?”

“Well, would you like someone of the social worker type? We have this Ghetto #130.”

“The man with the beard. Good gracious, no. Mrs. Fulton would never go for that.”

“How about Empathy #41C? His forte is counseling. Very sympathetic! Patient. Good with people who have problems.”

“Everyone in our church has problems. But he might not get out and visit new people. We really need a man who does a lot of visitation. You see, all of our people are very busy and…”

“Yes, yes. I understand. You want a minister who can do everything well.”

“That’s it! Haven’t you got somebody like that?”

“I’m thinking. In our back room we have a minister who was traded in last week. Excellent man, but he broke down after three years. If you don’t mind a used model, we can sell him at a reduced price.”

“Well, we had hoped for someone brand new. We just redecorated the sanctuary, and we wanted a new minister to go with it.”

“Of course. But with a little exterior work, a fresh suit, this man will look like he just came out of the box. No one will ever know. Let me bring him out and you can look him over.”

“All right. Honestly, this minister shopping is exhausting. It’s so hard to get your money’s worth. Tell me, do you accept coupons, and do you double them? What about rebates?”

“Uh, no. But if there’s any dissatisfaction after six months, we send a new congregation for the balance of the year. That usually takes care of most of the problems.”

*******

Well, there you have it.

Preachers: Maybe we need to be more understanding of the pitfalls that pulpit committees face when “shopping” for a new pastor!

Pulpit committees: Watch out, you may get what you bargained for!

A  young man who had lived on the southside of Indianapolis, ending up for help at Lester Roloff’s Lighthouse for men—from whence he would migrate to Tennessee Temple College in the early 1970s—and a quiet, shy young lady from Prosperity, West Virginia—also a student at TTC at that same time—met, fell in love, and married in 1973 with the purpose and plan to serve God somewhere on Earth as missionaries.  Their first choice was to go to Trinidad and Tobago. So, having raised necessary support, they applied for visas to those gospel-thirsty  islands, only to discover that their visas were not readily forthcoming; so, they went instead to work with missionaries in St. Thomas while waiting for the visa green light to be granted.  They served faithfully there, helping in a Christian camp and in the Blue Water Bible College, and welcomed while there their youngest son (of three) into the world.  With visas finally in hand, they shipped a 55-gallon drum containing their “earthly belongings” to Trinidad, where they immediately were thrust into the leadership of a local church. But, having been there only a year, they were forced to leave because of unrest in the aftermath of the Jim Jones incident.

“Where to go?” Well, upon the counsel of their mission board, Steve and Treasa Fox accepted the challenge of moving to the Philippines to assist in the ministry of five mission churches their first two years there—and then, for the next two years, planting a church themselves.  During those years of serving in missions in the Far East, God began to stir Steve and Treasa’s hearts about the need to take the gospel to Native American Indians in the southwest United States.

Having announced their desire to follow God’s leading to work with Native Americans, Steve and Treasa met with some well-meaning but misguided warnings about the slow, trying, and tedious work they would find on this mission field. They were warned about the discouragement and difficulties, but this couple—who from their earliest days of marriage had abandoned themselves to doing God’s will whatever that would entail, and wherever it would take them—assuredly believed that their previous training in God’s prep school on the islands, and in the Philippines, was designed to prepare them for this ministry, which would indeed in the beginning seem almost fruitless and “useless.”

But God reminded the Fox duo that He had called them, had directed them, and was fully able to sustain them.  Many of the people on the Salt River Indian Reservation where they began their Native American evangelization, were alcoholics or drug addicts. It was a work that would demand patient perseverance, purposeful plodding, and plowing while friendships with the tribal residents were being forged through Steve and Treasa’s serving their neighbors and helping them with basic life skills. Steve donned his work belt and repaired roofs and broken-down autos and anything mechanical, over the course of time winning the confidence and trust of those amongst whom he and his faithful helpmeet lived.  It was “slow as molasses” but, in time, yielded dividends not measured in substance but in souls.  Steve often said what he was doing was “love in work clothes.” 

After earnestly and faithfully plowing and planting with good gospel seed for 22 years, Steve was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2007, but his work was not finished; in fact, as he battled cancer and endured draining treatments for the next eight years, Steve intensified his efforts, resulting in many people trusting Christ as Savior and enrolling as disciples in Bible courses he taught so they would be grounded in truth.  On June 12, 2015, Steve Fox, the once-troubled teen who grew up in his Dad’s roller-skating rink on the near southside of Indianapolis, was graduated to glory. He and his steady helpmeet of 42 years had faithfully labored through the ups and downs, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats, thick and thin, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health—never forgetting that initial question that they answered positively before God: “If we don’t go, who will?” They did go, and the value of their steadfast perseverance on a challenging mission field, loving and laboring with and for our Native Americans, can be aptly and succinctly summarized in the words of a teenager whose life, one of many, Steve and Treasa touched indelibly: “Pastor and Mrs. Fox have played an enormous role in my spiritual growth,” and in the words of another who said, “I am honored to have learned and served under the Christian teachings of Pastor and Mrs. Fox.  They modeled faithfulness, commitment, service, and love for the Lord.”

We can only thank God, as Steve, now with his Savior, and Treasa would want us to do, that the Holy Spirit hunted, hounded and hauled into the Good Ship Grace a troubled youth who was guided and guarded by His skillful hand to the Lighthouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, and then on to Tennessee Temple College; and that the same Holy Spirit took a young lady from Prosperity, West Virginia, who marveled at the thought that God could use her, to a path that would merge one day with the path of a God-called missionary named Steve Fox, eventuating in the two becoming one with each other and one in the single-hearted desire to take the Good News to peoples who had never before heard it.  We can all rejoice that God wrote with an indelible ink on the hearts of this young couple, “If we don’t go, who will?”

Editor’s note: In 1973 Thompson Road Baptist Church became the first church to commit to prayer and financial support for the Fox’s, and served as their sending church for 48 years. After Steve’s passing, Treasa continued ministering to women and children on the Reservation for another six years. She remarried and now resides with her husband in Florida.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all  nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:18-20) 

On September 26, 2010, our church had a commissioning service for Kelvin Krueger, missionary appointee under the auspices of Baptist World Mission in Decatur, Alabama. Read Kelvin’s testimony in the following paragraphs to appreciate what an incredible feat God allowed this special servant of His to accomplish in serving as a missionary for six years in Johannesburg, South Africa:

“Good evening, my name is Kelvin Krueger.  I was born into a Christian home where my parents loved the Lord.  When I was young, I was interested in being a cowboy.  At the age of four, I received Christ as my Lord and Savior.  As soon as I received Christ, He gave me a burden in my heart for the mission field, so I changed my direction from being a cowboy to being a cowboy missionary.  At the age of six, I was diagnosed with brain cancer.  I was operated on, and the doctors had to take out a good portion of my learning cells.  After my surgery I was flown to Boston, where a team of doctors were going to  perform radiation therapy.  My parents had to sign a release form saying that if I came through the therapy, which was doubtful, I would have the mental capacity of a six-year-old.  The release was signed, but fervent prayer made the difference.  The Lord brought me through the surgery.  The doctors said there were going to be some side effects of the radiation therapy which included:  puberty at an early age (as you can see, I am shorter than my dad, but at least I am taller than my mom); scoliosis (it is hard to walk straight); and memory loss (where am I)? 

It has been a long road to where I am today, but I thank the Lord for the paths He has led me by.  I graduated from Marquette Manor Baptist Academy and went to Bob Jones University for part of my schooling.  I received a Certificate of Children’s Ministry from Northland Baptist Bible College.  At graduation, Dr. Les Ollila presented me with the JOB award for accomplishments regardless of difficulty.  I have been on mission trips to Mexico, Australia, and Saint Kitts.

The Lord then gave me opportunity to go to New Zealand for a few months.  When I returned home, I worked under the maintenance director, who was also the children’s pastor at Marquette Manor Baptist Church.  Through him, I got involved with ventriloquism and gospel magic. Also, in my duration there, I was able to lead ten first graders to the Lord.  Through the Lord, I will be all He wants me to be.  Isaiah 6:8 says: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I; send me.” I believe the Lord has called me in the service of children’s ministry in South Africa.  Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”

I was at Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Watertown, Wisconsin, for the Baptist World Mission annual conference meeting from October 22 through 25 of 2007.  While at the conference, I was interviewed two times about where I stood doctrinally, and I was questioned on key issues.  I went into the interviews knowing the Lord was on my side.  The last interview was in a room where all the board members were sitting down.  I was asked to sit in a chair and give my testimony.  I was asked why I felt called to the mission field, and why I wanted to join Baptist World Mission.  I thank the Lord for His help and His guidance in leading me to Baptist World Mission and allowing me to join.  I know that if we reach children with the gospel, that will give us an open door into the homes, and that will give us an opportunity to tell the parents the good news of the gospel.

There was a very brilliant Bible teacher, Robert Dick Wilson, born in 1856 and died in 1930.  By the time he was 25 years old he could read the New Testament in nine languages. (I have trouble reading it in English) He could repeat from memory a Hebrew translation of the entire New Testament, as well as a large portion of the Old Testament.  One day, while teaching his students, he said: “Young men, there are many mysteries in this life I do not pretend to understand, many things hard to explain. But I can tell you this morning with the fullest assurance that Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Editor’s note: Kelvin served faithfully through a local church in Johannesburg until he suffered a disabling stroke in 2015. He was graduated to glory four years ago, Feb. 2, 2021. David Livingstone, denied the opportunity of going to China, chose South Africa. When warned by a friend about dangers of serving there, the great missionary replied, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. That, my friend, is the word of a gentleman, so let’s be going.” Kelvin had that kind of a spirit for the Lord and His work.

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty…that no flesh should glory in His presence.”  (I Cor. 1:26-29)