Participants: Arthur Nowlin (Host), Dr. Kim Logan-Nowlin (Host), Tricia Wynn
Series Code: MIW
Program Code: MIW000051A
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00:01 Hi, I'm Dr. Kim Logan Nowlin. And I'm Arthur Nowlin.
00:03 And welcome to Making it Work. 00:37 You know, Arthur when you think about 00:39 in today's society being single, being celibate, 00:44 being a woman, being a pastor. 00:48 What comes to mind? A lot of work. 00:50 What do you mean? 00:52 Well, basically you're covering so many different areas. 00:56 And when we break it down, we're talking about a pastor 01:01 being single and being female, that's a lot of discipline. 01:06 Because I would think that a female pastor 01:10 would have to go through some difficulties 01:13 as far as people respecting her 01:17 and looking at her as a shepherd. 01:21 So you're saying the challenges that are presented to her 01:24 and the things that she has to face, 01:25 but in our society, we have pastors 01:27 who have fallen from grace. 01:28 Absolutely. You know, the adultery. 01:31 The marriages and issues the Church, 01:35 the stealing, theft, but there's a lot of things. 01:38 You're right, the eyes are on the shepherd. 01:40 Absolutely. And it's so important. 01:42 Well, we have a very special guest for you today. 01:45 And I can call her my friend, my dear friend. 01:48 But she's the only female pastor 01:53 in the Lake Region Conference 01:55 at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:57 Once again, the Lake Region Conference 01:58 is one of the conferences 02:00 within the North American division 02:02 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 02:04 We would like to welcome Pastor Tricia Wynn. 02:06 Welcome to Making it Work. Well, thank you. 02:08 I'm very happy to be here. 02:10 Oh, we are excited. My goodness. 02:13 Well, listen, we want to hear the whole story. 02:16 How it all began 02:18 and what brought you to Lake Region? 02:20 Tell our viewers your testimony, your story. 02:23 Well, my story can be summarized by saying, 02:26 hearing, praying, seeking and then following. 02:34 You know, you ask me what's my story, 02:36 how did I end up where I am right now. 02:38 And I think that summarizes it. 02:42 I didn't have a dream of becoming a pastor. 02:45 I didn't think, you know, I would ever be a pastor. 02:49 I had my own intentions for my life, 02:51 because it's my life, right? Yeah, that's right. 02:53 I was going to do 02:54 what I needed to do with my life. 02:56 I was trained, I was raised to get a profession or a trade, 03:00 do well in school, study very hard 03:02 so that you have options, 03:03 so you'll be able to sustain yourself. 03:05 Be financially stable. 03:06 And so I went into life thinking, 03:09 "Okay, let me do my best and do what I needed to do." 03:12 I hear the common theme, 03:14 so I went to-- I did my best in high school. 03:16 Did very well, honor roll, you know, 03:19 student body president, 03:21 and I could go into any university I wanted to. 03:25 But then, through a series of events 03:28 and divine intervention, 03:29 God led me to go to Andrew's University. 03:31 But when I went, I went to study physical therapy. 03:34 What? Yeah, of course. 03:36 Because I wanted a profession that was in the health field 03:39 and that would give me the flexibility 03:41 to have a family one day. 03:42 Okay. All right. All right. 03:44 And so off I went 03:45 'cause, you know, this is my dream after all. 03:49 While I was in Andrew's I was involved with the BSCF, 03:51 that's the Black Student Christian Form. 03:53 I was religious vice in my sophomore year. 03:57 And put a tent on campus, had a great tent 04:00 evangelistic meeting with a couple very well-- 04:04 pastors are doing very well right now in their ministries. 04:07 And I didn't know what God had in mind for me. 04:11 You know, got accepted in the physical therapy program. 04:14 Did that, enjoyed it. Became class chaplain. 04:21 Didn't know what God had in mind for me. 04:23 Graduated, did very well. 04:25 In physical therapy? Yeah, I did. 04:27 I did very well, undergrad summa cum laude, 04:29 graduated very well, great GPA physical therapy program. 04:33 Passed my boards both into practice in Michigan 04:36 and back in Canada where I'm from, 04:38 and ended up going back home to Canada 04:41 so that I could be with my family. 04:42 Yes. 04:43 I'd been away from them for, you know, it was five years. 04:46 Very close-knit family, I'm the youngest. 04:48 I wanted to be with my family. So I went back, practice. 04:51 Within the first year of practicing, 04:54 I hear God calling me to something else. 04:58 I couldn't believe it. 05:00 One morning, I would go to the chapel 05:02 of the hospital I worked in, in the morning 05:04 and present my patients before the Lord. 05:06 And one morning I went in, and I as entered, 05:09 I felt the deep impression from the Lord, 05:12 "This isn't it." I could have fell on the floor. 05:15 I got upset, I said, 05:16 "Well, I just spent five years in school 05:19 and if this isn't it, 05:21 You're gonna have to tell me what it is, 05:22 because I'm not asking." 05:24 And I walked out of there. 05:25 Can you believe that? 05:28 Deep down inside, I knew it wasn't. 05:29 And God was calling me to something else. 05:32 And so I waited. 05:34 In less than a year, God made it plain to me 05:37 that He was calling me into theology, study theology. 05:41 Oh, what did that mean? 05:42 So I deepened my, you know, my devotional experience. 05:44 I went online, got some online courses. 05:47 Anyway, that wasn't it. 05:49 Became personal ministries leaders at my church. 05:52 I said, "There you go, Lord, I'm serving you. 05:53 That's what you wanted, right?" That wasn't it. 05:57 Ended up back at Andrew's University, 05:59 this time in the seminary. 06:01 When I got there, I had so much peace. 06:04 I couldn't understand it. 06:05 But this time, I said, 06:07 "Okay, Lord, you want me to go back to school, 06:09 you're going to have to pay for it." 06:10 All right. Can you imagine that? 06:12 I said, "There you go, Lord, I'm not taking a loan. 06:14 You take care of it." 06:15 And I want you to know that He did. 06:17 He did. He did. 06:19 You didn't take a loan? Nope. He took care of it. 06:23 And, you know, 06:25 the Lord just led and gave me peace. 06:27 But I wasn't going to the seminary to be a pastor. 06:30 Okay. Can you imagine that? 06:33 No, I went to just be obedient, to study. 06:36 Didn't have an idea what God was doing. 06:37 Mind you, in those years of undergrad, in those years, 06:42 even while I was working in physical therapy, 06:45 I was preaching. 06:47 I was doing a lot of that. 06:48 When I went back to Toronto, I was preaching all over. 06:50 Okay. 06:51 And went back to the seminary 06:54 and I said, "Well, I don't know, 06:56 I'm not gonna soon that I'm here to be a pastor. 06:58 I'll just study and see what happens" 07:01 I graduated in '08, 2008. 07:05 Yes, yes. And I waited. 07:08 I said I'm not gonna go back to Toronto like I did 07:10 when I finished physical therapy. 07:13 I wanted to see what God was saying this time. 07:18 And so I said, "Lord, until You tell me what to do, 07:20 I'm just gonna stay right here." 07:23 I was blessed to be able to work 07:25 in physical therapy in Michigan, 07:27 at an awesome clinical. 07:29 Okay. 07:30 The best clinic in southwest Michigan, in fact. 07:32 And how I got that job is a testimony. 07:36 I continued to work, and then the Lord impressed me. 07:39 There was a an opportunity to help teach 07:41 in the physical therapy program. 07:43 Yes, yes. 07:44 The Lord impressed me to take it. 07:46 I was confused. 07:48 I said, "I'm here with the seminary, 07:49 what do want me-- you know, 07:50 this doesn't seem like we're going in the same direction." 07:52 Right, right. 07:53 And I took it. 07:55 And by the end of the semester, 07:58 the last class before their final exam, 08:01 by this time I knew 08:03 that the Lord was calling me to pastoral ministry. 08:05 Really? By that time I knew. 08:09 And 20 minutes before that last class, 08:12 I got a call from Elder Jerome Davis 08:14 from the Lake Regional Conference 08:16 asking me to sit for an interview 08:17 to be a pastor. 08:19 He made it very clear. 08:20 Pastor? 08:22 I said I'd go. It's been a journey. 08:27 And if you'd ask me 10 years ago, 08:33 "Do you see yourself as a pastor?" 08:34 I'd laugh. I think, no, absolutely not. 08:38 But I'm blessed. But I'm blessed. 08:41 And what was your first church? 08:43 Shiloh. Shiloh? 08:45 Working as an associate to Pastor Leeroy Coleman. 08:48 Okay. And now you're pasturing where? 08:51 Now I'm pasturing in Indianapolis 08:53 at the Tabernacle of Hope Church. 08:56 And I have the Philadelphia Church in Muncie, 08:58 which is 60 miles away. 09:00 Wow, you know so one Sabbath you'll be at one church 09:05 and then you'll alternate? 09:06 Yeah, it varies a based on the needs. 09:08 Okay. Varies based on the needs. 09:10 What did your family say? 09:12 When? Now or before. 09:15 And you are going through this, when God was calling you. 09:18 Well, it was definitely a tug of war. 09:20 I got to a patch of grey here, going through this experience. 09:24 It popped up. 09:27 They-- My mom was quiet. 09:31 She didn't say much. 09:33 She knew God was leading 09:34 and she was very careful not to speak against 09:36 what the Holy Spirit could be saying. 09:38 My dad tried to hold his words, 09:42 but eventually was able to express. 09:46 "Could you wait a little longer? 09:47 You just started working physical therapy. 09:49 Work five years first, you know, work five years. 09:52 Save some more money, you know this is a good job." 09:56 You know, but they saw what God was doing in my life. 10:00 They thought, wow, what's going on? 10:01 And, you know, she just up and left and went. 10:07 But they watched. 10:10 They watched, 10:12 and they're my number one supporters. 10:14 My dad never missed a sermon 10:16 I preached in the Toronto area when I was living there. 10:20 And they were so happy. 10:22 And they're so proud, and they're so excited. 10:24 Yeah. 10:25 Now, where is your dad and your mom from? 10:28 They are from Jamaica. 10:29 Okay. 10:30 Jamaica. 10:32 Look at you. Are you from Jamaica? 10:33 I'm from Canada, I was born and raised in Canada. 10:36 First generation? First generation. 10:38 Okay, okay. Excellent. 10:39 So may hear a lot of different accents. 10:43 So, Wynn, let me you a question. 10:44 The challenges that being a pastor, 10:47 being a woman, a beautiful woman of God. 10:49 Thank you. You know, and being single. 10:53 What are the challenges are women 10:55 and men facing today to be celibate? 10:58 Well, you're asking a loaded question. 11:00 I know. There's a lot to the question. 11:02 You're asking what are the challenges 11:04 with being a pastor? 11:06 What are the challenges with being a single pastor? 11:08 What are the challenges being a single, celibate pastor? 11:10 How about a pastor trying to live righteously? 11:12 Come on, now. Thank you, Lord. 11:15 Amen. 11:17 You know, and I think we had a little conversation 11:20 about this several months ago. 11:22 Yes, we did. 11:24 Because we talked about the needs, the emotional 11:27 and social needs that a pack, any individual has 11:31 that must be met in a healthy way. 11:33 Healthy way. In a healthy way. 11:35 And it's very important to acknowledge it 11:36 and not repress it, and not deny it. 11:40 And so one, you are either challenged 11:43 to make sure you have a good social support, 11:48 a genuine social support 11:49 with people who are in your corner. 11:51 Yes. 11:52 Who love you for you, and who are able to call you 11:54 by your first name and see you as, 11:56 or see me as Tricia. 11:58 Yes. And know me as Tricia. 12:01 Yes. And love me for Tricia. 12:03 That's right, that's right. 12:06 And so when a single pastor 12:08 or individual is placed in a position 12:11 where they don't have a social support. 12:14 That can be a challenge. Okay. 12:16 Do you know anyone in Indianapolis? 12:18 No. 12:19 Oh, my goodness. No. 12:21 And so that I think 12:23 was the greatest challenge for me. 12:25 You know, people say, 12:26 "What's the greatest challenge of being a pastor? 12:28 Is it preparing the sermon? 12:29 Is it ministering to the sick? Is it doing funerals? 12:32 You know, is it counseling at midnight hours? 12:35 Is it dealing with suicide attempts, you know. 12:37 Is it dealing with, you know, bickering, complaining?" 12:40 No, no, no and no. 12:42 The greatest challenge for me, 12:44 for me was living in a situation 12:49 where I had no established social support. 12:53 That was the greatest thing. That was the greatest thing. 12:56 And so first of all, 12:59 acknowledging that this is a genuine need 13:02 that I have as a person, and it's a valid need. 13:07 Affirming that and then asking God to help me identify 13:11 how are we gonna fix this, Lord? 13:13 How am I gonna make friends here? 13:17 Now, people say, "Well, you're in the church." 13:19 I think the church is an awesome opportunity 13:22 for people to meet their social needs. 13:24 Normally when I was on the other side the pulpit, 13:26 that was a given. 13:28 But now I'm the pastor, 13:29 so in order to maintain objectivity, impartiality, 13:34 it requires a certain boundary. 13:38 And so where is my-- where is my Friendship circle. 13:40 Come on now, come on. 13:42 Where is my support network? 13:44 Where are those people who are in my corner 13:45 and know me as Tricia and call me by my first name? 13:50 That is the greatest challenge. 13:51 And my heart goes out, my colleagues and my friends, 13:55 those who went to school with-- 13:58 who find themselves in a similar situation, 14:01 my heart goes out. 14:03 I'm blessed, I'm in Indy. You know, it's a little city. 14:08 And, but I have colleagues, 14:10 I have friends who are in more remote areas. 14:14 Yes. And I fear for them. 14:17 And I suppose those who are listening 14:20 and who are in a position of authority 14:22 and a position of decision-making 14:24 where this is concerned can understand 14:26 that it's a genuine need and a concern. 14:29 I fear for them. 14:31 I fear. Yeah. 14:34 Because oftentimes, 14:36 that social need is invalidated. 14:40 It's spiritualized and people are told, 14:43 "Well, you can deal with it, pray. 14:47 God can fix it. He's there with you." 14:48 Yeah, He's there with you and he's there for you, 14:50 but He made us as social beings. 14:52 And any individual going into a situation 14:57 where they don't have an established social support, 14:59 we have to do our best to help them. 15:04 It's a need and, you know, 15:05 we talk about ministers who have fallen. 15:07 Yes. I call them falling soldiers. 15:10 Yes. 15:11 And I think there are a lot of different reasons 15:13 why this happens. 15:15 Of course, of course. I'm no judge. 15:16 That's right, that's right. 15:17 But I believe one thing 15:19 we can do to help prevent it is to make sure 15:22 there's a healthy social support network in place. 15:25 But wouldn't that also require, say, the Conference itself 15:31 to make sure that they intervene 15:34 on a regular basis or they communicate 15:37 to find out what your status is 15:40 and how you are doing 15:42 while you are going through this process? 15:44 How you were doing, 15:45 I think that's a good question to ask. 15:48 I sympathize with the Conference 15:50 because they have such-- 15:51 It's a heavy responsibility, those in the administration. 15:54 They have many staff, 15:56 a lot of pastors with different needs. 15:59 And so, when they're making a decision 16:01 on where to send someone, 16:03 there's a lot that weighs into that. 16:05 But I believe asking "How you're doing? 16:08 How can we help you? 16:12 Is there anything we can do to help you 16:14 in your transition?" 16:16 I think that would help. 16:18 That's a very valid question. Thank you, Kim. 16:20 You're very-- you see, didn't I tell you? 16:24 I try to say focused 16:25 and he just does something, you know. 16:27 All I said was, "Thank you, Kim." 16:28 You're welcome, dear, you know. 16:30 So, you know, the next chapter, marriage, children, 16:35 you know, balancing all of this. 16:37 I wanted it. You want-- 16:38 I did. And I still do. Oh, okay. 16:40 I know you looked at me like, so you know. 16:42 So you've changed, okay, so you still do. 16:44 I still do. Yes. 16:46 I still do. 16:47 When I made the decision to go into physical therapy, 16:50 I did it for this reason. 16:52 I said, "It gives me the flexibility to have a family." 16:54 Yeah, I was considering being a doctor and all this, 16:58 but I said, no, physical therapy. 16:59 I can have, you know, I can work part time. 17:01 I can have my own clinic 17:03 or I don't have to have my own clinic. 17:05 And now I'm a pastor. 17:06 Who would have thought? But yes, I still want a family. 17:09 Yes, I still want to be married. 17:11 Any old relationships or new relationships 17:15 that you may be, I don't know, talking to? 17:19 You are exploring to see if I'm, 17:21 am I engaged, am I pursuing. 17:24 I'm currently single. Okay. 17:26 Yeah, single and not dating. Yeah, okay. 17:28 Okay, so therefore, 17:30 now I haven't gone into this question 17:31 about internet dating, 17:33 but if you are watching this broadcast, this program 17:37 and you would like more information, 17:40 see, that's how you do that, God is able. 17:43 You don't know who is watching this broadcast. 17:46 He'll be able to see you and then say, 17:48 you know, and reach out. 17:49 Can he reach out? Can he reach out for you? 17:51 But please, send a picture. 17:55 And bio, because we're gonna investigate 17:57 before we pass it on, okay. 17:59 You got to get through us first, all right, you know. 18:02 So being able to look at, you know, 18:06 this social network today, what do you think about that? 18:09 You know, would you consider, you know, internet dating? 18:12 I'm open, you know. Oh, you see what she says? 18:15 She's open. Okay, you're funny. 18:17 I'm open. 18:19 I'm realistic in the fact that a lot of times 18:23 we are not getting out enough to meet different people. 18:25 Right. That's the truth. 18:27 My preference is to meet someone 18:31 that I kind of have a knowledge of. 18:33 For example, you know, Dr. Kim and Mr. Arthur, if you'd-- 18:38 You said, "Hey, I know somebody." 18:39 That I feel comfortable with because I know, you know, 18:41 you have a background check on the individual. 18:43 That's right. 18:44 It is a little more, 18:45 you have to be a little more cautious. 18:47 It's like meeting a stranger on the road, you know. 18:49 You don't know who they are. Absolutely. 18:51 You just have to take your time. 18:52 But I'm open. You got to be realistic. 18:54 You got be realistic, did you hear that, what pastor said? 18:58 You know. Pastor is very intelligent. 19:01 And you know what? I was about to say that. 19:04 See, a lot of times, I mean, 19:05 you have the whole package, you know. 19:08 You have brains, beauty, you have the spirituality. 19:11 You walk with the Lord, you know. 19:13 And you know she's a preacher? 19:15 I know she's a preacher. I've heard her. 19:17 You can, you-- 19:18 I'm gonna tell you, now you know Dr. Kim. 19:21 But this is a preacher, one woman of God. 19:23 I got up at 6 a.m. in the morning 19:26 at camp meeting, and camp meetings are time 19:29 when we all come together two weeks in June, 19:31 and we come together to fellowship 19:33 there within the Lake Region Conference. 19:35 They have camp meetings all over the world. 19:37 And I wanted to hear this great woman of God 19:41 and I was not disappointed. 19:43 I followed her all the way to the cafeteria. 19:44 Yes, I did, because I wanted to meet her. 19:46 I didn't know, I had not had the pleasure. 19:48 So, and it truly has been a blessing. 19:51 But I want to go back to something. 19:53 You know, when you look at, 19:55 you know, your church today, what needs are there? 20:00 And do people receive your wisdom, your suggestion, 20:04 your leadership, being a young woman? 20:06 Well, needs are there, you know. 20:08 I think the church, 20:09 at least the church that I'm pasturing, 20:10 are looking for, they are open for new ideas. 20:14 They are open for a fresh perspective. 20:16 They want to grow. They want to be relevant. 20:20 And so when I look at my church and identify the needs, 20:23 I always say this, the needs in the church 20:25 are synonyms with the needs in the world right now. 20:29 What's going on in the world and in our society, 20:32 you can pick it, you know, 20:34 just take a sampling and throw it in your church. 20:36 That's what's going on, everything there. 20:38 And so, yes, you have, you have a lot of needs-- 20:44 Ranging from dealing with, 20:49 you know, the teenager issues where, 20:51 you know, people, they are experimenting 20:52 with their sexuality. 20:54 They are pushing the boundaries, 20:56 is what's going on there. 20:57 Dealing with homes, marriage and family issues, 21:02 what's going with the relationships. 21:04 You see, at church, people are very good at smiling 21:07 and putting on that Sabbath grin. 21:09 Oh, yes. 21:11 You know, that church grin, everything is going on, 21:13 and they're very active and very busy. 21:15 I'm like, "How is everything going with you? 21:17 How is your spouse?" You know. 21:22 And they are really open to fresh ideas. 21:24 And so in terms of them being open to new ideas, 21:26 I'm blessed with my congregation. 21:28 Everywhere I've gone, be it Shiloh, 21:30 Tabernacle of Hope or my Philadelphia Church 21:33 in Muncie, Indiana, they are open. 21:35 This is that, "Okay, well, we can give it a try. 21:38 Let's give it a try. Let's give it a try." 21:40 And so, that's been a blessing. 21:44 You know, with youth, I definitely, I definitely feel 21:49 that probably is your major challenge, you know. 21:53 Because we are always saying that we need to get more youth 21:57 into the church, you know. 21:58 We want our church to thrive 22:01 and that one way of that happening 22:03 is to have our young people 22:05 be involved into the different ministries. 22:09 How are they responding to you, you know, 22:12 when you are not much older than they are? 22:15 Thank you, Would you like to be my friend forever? 22:18 You knew what to say. I know. 22:19 I got you, didn't I, Baby. What? 22:23 Pastor, thank you. 22:25 But in terms of the youth 22:26 and how they're responding to me, 22:28 we have a very good dialogue. 22:29 Okay. 22:31 You see, they are very familiar 22:32 with the mandatory reporting laws 22:37 and so they are open with me 22:38 as far as they feel they can be. 22:43 They write to me. Okay. 22:47 I can pull them aside and say "How're you doing?" 22:50 And they'll be very honest with me. 22:54 And sometimes they don't have to say 22:55 very much but I know. 22:59 And I had them over once to my place. 23:04 I have a pool in, where I live in. 23:06 We had a pool party and I barbequed. 23:07 I was just in my cap in my head 23:10 and my barbeque tongs, and I was just one of them. 23:13 They loved it so much. 23:14 And they asked, "When is the next time? 23:16 Can we come over again, can we do that again?" 23:18 I said, absolutely. 23:19 I said, when you guys, whenever they are doing 23:21 a social outing, I want to be there. 23:23 And so I asked my youth leaders 23:24 to make sure that they tell me. 23:27 I'm not doing it because I feel obligated. 23:30 I do 'cause I want to. Right. 23:31 I want to be around them. I want to hang out with them. 23:34 And I'm blessed that they feel they can come to me. 23:37 But they know that they can only come as just near. 23:39 They know that if they tell me certain things, 23:43 I have to report. 23:45 And I know that the young people 23:46 are pushing the limits. 23:50 But I also know that they listen to me when I preach. 23:52 I know they do. 23:54 Because they are reciting to me what was said. 23:57 That's good. 23:58 In the AY Program the other day, 24:00 the young people put it on, 24:01 and one of the questions was what the sermon title was. 24:05 And my young people knew during our evangelistic series, 24:09 during the quiz time, it was one of my young people 24:13 that got all the answers right. 24:15 Really? Wow. 24:16 And I think that youthfulness helps in terms of us 24:21 being able to relate to each other. 24:22 Yes. 24:23 And I love them. I love them. 24:25 I think another thing that works to your advantage, 24:28 as far as being at Tabernacle of Hope, 24:32 is the fact the founder of the church was female. 24:35 Absolutely. 24:37 And they have such a love for Pastor Judy. 24:41 Oh, yes. 24:42 Pastor Judy Crawford, and they are very open 24:44 to female leadership. 24:45 And we have strong female leaders 24:47 and elders at that church. 24:48 That's right. Yes, you do. 24:50 We've had the privilege of being there 24:52 with Pastor Tricia, 24:53 and she was at the Philadelphia Church. 24:56 And we were there that morning, 24:58 but she made sure 24:59 she came back for that AY Program, welcomed us 25:02 and it was just a wonderful time. 25:05 And, you know, and I remember receiving calls 25:09 and I said to them, 25:11 'cause we have a good relationship with, 25:12 'cause we've been there so many times. 25:14 Loved your church, we love it. We love Tabernacle of Hope. 25:16 We look forward to coming to visit Philadelphia. 25:18 But I say, just, 25:19 we just rest in the Lord, trust in the Lord. 25:23 God is sending you a jewel 25:25 and you are going to, and receive her and, oh, 25:28 when the calls came back to me, 25:29 you know, "Dr. Kim, we cannot tell you." 25:32 When I saw them at camp meeting, your members, 25:35 they were just tearful how God had blessed them. 25:39 Let's talk about Pastor Judy. 25:41 And, she was the pastor, 25:46 well, before it was another pastor in between. 25:49 But Pastor Judy was-- Tell us about Pastor Judy. 25:51 Pastor Judy was a Bible counselor 25:56 in the area of Indianapolis. 25:59 And she raised up that church through ministry, 26:05 feeding the poor, reaching out to the community 26:08 and raised up that church. 26:09 And her family was very good to support her. 26:13 She was then given the responsibility 26:15 of pasturing the church. 26:19 She passed in 2005, June 2005. 26:25 And I don't think it's by coincidence, 26:26 interestingly, that was the very same time 26:28 I went to the seminary, that very same week. 26:33 Anyway, she passed 26:35 and her memory lives on because of the work she did, 26:39 not only in the Tabernacle of Hope, 26:40 but in the community. 26:42 When I got to the Indianapolis area, 26:45 and I was at a Starbucks, you know, a little cafe, 26:49 I met a pastor, not of our denomination. 26:54 Who knew her. Who knew her. 26:57 And so, her legacy lives on. 27:01 You know, we have about 54, it's almost over. 27:03 Wow. I know. 27:05 It goes so fast. Yes. 27:07 I just want to say, Pastor, that you are truly a friend 27:10 and we want to thank you for coming all the way 27:12 from Indianapolis to be with us. 27:15 Last 30 seconds, what can you say to our families? 27:18 Give us hope. Well, this is what I'd say. 27:22 God loves you so very much and He wants to lead your life. 27:29 But you have to let Him. Let Him be your Lord. 27:34 And you won't be disappointed. 27:36 "Seek ye first the kingdom of God 27:41 and all His righteousness, 27:43 and all these things will be added unto." 27:45 Be it your family, your career, 27:48 your finances, your social status. 27:51 Seek God first. Seek Him first. 27:53 Well, I want to thank Pastor Tricia Wynn for being with us. 27:58 Thank you. 27:59 I'm Dr. Kim Logan Nowlin. I'm Arthur Nowlin. 28:01 Continue to Making it Work. 28:03 God Bless. God bless. |
Revised 2015-12-10