Meeting the Pastor

Our Pastor and his wife met us at the hotel last night. I had asked him last week to meet with us concerning joining the church. They are both delightful people and we are impressed with the church and all the people we have met so far, so there is no question that we will join Central Baptist Church, but that all things be done properly I knew it was important that the pastor interview us for his peace of mind if nothing else.


We talked for over an hour – almost two in fact. Then he startled us just a bit by advising us to be re-baptized in the church since neither Mama nor I was baptized in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church. I was baptized in the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and Mama in a small Methodist Community Church.

At first I was taken aback. I made sure he had no problem with our profession of faith. He did not. His concern was the authority under which we were baptized. His concern was that all things be done to maintain a consistency and a purity in the application of doctrinal truth as it relates to the Independent Fundamental Baptist beliefs. I have no problem getting re-baptized in order to ease his mind and maintain a set order. At the worst we will get wet. At the best we will get blessed. I was surprised that it had never been brought up before since we have moved our membership through three such churches previously. And I have to admit that it took me some time to get to sleep last night as I reasoned through the idea. So I finally settled on this thought. God sent us here to this church, to this man of God. If this is an important element for him it costs me nothing to submit but it would cost me dearly to resist. And the issue will forever be settled. If there is something more to know about it, God will let me know it only as I am obedient.

Mama and I thought back through the years and realized that all of our children have been baptized in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, so there is no issue for them if they seek to join with us here. So this Sunday we will set the record straight. Unusual, but not difficult.

Chase is taking his placement testing for San Jacinto Christian School in Amarillo this morning. I have tried to get him to refresh his memory by review of some of the materials he has with him, but I am pretty sure in the month he has been between schools he has not put in more that six hours total. I know he is incredibly bright, but our memories can only retain so much and when tested it can be very disappointing to find out how little that “so much” really is.

I tried to warn him. Today we will see how it turns out.