TIOGA – I was at the evangelism conference when a man offered me his business card. “You look like someone who would like my church,” said Clark Taylor, pastor of Faith Baptist.
By Karen L. Willoughby
Managing editor
TIOGA – I was at the evangelism conference when a
man offered me his business card. “You look like someone who would like
my church,” said Clark Palmer, pastor of Faith Baptist.
What a line – but I was hooked by my curiosity. And
what a blessing I received from Sunday morning worship with the
warm-hearted folks of Faith.
They meet in a simple, first-unit building with a
wooden cross behind the baptistry, four stained-glass windows on
either side of the building, and pews, even. Truly I felt like I was in
church.
“Father, we come today to reconnect with you, and to
fellowship with each other,” prayed the pastor with a Ph.D. who calls
himself “Brother Clark.”
We sang a medley of older choruses, and then hymns such as “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Sweet Sweet Spirit.”
Much as I loved these songs many churches have
gotten out of the habit of singing I appreciated even more the pastor’s
clear words from I Corinthians 13.
“Love restrains responses that are harmful,” Palmer
preached. Time out during the sermon for congregation reponses about
the rude behavior they’d experienced. (Nice touch.)
“The less rude you are, the better you will function at home, on the job, in the world,” Palmer preached.
His sermon reminded me of the essential importance
of remembering that people are more important than things.
Two thumbs up for great preaching and friendly folks in an atmosphere that felt so much like my home church