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Breathe fresh, fall air. Delight in the last few colorful leaves before they finally fade and drop to the ground. Feel the sunny 60s before the arrival of the gray and bracing 40s, 30s, 20s . . .

Knock out a few more projects that will make this house our home. Overcome the frustrations produced by my unhandymanliness. Stand back and view finished projects with satisfaction, hoping the imperfections aren’t too visible.

Gather with others who have been delivered from fallen humanness by our Sovereign who is also our Savior. Offer songs of praise and receive a hope- and wisdom-filled message from His Word.

Welcome my beloved when she returns from her weekend of ministry and fun. Clean up the kitchen before she gets back.

This is a quick update for anyone who follows Speaking of God.

Who knows how many times I’ve used the word “transition” in the past two months? Much about my life and ministry is changing. We’ll move to our new home in Ankeny, Iowa, at the end of this month. I start as Professor of Pastoral Training at Faith Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary on August 1. God has been very good to me. He has led, provided, and encouraged in numerous ways during the past few months. I am excited for what is ahead!

This blog will transition as well. I plan to keep it up, but it will no longer be connected to Calvary Baptist Church in Simpsonville, where I have been pastoring. There will be no post notifications through the Calvary Internet sites. I will continue notifications through my personal Facebook page. My posts will be on similar themes related to Bible study, preaching, and pastoral ministry. But I will be more focused on content that will supplement my new role of equipping and encouraging people for vocational ministry.

Thanks for reading and following. I appreciate your prayer during this time of transition, and I look forward to sharing more on Speaking of God in the days ahead.

I read these words over and over: “We exist to prepare vocational Christian workers and ministry leaders for local churches throughout the world.” My heart resonated with the statement, and I wanted to be involved in this cause. Today, I am excited and thankful to share that the next season of my life and ministry will be devoted to this very thing!

40 days ago I announced to my church family that God was leading me to another place of ministry. The night before my announcement, I told my wife, “I feel like I’m about to step off a cliff.” I had reached a decision that God had another assignment for me, but I did not know where. I shared my decision with our church and said, “God has something else for me to do. I do not yet know what that will be. Faith (my wife) and I are seeking the Lord’s direction and will wait on Him to lead us. It will probably involve pastoring, teaching, or some combination of both. When God is leading, we must obey. I’ve walked with God long enough to know when He is moving me in a direction, and that is what is happening now. I know you will understand that I must follow His will for my life.”

My wife and I were prepared to wait months for God to direct us to a new place of ministry. It seems that sometimes we wait on God, and other times we are almost running to keep up with Him. The past three weeks have been the latter of those two.

Three weeks ago, Jim Tillotson, President of Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, called me. We met the following week, and he invited me to the campus in Ankeny, Iowa, just outside of Des Moines. My wife and I traveled there last week. President Tillotson and several members of the college and seminary faculty interviewed me, and I was offered a position, which I enthusiastically accepted.

My role at Faith will be Professor of Pastoral Training. Responsibilities will include teaching Homiletics, Pastoral Theology, and other related classes, as well as overseeing the Ministry Training program. I could not be more thrilled at this opportunity.

The statement at the beginning of this article is from the school’s official documents. Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary exists to prepare vocational Christian workers and ministry leaders for local churches throughout the world. During its 95-year existence, the school has established a reputation for maintaining solid, conservative theology; cultivating warm-hearted devotion to Christ; and graduating Christian servants who are in positions of ministry all over the world. There are approximately 6000 alumni of Faith living in all 50 United States and in 35 countries. It is one of the few Bible colleges to achieve both regional and national accreditation.

President Jim Tillotson is completing his first year of leadership there. He has brought fresh vision and energy, and I am excited to be part of his team. I look forward to serving along with the many godly men and women already there equipping a new generation of Christian workers and ministry leaders. To FBBC&TS students who are reading this, I look forward to meeting you in the Fall!

God is good. He has always provided me with a place of ministry that is way beyond my hopes and expectations. I will have much to learn in making the transition from pastoring to teaching, but I am glad for the new challenge and for the opportunity to equip and encourage pastors. Please pray for us as we move, settle, and begin!