A Thankful Heart for Partnerships - Part Two

On Tuesday, I shared my deep gratitude for many of the fellow ministers with whom I have had the privilege of serving with across these forty-six years.  As I retire from full-time pastoring, I am grateful for these partners.

As I finished my full-time ministry at Rainsville First Baptist Church, I want to write more fully about the last three ministerial staff with whom I have had the privilege of serving.  On Tuesday, I shared about our Children's Minister, Whitney Traylor.  Today, I share about the other two.

Max Grizzard

Students Pastor and Families

I don't know when I first met Max but it was sometime in the early 80's.  As I was serving in Glencoe, he was at White's Chapel Baptist Church and then later served other churches in the Gadsden area.  Then in 2022 when we had a vacancy in our Student Pastor position, I was having lunch with Max one day and we were just talking about our needs when I looked across the table and asked, "You wouldn't be interested, would you?"  You see, Max and Sherrie are missionaries who have served at Ponderosa Bible Camp (check it out here) for over twenty years and is the Director of the Release program in DeKalb County, serving school age children by teaching them the Bible during school hours.

I was so excited when a few days later Max gave me his resume and it has been a pure delight to serve with this quality man of God.  His love for our youth has been evident from day one.  Though he has seven children (all now married) and multiple grandchildren, he makes it a priority to be involved in the lives of the students by teaching them well, praying for them, leading a small group discipleship group, and encouraging them by his presence at their games and school events.  He and Sherrie even teach a young adult Sunday School class.  What examples of servants.  Thank you Max for the privilege of serving with you in these last days of pastoral ministry.  There are none better than you.

Isaiah Craig

Missions Pastor

When I was a pastor in the Shoals, Isaiah's mom and dad were members of our church and I heard about their son, Isaiah, who had been in Memphis pastoring and then later moved back to the Loretta, Tennessee area.  I met him and was immediately impressed with his heart for God, the nations, and discipleship.  In fact, he preached for me on August 31, 2014 (I keep good records). I would have loved to have had him on staff with me at that time, but his heart was in church planting and missions.

I lost track of Isaiah when I moved to Rainsville, but you can imagine my shock when a group of us four men went to Massachusetts in March 2023 to explore churches and pastors with whom we could partner, and there was Isaiah.  My immediate response, "Isaiah, what are you doing here?"  Well, we partnered with Isiaah and Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Worcester, MA in the summer of 2023 and then God arranged it for him and his family to move to Rainsville First Baptist Church as our Missions Pastor in January 2024.  What an authentic follower of Jesus Christ and a heart as pure as I've ever witnessed for Jesus and the nations.  And his family (his wife, ShaRhonda, and nine children) are all extensions of his heart for Jesus and the nations.

When you look at the blog on Tuesday and this one, you understand why I am such a blessed man.  Thank you Jesus for allowing my heart and hands to join up with such wonderful servants.  Thanks to all who have given me the privilege of serving with you.