As I sit here now reminiscing our first experience twenty nine years ago in coming to Melbourne, Florida it causes my soul to recapitulate my nights of prayer that lead me to this city to start a church in the first place. The very short of a fabulous (longer) story began in a daily prayer in my bedroom each night. At the end of my Pastoral studies in Jacksonville, Florida. One night the Lord spoke the name “Melbourne” to my spirit. And yes, my first reaction was, “No Lord, I am not a missionary and though Australia would be an exciting adventure, missionary work is not me. Nights later I spent hours looking through the east coast of USA for a city named Melbourne. I must confess, I had a burning passion to go back up to the North East to start a church, not Florida. Weeks later, my family and I spent a weekend in Melbourne to “feel out the city.” Obviously, we fell in love with the beautiful tropical landscape.
Our second visit months later was the sure win. Sunday early evening as we drove away from Melbourne on I-95, I had to pull the car over for the tears were so full in my eyes, I could not see to drive. Jenny and I sat there in the car and held each other and weep before the Lord knowing Melbourne was the city and this was the time. In the summer of 1980, I moved my family to Melbourne. I had to stay in Jacksonville a few weeks to finish up contracting jobs I had.
In the first year I gave every Friday night to God in prayer till the sun came up for souls. I told God I was not here for me but for the Kingdom of God. Only a few months passed till I had a radio broadcast – FREE, taught Home Bible Studies, baptized a few families, secured a building and birthed a church. Our first Sunday morning we had 13 and that night we had 30. Just a year later we had already had baptized 30 people and filled with the Holy Spirit. Just this year I combed through the records and found the lists of baptisms and numbers of people who had been filled with the Holy Spirit. The numbers of people who had come to the altar to give their heart to Christ were too many to record from Sunday to Sunday. Twenty nine years later, we’ve had over 3800 to be baptized and over 4200 to receive the Holy Spirit let alone the near 8000 that gave their heart to Christ.
I have traveled to 48 of the 50 states and have documented hundreds of well known mega churches that had not in the entire history of their church baptized more than a few hundred, though they boasted of 1000’s in service each week. I have interviewed more than a 100 church leaders, administrators, leadership staff of churches over 3000 in membership and many if not most could not verify that they had baptized 5% of their congregation. It’s one thing to build a growing church (an admirable feat), but another thing all together to actually transform souls from the trenches of hell to the halls of heaven. Today, proven statistics reveal that all the mega churches combined do not secure more than 3% of the whole Christian church membership in America. Most pastors wish their church was a mega church if for nothing else than to afford them economic ability to fulfill their vision. However, 98% of mega churches became a mega enterprise at the depletion of surrounding churches. Membership exchange is not growth, revival nor evidence of God’s anointing.
These past 29 years have written a many of epic novels on the hearts and souls of tens of thousands with regard to the simple ministry of a poor country boy and his lovely wife. I’ve traveled to over 32 countries preaching the gospel. I’ve spoken in 42 of the 50 states. I have seen thousands of thousands of people come to the altar and pray. Miracles after miracles and revivals after revivals have shocked my humble life. The hundreds of men, women and young people who have given their life, blood, sweat and tears through these past 29 years can only give witness to the absolute dynamics of the Word of God. Nothing or no one can garner such a follow-ship for near three decades. We’ve had five times as many to quit, leave and move away as we have saved. But as the gospel song writer sings it, “Through it all, through it all I’ve learned to depend upon his word.”
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