Looking Back on Twenty Years (The Story isn’t Over Yet)

The local church where I served as an Assistant Pastor for nearly twenty years is celebrating their 40th anniversary at the time of this post being published. Our family attended the anniversary service where I gave a short testimony. The following is some of what I shared.

Some folks are born into farming families, some into family business, some into education, or police, or mining, or food service, and so on. I was born into a ministry family, and for the first twenty years of my married life, I was on staff as an Assistant Pastor in a local church.

For all of those twenty years except one, I was blessed to be a part of the Valley Baptist Church in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. This church is very special to me for a number of reasons, including the fact that this was my home church growing up, and that my father, Pastor Frank Hall, was (and still is) the senior pastor. I was privileged to work along side my father for those years at VBC.

When I was young and perky, I flew off to Bible college at Pensacola Christian College in sunny Florida. It was there that I met the love of my life, and in 1999 Jennifer and I graduated and married. Following our marriage, we served in a small church in northern Florida for one year.

Then in 2000, through a series of events, something took place that I never thought would happen. We felt the Lord was directing us to become part of the staff at my home church in Virginia.

At this time the church was located on Barterbrook Road in Staunton, Virginia, and was called Barterbrook Road Baptist Church (whew, that was a mouthful!). BRBC had been a part of my life since my father had taken the pastorate there in 1986 (when I was ten years old). So when I came on staff in 2000, I was truly coming home. I did not know at the time that I would be in this position for the next nineteen years.

I have many memories associated with that little white building and property on that weaving and twisting country back road in Staunton, Virginia. I think of many gatherings and classes in the small basement where my mother led children in singing and taught children’s Sunday School for years. I think of names like Carol Leach, Don and Elsie Johnson, Earl Diehl, and others who, each in their own ways, attempted to invest their lives into the lives of children and young people.

When I became the assistant pastor, part of my responsibility was always with the young people of the church, and I remember some of our first teen meetings and activities. For a very short time we published “BRBC Teens”, helping get to know one another, and keeping informed of upcoming events.

Another of my responsibilities was the music of the church. I remember gathering a choir for the first time, as well as our first attempt at putting on a Christmas musical. Names come to mind such as Dave and Marty Wolfe, Deborah Coffey, Mary Baugh and others, all of whom are no longer with us.

I remember our very first Vacation Bible School. It was called The F.R.O.G.S. Club (which stood for Forgive, Respect, Obey, Give thanks, and Serve). Many volunteers would get involved with VBS over those years, serving together to seek to win children and their families to Christ.

We had many ensembles and traveling groups come into the church from a few Bible colleges, ministering and seeking to influence young people to come to their college. One group in particular included a young man who caught the eye of the pastor’s daughter (my sister) and the rest is history.

Through the years, more and more people came into the church. Jennifer and I had a lot to do with that. We came to the church with one child, and nineteen years later we left with eight!

In 2001, just following the events of September 11th, the church “broke ground” on a location for a new facility. The move took us away from Barterbrook Road, and into the growing town of Stuarts Draft. It was decide that the name of the church would change, and the name Valley Baptist was voted on. It was in this location that most of our memories would be made.

And so many memories there are… teen’s and children’s ministries, teachers, workers, choir and music ministry, special services, prayer meetings, revival meetings, banquets, weddings, funerals, VBS, camps, Master Clubs, on and on.

As much as we sought to minister to the people of Valley Baptist Church, our family was ministered to as much, or even more. And this is the way it should be. Our greatest memories are not services and buildings and programs (though those things are not unimportant), but people. Some of those folks are “further in and further up” with the Lord. Some have moved on to other ministries, as have I. Many are still at VBC to this day. But all are dear people who will be in our hearts forever.

I am thankful to have been part of a church of people who, for the most part, truly had a heart to want to know the Lord, to know His Word, and to be faithful to Him. If there was ever a church that I know, it is Valley Baptist Church of Stuarts Draft, Virginia. I know it is not a perfect church. (I’ve never met one of those.) But I know it is a faithful church, with faithful leaders, seeking to honor and serve the Lord, and minister to the people of the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.

The local church belongs to God. Christ is the Head of the Church, and He works through His local churches. And while there is so much to be thankful for in the past–the story isn’t over yet. There is praise for the past, and there is always faith for the future.

As we get ready to enter into this Christmas season, let us remember that God is the great Author of the story. He is the Author of the story of Valley Baptist Church, and that story goes on. You, today, are part of the story of what God has done, and is doing through His church. He is writing a story in your own life as well. No matter where you find yourself in life right now, you can also know the story is not over.

So, the message of Valley Baptist Church, and every other faithful church, continues to go forth. O come all ye faithful, joyful, triumphant. Come, let us gather together and grow, and adore Christ our Lord. And—come, come all ye unfaithful, weak, unstable, weary, praying, barren, hiding, waiting. No matter where you find yourself. The Lamb who was given was slain for your pardon. We have received that pardon, and we want you to know that He came for you too. See what your God has done.

The story isn’t over yet.

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