Vox Voice of Emmanuel Baptist Church Volume 10 Issue 6 June 2017 Remember Your Leaders A Tribute to Pastor Dean Thomas Waters I n April of 2008 a group of believers began meeting together and eventually formed Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC). As we met, we considered exactly what type of church we would constitute. Concerning the governance of the church, we concluded as we studied and prayed together that the Scriptures taught (and what would become our adopted Confession taught) that a plurality of Elders is the biblical norm for governing a local church. After several months of prayer, study and preparation, invitations were sent, and on the evening of September 24, 2008, our little group of believers was joined by several Baptist pastors from around Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania to constitute Emmanuel Baptist Church. That night Emmanuel Baptist Church was formed when every constituting member by Covenant agreement pledged his or her faithfulness by vow and signature. Once EBC was constituted, the church was called into a business conference. After the moderator and clerk were appointed, the Confession of Faith and Constitution and By-Laws were adopted. Next, the church chose five men to serve as elders: Al Groover, Charles McElveen, Dean Strickland, Roland Waters, and Thomas Waters (who was to Franklin Dean Strickland serve as the primary preaching January 23,1933 - April 16, 2017 elder). Since no prior eldership of EBC existed, these five men were set apart by the laying on of hands and prayers of other pastors present (please see the Confession 26:7-9). Of the five men chosen on September 24, 2008 to serve as elders of EBC, three are now resting from their labors. For about twenty-five years of ministry, I served as lone elder. Over the past twelve or so years, I have been blessed to serve as an elder within a plurality of (Continued on page 2)
Remember Your Leaders - A Tribute to Pastor Dean (Continued from page 1) elders. I pray I never again need to serve as a lone elder. God wisely stated, It is not good that the man should be alone. While these words were spoken of Adam and primarily apply to matrimony, they seem applicable to both sexes and to a wide range of subjects. For example, Strength - Ecclesiastes 4:12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him a threefold cord is not quickly broken. If I were in a battle, I would rather be in a foxhole with a friend at my back than alone. Wisdom - Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. We want our leaders (President, Governors) to have and hear good advisors. Missions & Evangelism - Mark 6:7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. For safety, encouragement and veracity Christ sent His disciples out by twos. In addition to the above qualities, another advantage of a plurality of elders is diversity. We all differ, not just by our fingerprints, but in our DNA, and in our personalities and in our strengths and weaknesses. That is why in the body, the eye does not say to the hand, I have no need of you (1 Cor. 14:12-26). Even so, in the eldership there is a diversity of gifts which works for the good of the entire local church. On the desk in front of me is the obituary the Funeral Home printed for Pastor Dean. As one who has preached several funerals, I have a drawer full of such obituaries. I m glad that funeral homes provide these obits, for they serve a useful purpose. Sometimes I discover something about a person that I did not know. Usually, however, they contain basic essential information such as the date of the person s birth and death, some family relations and a very brief bio of the deceased. Generally while reading these brief bios, my mind meanders along the course of years of the deceased s life and I consider that 70, 80, and even 90+ years can be contained in a paragraph or two. Yes, I realize that this bio is but an abbreviation and hardly represents the fullness of one s life. And that is what I think about--all the life this person lived beyond this brief bio. I wonder, then, how do we summarize a life in a paragraph? What should be put in and what should be left out? What will my brief obit state about me? Why? How will others summarize my short stay on planet earth? How will God? In Hebrews 13:7, believers are taught, Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. We are given at least three commands in this passage. First, we are instructed to remember (This is the same verb used in 2 Timothy 2:8.) those leaders who spoke to you (past tense) the Word of God. That is, we are to remember those leaders whom death has removed from our presence. To remember means to be mindful of, to call to mind, to make mention of. Second, we are exhorted to consider the outcome (i.e., that which is complete, over, finished) of their way of life. We are to carefully look at and observe accurately their life and note how they spent their lives and closed their days. How did they live? How did they die? Third, we are charged to imitate their faith. Simply put, we are to follow in their footsteps. Those to whom this Epistle was written faced many obstacles to their faithfulness to Christ. Many struggled and some were in danger of falling away. In addition to several warnings, Hebrews has many encouragements to (Continued on page 3) EBC Vox is a monthly publication of Emmanuel Baptist Church, www.ebcjesup.net. Address: 1618 Waycross Highway, Jesup, GA 31545; Phone: 427-4322 Pastors: Thomas Waters, Dean Strickland, Al Groover, John Hubbard Editor: Chlo Dukes, chlondukes@gmail.com Submit information to Chlo Dukes by the fifteenth of the month preceding publication by email, in person, or at the church office. The editor reserves the right to edit for content or space. Soli Deo Gloria! 2
Remember Your Leaders - A Tribute to Pastor Dean Continued from page 2) continue in the faith and to faithfulness. One is those faithful leaders who taught us the Word of God, but who have now gone home to be with the Lord. Remember them. Consider them. Imitate them. To help you in your spiritual journey and to help you finish the race, call to mind those spiritual leaders who have now gone to be with the Lord who taught you the Word of God and led you in the faith. Consider their lives, what they believed, how they lived, and how they finished their race. Be encouraged by their example and imitate them. From the beginning of the formation of the eldership at EBC in 2008, Pastor Dean served with dignity and faithfulness. He brought to the eldership, to EBC, and to humanity an integrity, dedication and kindness that are invaluable. While Pastor Dean was an able teacher and preacher, he taught and spoke just as loudly by his attitude and conduct as he did by words and lessons. As his health failed and he was unable to actively serve in the eldership, his counsel remained esteemed by his fellow encouragement and example for all. The eighty-four years of Pastor Dean s life cannot be summarized in a few paragraphs, let alone a couple of words. However, for those of us who remember Pastor Dean, consider his life and would imitate him, I think we would agree that faithfulness must be somewhere near the top of our list of descriptive verbs of this leader who spoke to us the Word of God. On September 24, 2008, when he made his covenant promise as a member of EBC, he meant what he promised. He was faithful to walk in a manner worthy of his Christian calling with all humility, gentleness, patience and brotherly love. He was eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit so our fellowship would be delightful to God and edifying to us and a witness to others. He was faithful to pray for others and bear their burdens and to aid in sickness and distress. He was faithful to watch over, exhort and encourage others for good and in humility and gentleness seek to recover any who strayed from the fellowship. He was faithful to meet together on the Lord s Day and every time the church met and financially contribute to support the ministries of the church. He willingly and humbly used his gifts and talents to the glory of God and the good of EBC. He was faithful to labor for the purity and truth of the Gospel. He tried to avoid division and those who cause division. He was faithful to honor God in his home and he was just and exemplary in his conduct throughout the community. Yes, it is a proper encouragement and lesson in grace to remember our leader who spoke to us the word of God, Pastor Dean. Consider the outcome of his way of life. He ran the race well. He was faithful unto the finish line. Imitate his faith, a faith in Christ through the grace of God that led to a life of commitment and service and faithfulness. O Lord, we thank you for such leaders. Please Lord, hear our prayer and raise up men that by your grace can be such leaders among us, faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. In Christ Name we pray. Amen. 3
Measuring Up by Lola Dennis We are born to walk in time for a little while. Time will be ours to use or abuse, to live, to play in, but not to stay in. Questions with no answers enter our heads, our eyes reflect the confusion. We tread the streets of life. We feel the reality closing in. We cannot reject or deny what is there. We embrace, we endure, we survive. We are lost; life is a maze of thoughts, moods, sights, sounds, and actions lost. Our lives are composed of what our bodies endure, our eyes see, our ears hear, our minds seek. Do we use time, or does time use us? In Ecclesiastes 3:1, King Solomon in the wisdom of God makes a very profound observation of life. To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. And in Ecclesiastes 3:15, That which is, already has been; and that which is to be, already has been; and God requires an account of what is past. While hanging out with her father in his workshop, a preschooler tried to imitate him by using a tape measure. When she couldn t quite reach the distance she wanted to measure between herself and an object, she moved the object closer to her! No matter how much we try to finagle God s rules, his standard of holiness won t be moved. As sinful beings, we can t reach that standard on our own. We re stuck without Jesus grace. Thank God that he helps us measure up! EBC is very thankful to God for adding into our fellowship its newest member, Sister Patty Cunningham. Welcome! 4
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30 AM WORSHIP 10:45 AM & 1:30 PM WEDNESDAY PRAYER SERVICE 7:00 PM BLESSSED are those who hear the WORD of GOD and OBEY IT. -Luke 11:28 Lord s Supper Morning Service FreeHart Ministry 6:00 PM Bridge Builders 10:00 AM Father s Day Return CareNet Baby Bottles with $$ gifts FreeHart Ministry 6:00 PM Pledge of Allegiance is recognized by Congress in 1942 Bridge Builders 10:00 AM HAPPY BIRTHDAY 03 Candice Yawn 12 Robert Dennis 17 Jessica Godsey 17 John Hubbard FLOWERS 04 Gloria Jackson 11 Gloria Strickland 18 Jerell Johnson 25 USHERS 04 Carl Yarbrough & Donzell Lewis 11 Tyler Melton & Chris Brantley 18 Ron Tugend & Robert Dennis 25 Carl Yarbrough & Damian Brown Please wear your best attire, and inform one of the deacons prior if you are unable to attend your Sunday. The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. Proverbs 20:7 NURSERY ATTENDANTS 04 am--gail Waters pm--tonia Hubbard 11 am--jean York pm--gail Waters 18 am--tonia Hubbard 25 am--gail Waters pm--jean York 5
Our Father Unlike an earthly prince, God didn t take a high-and-mighty title, notes 17th-century British preacher Thomas Watson. Instead, God calls himself Father to encourage us to pray to him. But God isn t just any father. Watson offers these reasons why God is the best Father : He is the most ancient (Daniel 7:9). He is perfect (Matthew 5:48). He is the wisest (Romans 16:27). He is the most loving (Zephaniah 3:17; 1 John 4:16). He has unsearchable riches (Ephesians 3:8). He can reform his children (Acts 9:11). He never dies (1 Timothy 6:16; Revelation 1:8). June 18, 2017 Emmanuel Baptist Church 1618 Waycross Highway EBC Jesup, GA 31545