October 16, 2025 • 19 mins
Two decades of revival, resistance, and resolve shaped our church from cautious tradition to mission-led freedom. We trace 2002’s quiet renewal, 2008’s evangelistic surge, and 2014’s inward deepening, and how bold moves, trust, and Scripture-first leadership changed our culture.
• the 2002 renewal that softened hearts and reset tone
• the 2008 three-day surge with seventy-five salvations
• anticipation and atmosphere as a sign of movement
• 2014’s inward decisions and daily-provision faith
• early leadership distrust, cultural fit, and hard battles
• choosing biblical direction over preference and control
• launching multiple services and remodeling for mission
• rebuilding reputation from legalism to freedom to minister
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:02):
Main Thing Podcast with Pastor Steve, equipping you
to respond and thrive in theworld we live in today.
Keep the main thing, the mainthing has been a saying that
Pastor Steve has told fordecades.
It means no matter what ishappening around us, Jesus is
what we need to have free andcenter in our lives.
There couldn't be a morepowerful reminder for us to
recall in today's divisive anddark culture.
(00:24):
From foundational truths andscripture to the hot topics of
today's culture, allow thispodcast to inspire and motivate
you on your faith journey.
SPEAKER_03 (00:33):
Well, thanks for joining us for our podcast
today.
I wanted to let you know this ispart two of a podcast where we
talk about the history ofCovenant Church and how we got
here.
So if you haven't seen uh orlistened to part one yet, you
might want to go back and listento that before this part two.
And today, this part two, we'retalking about the role of
revival and specific events inthe in the history or the
(00:56):
ministry of our church the past20 or so years uh that led to
some of where we are today.
I hope you enjoy it.
You know, when I was doing mynotes for this, uh two of the
things I thought back to uh wasmy my understanding, because I
wasn't even here this when thishappened, but the revival in
early 2002, I felt like I'veheard you talk about that in the
(01:17):
day.
And then I'm if I remember about2008, we had a revival.
Yes.
And both of those, uh, one I wasthere for, one I was not, were
highly significant, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (01:26):
They were turning points, there's no doubt.
And um, you know, we oftenwanted to find a revival by how
many people get saved.
And the second one you talkabout was one of those.
But the first one, uh, I broughtin a another friend from
college, Wayne McMillan, who'dbeen a foreign missionary in
(01:47):
Africa for many years, and itwas true revival.
Our people, it was renewalwithin the hearts of the people.
And uh we we had a a reckoningand a coming to Jesus moment, if
you will.
And it really began to create uha bit of a sweet spirit in the
church that was lacking.
(02:09):
Yeah.
Um, because look, everybody'sbeen in them.
Those churches where uh thereare people who are gonna run it
and they're gonna destroyanybody who wants to get in
their way.
And there was some of that here.
You know, everybody thoughttheir opinion is what God ought
to honor instead of what hewrote in his word.
And uh so it began, I think theLord began to do a work in the
(02:33):
heart of our people during thatrevival.
Um, that this really wasn'tabout them.
It was about his kingdom.
The second revival in 2008, webrought in evangelist Bill
Britt.
Uh, three-day revival had 75people saved, and I have no idea
how many people that that um gotright with the Lord, if you
(02:58):
will, uh during that weekend,but it was a phenomenal three
days.
SPEAKER_03 (03:03):
You know, thinking back to that, my one of my
memories of that particular weekuh was the atmosphere in that
sanctuary.
Yes, you know, sometimes whenyou go up uh your whole life in
one church in a in a very formalchurch, you never experienced
that, right?
And I remember the anticipationeach day, like you knew God was
(03:24):
gonna do something.
SPEAKER_01 (03:24):
Yes, yeah, you just knew he was gonna do something.
The place was packed, everyservice, uh people saved, every
service, altar full, everyservice.
Uh you know, we in our history,uh what has happened um in
historical Baptist life, we wewe were the poor people.
(03:48):
We come out of haystackrevivals, prayer meetings, those
kind of things.
Uh it was a movement among theworking class of America.
Uh I tell people we're notProtestant.
We didn't exist during theReformation.
We we never protested anything.
Uh we're haystack Christians,uh, literally people who had
(04:09):
prayer meetings in thehayfields.
And so when you when youunderstand where we came from,
things like raising your handsin church and shouting amen and
and and the Holy Spirit movingin church was very much a part
of who we were.
And what happened as timeprogressed uh as a country, we
(04:31):
become more affluent.
The more fluent we become, uhthe the the more stale we became
in our worship.
And so um to see God actuallymove uh is is unfortunately, as
you say, uh something that a lotof people are not accustomed to.
(04:51):
But in our history, that was notunusual.
You know?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (04:56):
You know, another thing about the revivals with
us, I think is unusual, is uh inthe 23 years I've been here,
we've had three revivals.
Yeah.
And there was one right before II got here.
But um I I feel like that 2014one, we had just moved in this
new campus and we had Dr.
Reginald Calvert here.
I and I felt like that was wasone of our key moments because
(05:20):
just from my vantage point backthen, it should it signaled a
shift of even the way we did uhministry, I think, at that time.
You know?
SPEAKER_01 (05:29):
Yeah, Dr.
Calvert's a brilliant preacher.
And um while we see we didn'thave many people saved that
week, we didn't even have awhole lot of people at the
altar.
I think sometimes there are alot of decisions made in a
person's spirit, in their heart,in their mind that we never even
know about.
And I think that was one ofthose kind of weeks where there
(05:52):
was a lot of resolutions made inpeople's lives.
We just we just didn't have anoutward expression of that.
SPEAKER_03 (06:00):
And I and that's what I remember uh about his
preaching was it was a call forbelievers to take that next
natural step in your walk withChrist.
You know?
Yes.
Um, you know, personally Iremember uh one of his sermons
was on Elijah and the the widowwhose whose jar stayed just full
(06:20):
enough for every day, right?
And I know it was something uhmy wife and I were dealing with
at that time that was soconvicting to me that God will
meet your needs, you know.
And I think a lot of people, uhwhether it was that sermon or a
different one, you know, had alot of conviction on those
things, you know.
Yes.
Wonderful.
So um different question here.
What about some of the strugglesin the last twenty what are some
(06:43):
things we've we've had somestruggles with over the past few
years?
You know, 25 years.
SPEAKER_01 (06:48):
You know, I I I want to be careful, I don't want to
be um dishonoring to anyone, butthe first probably the first
six, seven years I was here, uhI was challenged a lot.
A lot.
There was a uh a very naturaldistrust of the pastor, and I
didn't I didn't understand thatum because Dr.
(07:11):
Hyde had been here 20 years, hada marvelous ministry, um, and
Dice had been here 12 years, hada great ministry.
They had a guy named SammyMorrow, who's now in uh North
Louisiana, who was here threeyears.
And Sammy had a very difficultministry.
I don't think anything wrongwith Sammy.
(07:33):
Uh him and them just didn't fit.
Sometimes I'll get a phone callfrom a pulpit committee, want me
to recommend somebody, and I'lltell them uh through all the
process, when you know, makesure you can check all the boxes
that are important to you.
But ask yourself, do we likethis person?
(07:53):
And can this person like us?
Because if you don't like eachother, it doesn't matter all the
other qualifications are a wasteof time.
Um you're gonna you're gonna beat odds with each other.
SPEAKER_03 (08:05):
Well, and that's that's especially important down
here, right?
SPEAKER_01 (08:08):
Yes, especially important here.
Uh because if they don't likeyou, they they they got nothing
for you.
That's just Cajun culture.
And um, and so uh then GlennWentworth followed Sammy and
stayed six and a half years.
He also had a very good ministryfor six and a half years, but uh
(08:30):
in all honesty, he fought a tonof battles that kind of paved
the way uh for me when I camealong.
There were a lot of battles Ididn't have to fight because
they'd already been fought.
Uh now I had plenty of my own inthe early years, but um but but
(08:52):
he really took a beating for sixand a half years, and I think
that's probably if truth beknown, he never told me this.
This is my own assumption.
Uh probably what got him to thepoint he wanted to do something
else for a change.
SPEAKER_03 (09:09):
So going back to the you know who watered and all
that, he softened some groundfor you.
Yes, he did.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:15):
Oh, he I think he plowed the ground very well.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (09:20):
What else?
Any any uh anything that washard but paved the way for
moving forward too, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (09:27):
Yeah, you know, in the ministry, when I talk about
those early battles, um in theministry, you go into the
ministry as a pastor, and youhave these naive beliefs that
you're gonna go to serve achurch and those people are
gonna work together with you toreach people for the kingdom of
(09:51):
God.
And unfortunately, what youoftentimes find out is that
that's not at all the way it is.
Um you know, there's some badpastors out there, there's no
doubt.
There are a lot of bad churchesout there too.
And when I became pastor of thischurch, uh, as I've told you
guys before, I I didn't wantthis church.
(10:13):
I I didn't see it as a churchthat wanted to move forward.
They were very locked in theirtradition and where they were.
And uh the old motto, we shallnot be moved, uh, we're gonna be
who we are.
And uh if the pastor don't fit,we'll just get another one.
And um so, you know, I I reacheda place in my personal
(10:39):
leadership that I had never beenwilling to go, and that was
being willing to die on thathill because I was uh I was old
enough at the time, I had madeup my mind because I don't
preach because it's the onlything I can do.
I preach because God called me.
And uh I had made up my mind,we're we're gonna take this
(11:00):
church in the right direction,the biblical direction, or I'm
gonna go do something elsemyself also.
So I made a commitment to digin.
Um and um first five to sevenyears were rough, but God
honored it, and here's the key.
(11:20):
And and I joke about it, but Ididn't do anything stupid.
And and and I always joke aboutit by saying, I got skills, it
can happen any moment, you know.
Um but uh, you know, uh JohnMacArthur was the first one I
ever heard teach this that everytime you do something well, you
(11:40):
get a little change in yourpocket.
And um every time you dosomething dumb, you lose a
little change.
And when you get an emptypocket, it's called U-Haul
territory.
And uh so uh I had beenpastoring long enough to
understand change in, changeout, you haul territory.
(12:02):
Uh this this this was the fourthchurch.
I had served three churchesbetween five and seven years
before I came here.
So I had enough background tounderstand um what it oughta be
as opposed to what it was.
And um God honored, I think, mycommitment to to help them
(12:28):
become a biblically centeredchurch.
Uh and we're still not where weought to be, but Lord knows
where light years are here,where we used to be.
SPEAKER_03 (12:40):
Yeah.
So change change uh ourdirection a little bit.
Tell me about some of yourfavorite stories over the years.
You know, things that happenchange lives, you know, uh
people that you would never in amillion years think God would
use.
SPEAKER_01 (12:56):
Yeah.
Um boy, I don't know, filter outthe negative stories.
Uh that's why I said my favoritestories.
Yeah.
When we when we had that firstrevival, one of the things uh
the former pastor had done for ayear, and I honestly believe he
was just buying time, uh, hewould have these town hall style
(13:19):
meetings, and he was talkingabout going to two services and
uh even had them vote and awhole nine yards.
Uh so when I became pastor inNovember, uh I I told him, I
said, Look, uh, we've alreadyvoted on two services.
So Easter Sunday in 22, we wentto two services.
(13:41):
Back then it was a big deal,whether it was contemporary or
traditional.
So they we let them vote oneverything.
What hour it would be,everything.
So on Easter of 22, we launchedour second service and had over
700 people that morning.
(14:04):
And that was the catalyst thatpropelled us forward from that
day.
But one of my great, greatmoments was when we had that
first revival, I brought in aguy from Alabama named Mark
Harris.
Mark Harris was one of the bestcontemporary worship pastors in
(14:24):
America.
And uh I told him, I said, I'mbringing in a contemporary guy
because you voted to do this.
You need an idea of what itlooks like.
So just know that's what we'regonna do for the revival.
Well, I was sitting on the frontrow as I still do to this day,
because I like to be able toworship.
(14:46):
I don't want to be watching thecongregation.
And I'm sitting there, and Markis doing his thing, and and um
and I'm sitting there thinking,oh dear Jesus, I'm fired.
I'm fired, I'm fired.
And um, at one point I glancedto my left, and we had an older
couple in their 80s, Gene andMyrna Kirby.
(15:10):
And and I looked over, and bothof them had their hands in the
air, praising the Lord, just assincere.
And and it was a moment that Iwas able to relax.
I'm like, thank you, thank you,Lord.
SPEAKER_03 (15:23):
It's gonna be all right.
This is actually gonna happen.
SPEAKER_01 (15:25):
It's actually gonna work, it's gonna be all right.
Uh, so that was one of mymoments.
I I knew God was in what we weredoing, that He was blessing it,
you know.
And um and then as the churchbegan to grow, um, the word
around town was very positive uheverywhere I went.
(15:47):
And that was so encouragingbecause we had some negative
reputation points um in thecommunity.
And and one of the things thathappened is over the years we
have been able to dispel those,I think.
And that that's been great too.
But yeah, there have been manywonderful positive moments.
Uh you you're talking about achurch that uh had to vote
(16:13):
literally uh if you started anew Bible study class.
SPEAKER_03 (16:18):
I was just gonna say, I remember going before the
church council on a Mondaymorning to tell them what I
wanted to do, and then they gaveme the thumbs up or thumbs down.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Yes, yes.
You were you were constrained asa minister in your leadership.
And I remember getting up andtelling them, guys, we voted to
go to two services.
We voted on a contemporaryservice.
Here's what we got to do thisweek.
We're gonna totally remodel thealtar.
Uh so when you come in nextSunday, it'd be very different,
(16:48):
but we got to do this.
I didn't ask them to vote, andnobody complained.
SPEAKER_03 (16:54):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (16:55):
Not one complaint.
And I thought, whoa, this isgreat.
SPEAKER_03 (16:58):
Well, that's because it looked a whole lot better
than it did before.
Yes, it did.
It helped me.
I remember that old stage.
It looked bad.
SPEAKER_01 (17:06):
And then you came as our original children's
minister, and I got up and toldthem we're gonna be remodeling
the upstairs uh to accommodateour children's ministry.
And back then, oh, let's see,you came in 2003.
2002.
Two, two, July 29th, 2002.
(17:29):
Uh, we literally gutted fourclassrooms, made them one big
room, spent about twentythousand dollars, if I remember
right, back then to create achildren's worship area, and we
didn't ask for a vote.
Yeah, and not one soulcomplained.
You know, and then I just got upand I'd have to look back.
(17:51):
I forget when we went to threeservices, but the early service,
the contemporary service,exploded overnight.
And so we had to start a secondone.
And I remember getting up andjust announcing we're gonna
start another service next week,and nobody complained.
And so uh the my my favoritememories are as we moved out of
(18:17):
that old legalistic way ofthinking into the freedom to do
ministry.
Um, you know, it was just such ablessing.
And there are a lot of thosemoments along the way that
define that.
SPEAKER_03 (18:33):
Yeah, and I and you know, I remember uh how we all
kept uh a coat and tie in ouroffices because when we had the
when we still had the trtraditional service, we had to
wear coat and tie to traditionalservice.
Yes, you know, and I don't knowif anybody ever picked up that I
wore the exact same coat and tieevery Sunday because that's the
one I kept in my office, youknow?
Just keep it in the office.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, every week.
(18:55):
So that was part two of how wegot here.
Uh just kind of a history ofcovenant and uh some of the
interesting things from thepast.
Uh so we would love for you guysto be with us in a couple weeks
for part three.
Main Thing Podcast with Pastor Steve, equipping you
to respond and thrive in theworld we live in today.
Keep the main thing, the mainthing has been a saying that
Pastor Steve has told fordecades.
It means no matter what ishappening around us, Jesus is
what we need to have free andcenter in our lives.
There couldn't be a morepowerful reminder for us to
recall in today's divisive anddark culture.
(00:24):
From foundational truths andscripture to the hot topics of
today's culture, allow thispodcast to inspire and motivate
you on your faith journey.
SPEAKER_03 (00:33):
Well, thanks for joining us for our podcast
today.
I wanted to let you know this ispart two of a podcast where we
talk about the history ofCovenant Church and how we got
here.
So if you haven't seen uh orlistened to part one yet, you
might want to go back and listento that before this part two.
And today, this part two, we'retalking about the role of
revival and specific events inthe in the history or the
(00:56):
ministry of our church the past20 or so years uh that led to
some of where we are today.
I hope you enjoy it.
You know, when I was doing mynotes for this, uh two of the
things I thought back to uh wasmy my understanding, because I
wasn't even here this when thishappened, but the revival in
early 2002, I felt like I'veheard you talk about that in the
(01:17):
day.
And then I'm if I remember about2008, we had a revival.
Yes.
And both of those, uh, one I wasthere for, one I was not, were
highly significant, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (01:26):
They were turning points, there's no doubt.
And um, you know, we oftenwanted to find a revival by how
many people get saved.
And the second one you talkabout was one of those.
But the first one, uh, I broughtin a another friend from
college, Wayne McMillan, who'dbeen a foreign missionary in
(01:47):
Africa for many years, and itwas true revival.
Our people, it was renewalwithin the hearts of the people.
And uh we we had a a reckoningand a coming to Jesus moment, if
you will.
And it really began to create uha bit of a sweet spirit in the
church that was lacking.
(02:09):
Yeah.
Um, because look, everybody'sbeen in them.
Those churches where uh thereare people who are gonna run it
and they're gonna destroyanybody who wants to get in
their way.
And there was some of that here.
You know, everybody thoughttheir opinion is what God ought
to honor instead of what hewrote in his word.
And uh so it began, I think theLord began to do a work in the
(02:33):
heart of our people during thatrevival.
Um, that this really wasn'tabout them.
It was about his kingdom.
The second revival in 2008, webrought in evangelist Bill
Britt.
Uh, three-day revival had 75people saved, and I have no idea
how many people that that um gotright with the Lord, if you
(02:58):
will, uh during that weekend,but it was a phenomenal three
days.
SPEAKER_03 (03:03):
You know, thinking back to that, my one of my
memories of that particular weekuh was the atmosphere in that
sanctuary.
Yes, you know, sometimes whenyou go up uh your whole life in
one church in a in a very formalchurch, you never experienced
that, right?
And I remember the anticipationeach day, like you knew God was
(03:24):
gonna do something.
SPEAKER_01 (03:24):
Yes, yeah, you just knew he was gonna do something.
The place was packed, everyservice, uh people saved, every
service, altar full, everyservice.
Uh you know, we in our history,uh what has happened um in
historical Baptist life, we wewe were the poor people.
(03:48):
We come out of haystackrevivals, prayer meetings, those
kind of things.
Uh it was a movement among theworking class of America.
Uh I tell people we're notProtestant.
We didn't exist during theReformation.
We we never protested anything.
Uh we're haystack Christians,uh, literally people who had
(04:09):
prayer meetings in thehayfields.
And so when you when youunderstand where we came from,
things like raising your handsin church and shouting amen and
and and the Holy Spirit movingin church was very much a part
of who we were.
And what happened as timeprogressed uh as a country, we
(04:31):
become more affluent.
The more fluent we become, uhthe the the more stale we became
in our worship.
And so um to see God actuallymove uh is is unfortunately, as
you say, uh something that a lotof people are not accustomed to.
(04:51):
But in our history, that was notunusual.
You know?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (04:56):
You know, another thing about the revivals with
us, I think is unusual, is uh inthe 23 years I've been here,
we've had three revivals.
Yeah.
And there was one right before II got here.
But um I I feel like that 2014one, we had just moved in this
new campus and we had Dr.
Reginald Calvert here.
I and I felt like that was wasone of our key moments because
(05:20):
just from my vantage point backthen, it should it signaled a
shift of even the way we did uhministry, I think, at that time.
You know?
SPEAKER_01 (05:29):
Yeah, Dr.
Calvert's a brilliant preacher.
And um while we see we didn'thave many people saved that
week, we didn't even have awhole lot of people at the
altar.
I think sometimes there are alot of decisions made in a
person's spirit, in their heart,in their mind that we never even
know about.
And I think that was one ofthose kind of weeks where there
(05:52):
was a lot of resolutions made inpeople's lives.
We just we just didn't have anoutward expression of that.
SPEAKER_03 (06:00):
And I and that's what I remember uh about his
preaching was it was a call forbelievers to take that next
natural step in your walk withChrist.
You know?
Yes.
Um, you know, personally Iremember uh one of his sermons
was on Elijah and the the widowwhose whose jar stayed just full
(06:20):
enough for every day, right?
And I know it was something uhmy wife and I were dealing with
at that time that was soconvicting to me that God will
meet your needs, you know.
And I think a lot of people, uhwhether it was that sermon or a
different one, you know, had alot of conviction on those
things, you know.
Yes.
Wonderful.
So um different question here.
What about some of the strugglesin the last twenty what are some
(06:43):
things we've we've had somestruggles with over the past few
years?
You know, 25 years.
SPEAKER_01 (06:48):
You know, I I I want to be careful, I don't want to
be um dishonoring to anyone, butthe first probably the first
six, seven years I was here, uhI was challenged a lot.
A lot.
There was a uh a very naturaldistrust of the pastor, and I
didn't I didn't understand thatum because Dr.
(07:11):
Hyde had been here 20 years, hada marvelous ministry, um, and
Dice had been here 12 years, hada great ministry.
They had a guy named SammyMorrow, who's now in uh North
Louisiana, who was here threeyears.
And Sammy had a very difficultministry.
I don't think anything wrongwith Sammy.
(07:33):
Uh him and them just didn't fit.
Sometimes I'll get a phone callfrom a pulpit committee, want me
to recommend somebody, and I'lltell them uh through all the
process, when you know, makesure you can check all the boxes
that are important to you.
But ask yourself, do we likethis person?
(07:53):
And can this person like us?
Because if you don't like eachother, it doesn't matter all the
other qualifications are a wasteof time.
Um you're gonna you're gonna beat odds with each other.
SPEAKER_03 (08:05):
Well, and that's that's especially important down
here, right?
SPEAKER_01 (08:08):
Yes, especially important here.
Uh because if they don't likeyou, they they they got nothing
for you.
That's just Cajun culture.
And um, and so uh then GlennWentworth followed Sammy and
stayed six and a half years.
He also had a very good ministryfor six and a half years, but uh
(08:30):
in all honesty, he fought a tonof battles that kind of paved
the way uh for me when I camealong.
There were a lot of battles Ididn't have to fight because
they'd already been fought.
Uh now I had plenty of my own inthe early years, but um but but
(08:52):
he really took a beating for sixand a half years, and I think
that's probably if truth beknown, he never told me this.
This is my own assumption.
Uh probably what got him to thepoint he wanted to do something
else for a change.
SPEAKER_03 (09:09):
So going back to the you know who watered and all
that, he softened some groundfor you.
Yes, he did.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:15):
Oh, he I think he plowed the ground very well.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (09:20):
What else?
Any any uh anything that washard but paved the way for
moving forward too, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (09:27):
Yeah, you know, in the ministry, when I talk about
those early battles, um in theministry, you go into the
ministry as a pastor, and youhave these naive beliefs that
you're gonna go to serve achurch and those people are
gonna work together with you toreach people for the kingdom of
(09:51):
God.
And unfortunately, what youoftentimes find out is that
that's not at all the way it is.
Um you know, there's some badpastors out there, there's no
doubt.
There are a lot of bad churchesout there too.
And when I became pastor of thischurch, uh, as I've told you
guys before, I I didn't wantthis church.
(10:13):
I I didn't see it as a churchthat wanted to move forward.
They were very locked in theirtradition and where they were.
And uh the old motto, we shallnot be moved, uh, we're gonna be
who we are.
And uh if the pastor don't fit,we'll just get another one.
And um so, you know, I I reacheda place in my personal
(10:39):
leadership that I had never beenwilling to go, and that was
being willing to die on thathill because I was uh I was old
enough at the time, I had madeup my mind because I don't
preach because it's the onlything I can do.
I preach because God called me.
And uh I had made up my mind,we're we're gonna take this
(11:00):
church in the right direction,the biblical direction, or I'm
gonna go do something elsemyself also.
So I made a commitment to digin.
Um and um first five to sevenyears were rough, but God
honored it, and here's the key.
(11:20):
And and I joke about it, but Ididn't do anything stupid.
And and and I always joke aboutit by saying, I got skills, it
can happen any moment, you know.
Um but uh, you know, uh JohnMacArthur was the first one I
ever heard teach this that everytime you do something well, you
(11:40):
get a little change in yourpocket.
And um every time you dosomething dumb, you lose a
little change.
And when you get an emptypocket, it's called U-Haul
territory.
And uh so uh I had beenpastoring long enough to
understand change in, changeout, you haul territory.
(12:02):
Uh this this this was the fourthchurch.
I had served three churchesbetween five and seven years
before I came here.
So I had enough background tounderstand um what it oughta be
as opposed to what it was.
And um God honored, I think, mycommitment to to help them
(12:28):
become a biblically centeredchurch.
Uh and we're still not where weought to be, but Lord knows
where light years are here,where we used to be.
SPEAKER_03 (12:40):
Yeah.
So change change uh ourdirection a little bit.
Tell me about some of yourfavorite stories over the years.
You know, things that happenchange lives, you know, uh
people that you would never in amillion years think God would
use.
SPEAKER_01 (12:56):
Yeah.
Um boy, I don't know, filter outthe negative stories.
Uh that's why I said my favoritestories.
Yeah.
When we when we had that firstrevival, one of the things uh
the former pastor had done for ayear, and I honestly believe he
was just buying time, uh, hewould have these town hall style
(13:19):
meetings, and he was talkingabout going to two services and
uh even had them vote and awhole nine yards.
Uh so when I became pastor inNovember, uh I I told him, I
said, Look, uh, we've alreadyvoted on two services.
So Easter Sunday in 22, we wentto two services.
(13:41):
Back then it was a big deal,whether it was contemporary or
traditional.
So they we let them vote oneverything.
What hour it would be,everything.
So on Easter of 22, we launchedour second service and had over
700 people that morning.
(14:04):
And that was the catalyst thatpropelled us forward from that
day.
But one of my great, greatmoments was when we had that
first revival, I brought in aguy from Alabama named Mark
Harris.
Mark Harris was one of the bestcontemporary worship pastors in
(14:24):
America.
And uh I told him, I said, I'mbringing in a contemporary guy
because you voted to do this.
You need an idea of what itlooks like.
So just know that's what we'regonna do for the revival.
Well, I was sitting on the frontrow as I still do to this day,
because I like to be able toworship.
(14:46):
I don't want to be watching thecongregation.
And I'm sitting there, and Markis doing his thing, and and um
and I'm sitting there thinking,oh dear Jesus, I'm fired.
I'm fired, I'm fired.
And um, at one point I glancedto my left, and we had an older
couple in their 80s, Gene andMyrna Kirby.
(15:10):
And and I looked over, and bothof them had their hands in the
air, praising the Lord, just assincere.
And and it was a moment that Iwas able to relax.
I'm like, thank you, thank you,Lord.
SPEAKER_03 (15:23):
It's gonna be all right.
This is actually gonna happen.
SPEAKER_01 (15:25):
It's actually gonna work, it's gonna be all right.
Uh, so that was one of mymoments.
I I knew God was in what we weredoing, that He was blessing it,
you know.
And um and then as the churchbegan to grow, um, the word
around town was very positive uheverywhere I went.
(15:47):
And that was so encouragingbecause we had some negative
reputation points um in thecommunity.
And and one of the things thathappened is over the years we
have been able to dispel those,I think.
And that that's been great too.
But yeah, there have been manywonderful positive moments.
Uh you you're talking about achurch that uh had to vote
(16:13):
literally uh if you started anew Bible study class.
SPEAKER_03 (16:18):
I was just gonna say, I remember going before the
church council on a Mondaymorning to tell them what I
wanted to do, and then they gaveme the thumbs up or thumbs down.
SPEAKER_01 (16:25):
Yes, yes.
You were you were constrained asa minister in your leadership.
And I remember getting up andtelling them, guys, we voted to
go to two services.
We voted on a contemporaryservice.
Here's what we got to do thisweek.
We're gonna totally remodel thealtar.
Uh so when you come in nextSunday, it'd be very different,
(16:48):
but we got to do this.
I didn't ask them to vote, andnobody complained.
SPEAKER_03 (16:54):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (16:55):
Not one complaint.
And I thought, whoa, this isgreat.
SPEAKER_03 (16:58):
Well, that's because it looked a whole lot better
than it did before.
Yes, it did.
It helped me.
I remember that old stage.
It looked bad.
SPEAKER_01 (17:06):
And then you came as our original children's
minister, and I got up and toldthem we're gonna be remodeling
the upstairs uh to accommodateour children's ministry.
And back then, oh, let's see,you came in 2003.
2002.
Two, two, July 29th, 2002.
(17:29):
Uh, we literally gutted fourclassrooms, made them one big
room, spent about twentythousand dollars, if I remember
right, back then to create achildren's worship area, and we
didn't ask for a vote.
Yeah, and not one soulcomplained.
You know, and then I just got upand I'd have to look back.
(17:51):
I forget when we went to threeservices, but the early service,
the contemporary service,exploded overnight.
And so we had to start a secondone.
And I remember getting up andjust announcing we're gonna
start another service next week,and nobody complained.
And so uh the my my favoritememories are as we moved out of
(18:17):
that old legalistic way ofthinking into the freedom to do
ministry.
Um, you know, it was just such ablessing.
And there are a lot of thosemoments along the way that
define that.
SPEAKER_03 (18:33):
Yeah, and I and you know, I remember uh how we all
kept uh a coat and tie in ouroffices because when we had the
when we still had the trtraditional service, we had to
wear coat and tie to traditionalservice.
Yes, you know, and I don't knowif anybody ever picked up that I
wore the exact same coat and tieevery Sunday because that's the
one I kept in my office, youknow?
Just keep it in the office.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, every week.
(18:55):
So that was part two of how wegot here.
Uh just kind of a history ofcovenant and uh some of the
interesting things from thepast.
Uh so we would love for you guysto be with us in a couple weeks
for part three.
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