Who Influenced you most?

Bob Cotter @ a little Presbyterian Church in NW Jersey until his untimely death (a true man of God & rare these days)

George Whitfield (Method of Grace sermon) convicting me of the sin of Unbelief.

The Holy Spirit.... taking me from a wholly unregenerate person who was totally evil (and I mean evil) in everything I did & accomplished the impossible...IE Regeneration/Quickening

Christ- In His death He atoned for my sins & saved me once for all.

The Father-who gave me to the Son before the foundation of the world.

Nobody has been able to match any of these sainted guys since. :godisgood:

 

A country boy preacher who admits he never got beyond third-grade and preached the word among God's people travelling all over the south, southeast and mid-atlantic areas, first on a model T in his young years, and then on a F-150 up to his 97th year, and then transported by loving young men among God's people until just a few weeks to his homecoming after his 102nd birthday.

Also an ex-Catholic, ex-Air Force, electrician younger than myself whose influence continues to today.

Before these two, a popular preacher whom I listened to in my Arminian pastorate every Sunday evening after services and the church doors have shut, somebody accused by my seminary president of not believing in the efficacy of the blood of Christ and whose preachings proved the sem prexy was jumping to conclusions (kinder phrase than a word I think of to describe him).

And finally, the seminary president whose virulent hatred of the Doctrine of Grace and the preacher above made me wonder and take a second look.

 

Two former pastors of mine come to mind. I'm a layman, by the way.

First, Harold Cathey. One of the most astute students of the Bible I have ever known, and one of the finest pulpit preachers I have ever heard. He later spent several years as a missionary to Uganda. At his urging, our church contributed money to build a church and adjoining apartment (for the pastor's family). Even though he's been gone from our church for 37 years, his impact on us remains. He is now a DOM in Eastern Kentucky, and can still preach with the best of them.

Second, Tom Atwood. Our church was his first pastorate at age 30. Intellectually brilliant, outstanding in the pulpit, and one who inspired those who sat under his preaching to dig deeply into the scriptures. He's been gone from our church for 30 years. His last pastorate was FBC, Oxford, Mississipp, before illness forced his retirement. He passed away a couple of years ago, and I miss him even today.

 

A Bible teacher at Toronto Baptist Seminary, who said to me one day, "Jim, whatever you are in ministry, be available." I never forgot that and found it a most valuable aspect of ministry.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Tom,

Take this for what its worth. No one. I have yet to find a pastor or lay leader to take any real interest in mentoring or leading me in 17 years as a Christian.

 

I don't why its painful, but it is. I just hope I can be that mentor and help to someone else.

 

RB, you have the HS. If your still working in sales in a secular job, I can help you there!:thumbs:

Regards
Steve

 

RB, I did not have spiritual mentors for the first decade or two in my Christian journey. That said, I invariably DID get mentored...just in a bad way.