When
I first started causally attending Bible Believers Baptist Church, I almost didn’t
know what to think. It was so
unlike any church I have been too, that as I was sitting there listening to
Pastor Townsend preach; I was thinking he was crazy, peculiar, or just plain
weird! It struck me so hard to
actually hear a preacher preaching the Bible that I was in a sense dumbfounded.
Any of you that have been to a Baptist church most likely do not know what I’m
talking about. I may seem partially one minded, but you can read whatever you
want into this.
A
typical Baptist church has one over all agenda. One leader who can tell you the
people what do to, what to think and what to say, build a huge church, and use
whatever means necessary to fill the pews, even if it means altering what comes
from the pulpit, so much so that you begin to wonder what Bible it came
from.
Now
that I have partially degraded the Baptist system, I’ll tell you I am not the
least bit apologetic. I am so
tired of the lukewarm, half hearted, pasted smiles, loud spoken pastors of traditional
Baptist churches that I almost gave up on church altogether, if it had not been
for the help of Pastor Townsends preaching. Right from the start I knew that this was not some guy trying
to attract attention, but a genuine Christian who believes, and actually
practices what he preaches. It’s not the facial appearance of the church that
draws neither attention, nor the padded comfortable pews that draws. No far
from it. It’s the heart of the church.
Now don’t get it in your head that I mean a group of deacons or elders,
no, the church is the people, each family, each individual.
If
you come, don’t expect to be able to relax, slouch in your pew, and fall asleep
listening to the steady drone of voices.
Be prepared to have your toes stepped on, your faith strengthened, and
your beliefs tested. If you want to grow your faith then stop in at Bible Believers
Baptist Church in Mesick, you won’t regret it. This is not an all suit and tie church, neither is it jeans,
and a t-shirt, though neither matters, since it really is what’s in your heart,
not what you wear. Don’t you
agree? What should a churches purpose really be? To fill the listener’s ears with what you want to hear, to
make you feel comfortable no matter what you’re doing. Or should the purpose of
a church be, when you hear a message, cause you to question what you
believe. Is Pastor Townsend
perfect, no? Is he a person with a
heart for what’s right, yes. Is he
afraid to preach something that will in all probability anger some, yes. Is that going to stop him from
preaching the truth from the Bible, no.
Why am I writing this?
Because I believe in what Pastor Townsend is living his life for. Do I agree with everything he says, no? Is that going to stop me from coming to
church, no. Should it stop you?
Really? Really?
