GOD'S CALL ON OUR LIVES...
Less than two years after I received Christ as Savior, the Lord was beginning a
new journey in our lives. Within a year, we had both given our lives to serve
the Lord in a full-time capacity...not knowing what exactly that meant. Our first
thought was, Oh no, we might have to go to Africa!!! But that's
not what the Lord wanted.
Tom had applied to Bible School, and he quit his job and we left in the dead of winter with three little ones (one a baby) to West
Virginia. We would learn many lessons about the grace of God, His love,
and provisions and that He would always provide a way. "The will of God will
NEVER lead you...where His grace CAN NOT keep you." That was something we
would never forget and always trust in.
We lived in a 12' x 60' trailer away from
family, home church, and friends and began to learn a lifestyle to which we were not
accustomed. During Tom's four years studying Pastoral Studies, he became more
aware of the Spirit's leading and that God had definitely given him the spiritual
gift of pastor/teacher. His love for the Word of God and his desire to preach were
insatiable. During the last two years of his school, the Lord blessed us with
a little country Baptist church, where we stayed for two years until he graduated.
As we prayed for the Lord's direction again, the doors opened for us to come back
to Ohio (this time the southern part) and gave us quite a wonderful ministry at
an Independent Bible teaching church.
For seven and a half years, the Lord blessed.
But He had some other plans for us that we didn't even realize at the time. Through
a process of events, the Lord opened the doors for Tom to start a brand new ministry
from the ground up. With the help of other families, Fellowship Bible Church was
born. It was a work of faith totally on the Lord's leading and direction and we
trusted Him for everything. On November 2,
1997, ground was broken to build our new facility. In July 1998, we had our first service. Tom often reminds us...this
is a building...We are the church. MORE TO COME...