It’s amazing who the Lord chooses to use in ministry. I grew up in a family of non-believers that rarely went to church. But I found the Lord through reading the Bible. I knew I was being called into the ministry early on, but I could not imagine the Lord using someone like me. Despite the doubt, I surrendered to the call of ministry and began attending seminary.
I was not sure what the Lord wanted to do with my life, but I desired to work with an inner city ministry where I could preach the gospel to lost people.
In December of 1995, two weeks before graduation, I learned of the Calvary Rescue Mission, a non-profit Christian ministry that ministered to homeless men. I felt immediately drawn to this ministry. Not only did it provide meals and clothing to men in need, but it offered nightly chapel services, discipleship training, counseling, and lodging to homeless men in and around Memphis.
It just so happened the Executive Director position became open right around the time of my graduation from seminary. Although I was the third choice for the Executive Director position, the Lord saw fit that I would become its new Executive Director. His timing truly was perfect.
Now some 22 years later, I still am serving at this tremendous ministry. This spring, we will open a new facility that will allow us to house 108 men instead of the 46 we currently can serve. In 2017, our neighborhood was ranked the most dangerous in the United States, but despite the danger, the Lord has helped put a new gospel lighthouse in its midst. Meeting one’s physical needs is important, but meeting one’s spiritual needs is vital.
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