July 10, 2026
This Flashback Friday is a personal one. July 10 has always held a special place in my heart because it was my father’s birthday. Today, he would have been 86 years old. My brother Jeff and I were truly blessed with the parents God saw fit to give us.
My dad was a pastor, just as I am. One of the churches he served and loved deeply was Wakarusa Missionary Church, the same church I have the privilege of pastoring today. That connection still humbles me. Life has a way of coming full circle and God writes chapters we could never have planned ourselves.
July 10 is meaningful for another reason as well. It was on July 10, 2016, that I became pastor of Wakarusa Missionary Church. The picture with today’s post was taken that day, ten years ago. My father is the one holding the microphone, praying over Shana and me as we began our ministry here. That image means more to me now than I could have understood then. Today, I complete my 10th year as senior pastor. That is not something I take lightly.
In a church history that stretches more than 150 years, long seasons of pastoral ministry have not been common. Reaching ten years is not a personal trophy to place on a shelf. It is a testimony to the kindness of God, the faithfulness of His people and the grace that keeps all of us going week after week.
Every church I have served has been special in its own way, but these last ten years at WakyMC have been some of the very best years of my ministry. I am deeply grateful.
Scripture says, “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted” (Psalm 127:1, NLT). That verse keeps everything in perspective. We may preach, lead, serve and occasionally unclog things professors never taught us about in college, but only God builds what truly lasts.
So today, I look back with gratitude. I remember my dad with love. I thank God for my family, for my church family and for the privilege of serving where my father once served.
The story is not about me. It never has been. It will never be about me. It is about a faithful God who keeps building His church, one generation at a time and for that I celebrate today.