A Thank You to Prayer Partners

Dear Friends in Christ and Prayer Partners:

Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Since November 1, 2007, when I accepted the role of president at RTS and subsequently was elected Chancellor of RTS, leaving my beloved congregation at First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga, so many of you have joined the circle of prayer to support me in this work.

As you know, after a trip to Africa I returned with what my doctor believes to have been a virus that attacked my body and left me with a condition that became increasingly debilitating. The doctors felt that an accommodation was needed to be made in my work to allow me to continue. Our Executive Committee felt stronger action was needed to preserve future ministry. So, I am in the state of seeking recovery now. As we recover we trust in the Lord. He is our all in all.

Many of you have communicated your love and prayers to Mae, John Michael, our family, and myself. I wanted to write and thank you. We have been humbled by the outpouring of love.

I wanted to also take this time to thank you for supporting me in prayer during these past several years. The Lord has allowed us to accomplish many things together to His glory. I believe that souls have been saved, lives have been transformed, pastors have been equipped, missionaries have been sent, and the kingdom of God has been advanced because, in great part, of your perseverance in prayer. I could not have done this job without you and your prayerful support. I often felt the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in times when I needed to make a decision, or when I was about to step into the pulpit to address large crowds in great cities in our nation, or as I was about to teach a class to pastors in another country. I knew that you were there with me praying and the Holy Spirit was dispatched by the Father and the Son to be the Comforter and to give me the words to say. So it is all together good and right that I take the time in these days of recovery to say thank you and how much we love and appreciate you.

Many have written and have called and assured us of their continued prayers for an open door of ministry for the future. I assure you that there is a fire burning in my bones, like the prophet Jeremiah, and I feel more constrained to preach the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ today than I did when hands were laid upon me at my ordination. We are not sure what expression of ministry will unfold, or if God will give us the full health to fulfill it, but we are trusting He will. We aim to continue to use every means to labor for revival in our nation as well as to equip the saints for the revival that is going on in other parts of the world. We will have to do it as my doctor said in a way in which I “think globally and act locally.” So we pray the Lord will open the door for a pulpit which will allow us to love the saints and minister to them locally and yet to help call our nation to repentance and prepare a new generation to trust in the inerrant and infallible Word of God and the power of prayer, stirring up a courageous people who will be “silent no more.”

I say again, thank you. Any labor in the ministry without the support of prayer is destined for a very limited impact. With prayer, ministry is multiplied. Therefore, I have every reason to believe, because of your prayerful support, that these years we have spent in this ministry will bring a harvest of souls safe in the arms of Jesus when He comes again.

Thank you. I pray you will continue with us as we go forward in faith.

You may contact me at [email protected]