A 50 Year Legacy
This past weekend we got the pleasure to celebrate my grandfather's accomplishment of being in the ministry for 50 years. I've gone to the same church for 34 years (my whole life) and my grandpa has been my minister since the beginning. That's because he's been at our church for 47 of his 50 ministry years. He was called to Sweetwater Tabernacle of God and has never felt another calling for another church. In 1978 my grandpa and several soon-to-be parishioners began construction on our church. It took them about a year and they held church in our local VFW Hall while building the church. My grandpa is one of the most faithful men I have ever met in my life. Through trials, tribulations, and the death of his wife he has remained faithful to the Lord and our church.
An Unknown Legacy
Throughout my lifetime I've seen many, many people come and go at our church. What has remained the same is that Grandpa has always been our pastor, our piano player, worship leader, maintenance man, and comforter to the congregation. Through this dedication to his calling, my mom met my dad and they were married in the church. Eventually, my dad became a deacon, an associate pastor, and a member of our church orchestra. My dad has been a deacon for as long as I can remember, I'd say for at least 30 years. I didn't know how important this was until I grew into an adult. Seeing two generations of faithful believers raise our generations of cousins has brought a lifetime of blessings. Being raised by such faithful, serving men is one of the reasons my faith is so strong today.
The Legacy Continues
Having such a strong faith and a very rigid belief system was always a bit of a struggle growing up. I was often deemed the goody two shoes, among other not-so-nice names. It was truly a miracle when I met Michael in chiropractic school and we were able to work out some pretty important issues before continuing our relationship.
As I've gotten older, I've been able to see more of the behind-the-scenes work of how the church operates. My mom began doing the books once our long-time bookkeeper passed away in 2009. She is also the lead singer in our church orchestra and shepherds the kids in their teachings. My grandma taught Sunday School and Children's Church until her death in 2022. My aunt has played the trumpet in our orchestra for 40 years and I joined her on stage when I was 15. I used to think it a bit unusual that we had so many family members who continued to be part of the church but the older I get the more I understand why that is. My grandparents raised my aunt, uncle, and mom with great faithful fervor that laid a strong foundation for their lives. Subsequently, my mom, aunt, and uncle (before his passing in 2021) raised us with the same love for Jesus as they knew growing up. As a result of that, we still have 3 of the 5 older grandchildren who attend church with our spouses and kids. Two of the older grandchildren have since moved away and the 4 younger grandkids live in another state. My grandpa was able to marry all 5 of us older grandchildren. What an amazing accomplishment we can claim as a family!
It has been such a blessing to grow up where I was planted. After Michael began coming to church with me, he got saved, we got married, and we have since had our two boys. We had MJ's baby dedication when he was about six months old and we're planning Mack's very soon. Michael's involvement with our church began to grow as soon as he started attending. He is now a deacon. It's amazing to see my grandfather lead my dad and my husband as some of the deacons in our church. I pray that Grandpa lives long enough to see the boys grow up and grow into the love of Jesus.
A Legacy Celebrated
We decided as a family and a congregation that 50 years was something that needed to be celebrated! We planned a surprise party for Grandpa and invited people from the past and present who had attended church or been associated with Grandpa's ministry. We told him we were planning a surprise party for Michael and it was his job to get Michael there. When everyone yelled SURPRISE, he was completely taken aback. In total, we had about 70 people that showed up. I think it really blessed him to see so many people there to celebrate his accomplishments.
As is customary at our parties, my family and I ensured the food was in full supply. We had several dips, sliders, a charcuterie board put on by my cousin Allie, meatballs, and other appetizers. We also served a ton of holiday candy, including fudge and chocolate-covered pretzels. Allie and I created our first balloon arch and the decorations were simply elegant. I had never seen our church basement look so done up.
Since my grandma passed away, I think it's been a struggle for Grandpa to keep going, shepherding the church, leading our family, and taking on the extra tasks that come with living alone. I hope this recognition was just the recharge he needed to keep going. I pray that MJ and Mack get to experience the same pastoring that my mother and I grew up with.
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