Hickory Grove Church of God

I will never forget the first time my family and I ministered at Hickory Grove Church of God. Our family ministry, The Devine Inspirations, was asked to sing a Christmas program for the church’s candlelight service.

As I turned off Old Route 8 onto the gravel lane that led us to this little white church on the hill, God instantly reminded me of a song from my youth. I grew up in a family who attended church regularly and my parents loved Southern Gospel music. One of their favorite groups was The Goodmans. The lead singer, Vestal Goodman, sang a song called Little Wooden Church On the Hill. Boy! I could just hear Vestal singing this song as we made our way up that little country lane. All I could think was, this must be the type of church she was singing about.

Once we made our way into the church, we were welcomed with loving smiles and true joy filled the air. That evening as we sang Silent Night with only the glow of candles you could have heard us from half a mile away as Vestal so eloquently sang in that old song from my youth. The presence of the spirit of God just radiated through the people and history of this little church on the hill.

Several months later we were asked to lead a Sunday morning worship in the absence of the pastor. Unbeknownst to the church and us as a family, God was about to move in a mighty way. The current pastor stepped down unexpectedly the week before due to personal reasons. This decision left this church without a pastor.  After our worship service, we were asked to fill in when we could on a more permanent basis.

At the same time, God was also working on my heart about pastoring a church alongside our family ministry. In my prayers, I asked God if it was His will then bring the right church that would understand my family obligations and ministry commitments. Well, let’s just say, God, orchestrated everything, and today I am humbled to serve as the pastor with my family by my side using their talents and gifts, to bring God honor and glory in all that we do.

As the pastor, my calling is to love those God places before me and to fulfill the great commission in Mathew Chapter 28 verses 18-21  “18  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” I take this commission very seriously especially following the instructions of ‘teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”When I preach, I bring the truth of the Word of God in an applicable way to our lives. I believe that prayer and daily devotions are a pivotal part of the Christian walk. I also believe that God wants us to use all our talents and gifts to reach the lost and broken and bring God honor and glory in our worship. My goal is to lead by example and instill these same values in those God places before me here at…

— Hickory Grove Church Of God.