As I reflect upon the past 10 years as pastor at Grace, I cannot help but give God praise and glory for all that He has done. He has truly blessed me and our congregation over these years. When we began meeting over 12 years ago I did not know what God’s plans for me were as far as Grace was concerned. My friend, David Sills, was pastor and I was serving as an elder. When he decided to return to the mission field I prayed and ask God to give me clear direction about what I was to do and when Grace called me to be the main preaching/ teaching pastor it was truly an answer to my prayers. Not many men have the privilege of pastoring some of the same people for over seventeen years. Of course, I have also had the privilege to be the pastor to my own children and their families and now my own mother. God has truly been good and gracious to me and I give Him praise, honor and thanksgiving. Though there have been a few difficult times during these ten years the vast majority of times have been encouraging and honoring to God

It is truly amazing how God has used this small congregation to accomplish so much for His kingdom work. We saw this recently as we hosted the Deep South Regional Founders conference. This was the largest attendance we have had in the five years the conference has been held. More than five hundred people attended the first night for an evangelistic sermon by Paul Washer. Then each service was well attended at R.T.S. and those who attended were very impressed on how our church hosted this conference. God has brought some wonderful Christians to us over these ten years and sent others out to serve Him faithfully throughout the world.

I look forward to what God will do in the future through Grace. I continue to pray that He will increase our membership to the point that we can plant another church like Grace in another city in Mississippi eventually. As we look forward to moving to our new property I believe that God will begin to use us in that community to reach others for Christ. It is encouraging to have visitors each Sunday at Grace and we pray that God would add them to the “body”. I pray that God would use each member at Grace in exercising his spiritual gift(s) so that the “body” will be built up. This is one of the subjects that Pastor Bill and I will be teaching on in the future and praying that God will use each person at Grace Baptist. As Paul said in Ephesians 4:11-12 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Please continue to pray for Pastor Bill and myself as we seek to lead the members of Grace as God would have us lead. We need your prayers so that we might shepherd you as God has instructed us to do. I look forward to many more years of service and blessings.

In Christ,

Pastor Thomas

Pastoral Ponderings from Pastor Bill

I write this on Friday, January 27, early in the morning. I was awakened at 5:00 by a phone call from the Good Shepherd Nursing Home informing me that my mother’s physical state had undergone a drastic change and is declining. On Thursday, my brother informed me that things had changed some and that the nurse wasn’t sure exactly what had brought it about. Now it appears clear that she has entered the valley of the shadow of death and is in the Lord’s hands. Linda and I are preparing to leave for West Virginia as soon as we are able.

I have peace and hope in the Lord’s goodness and mercy for my mother’s soul having had the blessed privilege of being her pastor for over three years while at Grace Heritage Church. In addition, she enjoyed our weekly senior citizen bible studies that we held for several years before beginning the church in which the gospel of God’s grace was always presented. She turned 93 last September and is in her 94th year of what has been a full and wonderful life. In addition to her three children, she has six grandchildren and six great grandchildren with a seventh due next month.

The Lord’s mercies are evident and I praise Him for His love and goodness. I was supposed to preach on January 29th in which I was going to begin a series on the Prophet Malachi. In the opening of his prophecy, Malachi begins his exhortation to the people of God by a strong reminder that Yahweh, their God, loved them. I thank the Lord for the time I spent in preparation focusing on God’s great love for His own. Last Wednesday at prayer meeting I taught on God’s ‘segulla’, a theologically rich Hebrew word which means possession or treasure. As God’s elect, we are His own treasured possession. How good of God to prepare me for what is happening by reminding me that He chose me and brought me to Himself to be His own forever. My sermon for the Lord’s Day evening worship was going to focus on another rich Hebrew word, ‘hesed’, which is usually translated lovingkindness, but also presents the concept of ‘faithfulness’, ‘goodness’ and ‘steadfast love’ that is based on God’s covenantal relationship with His people.

Linda and I will be remembering you in our prayers and we thank you for yours on our behalf while we are away. How grateful we are to be a part of the family of saints at Grace.

Pastor Bill