6 Years in the Making

As many of you know, I have accepted an offer to be the Pastor of Membership and Mission at The Bridge Church in Spring Hill, Tennessee. I am more excited about this than can be expressed on a blog...

This has been 6 years in the making. I absolutely have to believe in the Sovereignty of God as I have seen his providential care and leading throughout my short life in ways that cannot be denied- this is one of those things.

In 2005 I went to a church camp, Jonathan Creek, in Kentucky. My church went to this camp every year(it was my second trip). I was 17 years old, saved, and knew I was going into the ministry. Yet, God had a very big surprise for me at camp. A surprise I didn't realize until some time after the camp was over. Josh Howerton was a camp counselor and I took a leadership course that him and another guy taught. He threw me off the tube and ran on the stage as a lunatic ("Mr. 15") every day of the camp.

For some reason that only the providence of God can explain, Josh and I began to form a relationship. I am going to keep this short so I am not going to go into many details... But for some reason that I don't know about Josh continued to invest in me and communicate with me about Jesus, spiritual growth, the church, and ministry. He was a Youth Pastor near Louisville, KY, where I went to get my undergrad. Through my time there he continued to mentor me and he got married and then I got married and our families started hanging out.

Josh and I have only seen each other twice in the last two and a half years and yet he has chose to take the time to continue investing in me. No one has shaped me more than Josh Howerton... my spiritual growth, theology, approach to ministry, etc. all have Josh's hand print on them and I am forever thankful.

Well, 6 years after meeting at church camp, the elders of The Bridge Church decided to hire me as the Pastor of Membership and Mission.... where Josh Howerton is the Pastor of Preaching and Leadership. It is a dream come true and something that I always thought would be "too good to be true." It should be a dream of everyone to get to have a mentor like I have had and then be able to serve under them in the ministry! I am blessed beyond words.

The Bridge Church is a very healthy, gospel-centered church with great leadership and vision. A young guy like me could not find himself in a better situation to minister and grow. It has indeed, been 6 years in the making.