In 1984, Pastor Jerry Smith began leading the music at Faith Baptist Church.  For 31 years, he has faithfully directed the music program at FBC.

I was 9 years old when I first met Pastor Jerry.  It was 1990 and my family had just begun attending FBC.  At that time, FBC was without a Senior Pastor and Pastor Jerry was ‘holding down the fort.’  In the years since then, my respect and appreciation for him has only grown.  So, today I thought it would be appropriate to publicly share how grateful I am for Pastor Jerry Smith.

When I think of Pastor Jerry, I am especially thankful for:

• His Faithfulness – Pastor Jerry has served at FBC for over 31 years.  It is increasingly rare for an individual to stay at the same job for this length of time. It is even more rare for a man to be an Associate Pastor at the same church for 31 years.  During his time at FBC, he has seen Senior Pastors come and go.  He has seen Youth Pastors come and go.  Yet through it all, Pastor Jerry has faithfully continued to serve God and Faith Baptist Church
• His Steadiness – Pastor Jerry has always been steady.  When things got tough, he remained steady.  If no one showed up for choir practice, he remained steady.  When a dress rehearsal went terribly, he remained steady.  In situations where others might have been susceptible to emotional highs and lows, Pastor Jerry remained steady.  When our church went a few years with no Senior Pastor, Pastor Jerry remained steady and kept on serving.  I am thankful for his steady demeanor.
• His Perspective – Pastor Jerry has always kept things in perspective.  He excels at seeing the big picture.  The big picture is that souls are lost and need Jesus.  He has demonstrated that the Music Ministry is simply a tool to help people find Jesus.  He has always understood that the preaching of God’s Word is primary in the worship service.  Music is secondary.  I am thankful that for Pastor Jerry’s perspective.
• His Kindness – Pastor Jerry is kind.  He demonstrates kindness to his wife and family.  I have seen him demonstrate kindness to complete strangers.  I have seen him show kindness in even the most difficult of situations.  Kindness is not easy.  I am thankful for the kindness that Pastor Jerry has consistently shown to those around.
• His Humor – Pastor Jerry is very funny.  I appreciate his sense of humor.  He knows how to make others laugh and he also knows how to laugh at himself.

31 Years of Faithfulness (and still counting…)

Pastor Jerry is not going anywhere.  He continues to serve on the staff of FBC as an Associate Pastor.  He will still visit in the hospitals.  He will still help with Young at Heart.  Lord willing, we will still hear him sing.

I am thankful for the example that Pastor Jerry is to me.  He is an excellent example of a man who has faithfully served his wife, his family, and his church for many years.

My prayer is that God will allow me, like Pastor Jerry, to serve FBC faithfully for over 31 years.  May God bless Faith Baptist Church with many more men like Pastor Jerry Smith.

Stephen

PS – Join us Sunday night for an evening of God-honoring sacred music as we celebrate Pastor Jerry’s 31 years of Music Ministry.  You will hear some of the ‘greatest hits’ from Pastor Jerry’s music ministry.  You won’t want to miss it.