Maysville, KY

First, my apologies for slacking off on the blog. I wish I had a good excuse, but I don't. More often than not, I feel like there's not much interesting in my life, or I'm not feeling particularly profound. In any case, there is some news that I am excited to now be able to share with all of you who read the blog. Over the last month, we've taken a few trips to a quiet, beautiful town on the Ohio river.

Maysville is a town of about 9,000, located about an hour north of Lexington. It's definitely smaller than Louisville, but it has a great feel about it; the people are incredibly friendly and the town has all kinds of unique and fascinating characteristics. Kristen and I both fell in love with it the first time we saw it.

The reason we've been in Maysville so much over the last month is because of a little church on KY Route 11. Lewisburg Baptist Church has met in the same spot, in the same building since 1843. The church has a rich and faithful history and is probably one of the most loving and welcoming families either of us has ever met. Our first visit was just that, a visit to spend time in a service and chat with the search committee chair about their opening for a pastor.

But last week, we drove back with a much more focused purpose: I preached in view of a call. We spent a packed day and a half with the search committee, the deacons and a number of the members of the church. Over coffee, sitting at Frisch's and across a committee table, Kristen and I saw over and over the faithfulness of God. We saw it in the members of Lewisburg as they sought not to find the man that they wanted, but the man that God wanted to lead their church. We saw it in their joking and laughter and in their serious concern for the Gospel's forwarding in Mason County. And we saw it in ourselves, as the Lord confirmed over and over again that our waiting for a church had not been a fool's errand, but instead it had been preparation for something incredible.

That was Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th. But we had to wait until this week for the official vote from the congregation on whether to call us. Last night at 8pm, the call that we have been hoping and trusting the Lord for since November of 2009 came. Lewisburg Baptist Church formally called me to be their pastor. We are thrilled at the prospect of what the Lord will do through us as we move into this new stage in our lives. There will certainly be a lot more updates over the next days and weeks, but for now, we ask you to pray. Please pray for all the details (including Kristen finding a good, part-time job) and for all that will go into this transition. And pray for both of us as we step into this awesome responsibility, that we will be faithful to allow his strength to be manifest through us that we and all the people of Lewisburg Baptist Church, might grow in godliness and be agents for the Gospel in Maysville and all of Mason County.