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Committee RecommendationFollowing is the text of the the response of the Rev. Ramon Smith to the recommendation of the Search Committee that he be called as Pastor. Ramon delivered these remarks during the 11:00 worship on March 23, 2003.
Have you ever tried to change a flat tire while still traveling at 55mph? An impossible task…agreed? Yet, sometimes I feel like that is the challenge we face as we try to determine God's will and calling on our lives. This is a fitting analogy for what I have experienced during the last two years, because being busy is not always a good thing, especially when God is trying to break through our schedule in order to show us His will!
When we began the first transition almost two years ago, our focus was primarily on just keeping things moving forward. This doesn't sound like the most "spiritual" motive, but we just wanted the church to continue its momentum and retain some sense of normalcy in an otherwise stressful time in our history. Jeff and I were sharing preaching responsibilities, as well as keeping our own responsibilities covered. There was also pastoral care that needed to be provided to our people. We were focused on getting from day to day, week to week. Then September 11, 2001 hit, and everything changed. As a minister, and as a husband and father, it forced me to stop and evaluate my priorities; many of you were doing the same. During that month of September as we struggled to make sense of the month's events, I guess I just slowed down enough to begin hearing a new message from God…and I began hearing a new message from many of you as well. For the first time, I began sensing God's calling, leading me to a place of ministry I had never seriously considered. But understand, out of all the churches in which I have served, as good as those churches are, this is the first church I would ever have considered pastoring. College Park is an extraordinary congregation…a wonderful fellowship of believers!
In order to try to sort out these feelings, I called a retired minister, here in Winston, for whom I have a great deal of respect. He agreed to meet with me, and in the course of our meeting he shared that what I was dealing with was two separate, but related calls. The first was a call to pastor. The second was a call to pastor a specific congregation…in this case, College Park. I knew he was right, yet in my own mind I kept connecting the two. After all, in the Bible when God called people into leadership, didn't He lead them to lead a specific people? He didn't say, "Moses I want you to lead, and I'll have to get back to you on who you'll be leading." Not wanting to split hairs over this issue, I just began to seek God's will. As most of you know, I try to make a habit of working out at the "Y" several times a week, and try to run two or three times a week. During this time of my life I kept sore knees because my three mile runs turned into six mile runs…all the while talking to God, sometimes out loud as I ran. I'm sure people passing me on Reynolda or Buena Vista, or Stratford, must have thought I was losing it…some crazy guy running down the street talking to himself. I was running…not running away from God, but earnestly trying to run to Him!
Finally, I had a peace about giving my resume to our search committee, and told them that I was really seeking what God wanted in my life, and the life of this church. I asked them to be "Gideon's fleece" in this matter, and not extend any special favoritism. I needed confirmation that as they prayed and sought God's will, the process would not get "short-circuited." I was willing to do whatever God wanted from me…I just needed a clear sign as to what that was!
Then about a year passed with several conversations with the committee, and as most of you know they were talking extensively with another candidate. I took this as an answer…at least for the time being…maybe this was just not the time or place. There was a sense of relief that at least I felt like God was answering my prayers for the moment, while I was leaving the door open for whatever He wanted.
Then came the opportunity to leave College Park to go to another church, which was known as a leading congregation on the East Coast. When I spoke with my major seminary professor about that opportunity, he confirmed that it would pretty much be the pinnacle of youth ministry on the East Coast. Surprisingly enough, it was not a difficult decision. When he asked what I was going to do, I knew before the question even sunk in. I told him I was not interested. When he asked why, I simply responded, "Because I know now that my next move will be to a pastorate, not another youth ministry position." His response was profound…"Good, Ramon, now just rest in that assurance and watch God work."
Soon after this conversation, another opportunity arose, and I had to make a decision…was I willing to be faithful to God's call to the pastorate, even if that meant leaving College Park? Saundra and I had talked and prayed for almost two years about this whole thing, and that was the part that scared us the most. The thought of leaving here was almost more than we could endure, but we leaned on God's faithfulness, and recalled that He had never led us to a worse place…always to a better place. So I decided to be faithful to the doors God opened, even if they led away from here. Less than a week passed from that major turning point in my life before He showed me the next step…Irv called and said the committee would like to resume talks with me, if I was willing. God was truly using His people to achieve His purposes! You see, my retired minister friend was right! God wanted my complete obedience to His call before showing me the next step. That's what God requires…obedience! I had to be willing to leave before He showed me I could stay!
God's fingerprints have been all over this process, and I feel privileged to be in this position, confident that this is God's will…in God's time…although it has taken a while! Now, I'm smart enough to grasp the obvious…I do not deserve to be standing here this morning. But God doesn't always see things the way we do, and as I understand the scriptural role of pastor-as a shepherd and servant-I am very excited about our future together as we look forward to what God is going to do through us!