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Pastor's Page

 

Dr. Ron Wilson

Halloween and All Saints Day

November 2, 2011

Our son loved Halloween because he got to dress up each year as a new character, and canvas the neighborhood for candy and treats.  Of course, how could any neighbor turn down such a lovable and cute boy like my son?  Yes, I am biased!  For me, Halloween has always been a time for kids to dress up and have good, clean fun.  I know that some Christians believe this is the most devilish of holidays, but I guess it could be if you let it be.  We had 25 of the nicest, clean-cut kids one could want to ring our doorbell this year.  The best costume of the evening was the almost teenage girl who had her hair pulled into a point on top of her head and dyed red.  When I ask her what or who she was, she said, “I am a Crayola color.”  She looked like a color too.

Investing One's Life Well

September 7, 2011

On April 12, 1861 the American Civil War began as Fort Sumter, South Carolina was fired upon by the Southern secessionists.  The Civil War was a brutal conflict which lasted almost exactly four years.  It saw over 600,000 soldiers die, and several more hundreds of thousands wounded.  Not only did the United States split asunder, families, communities and states divided within themselves.  We are living in the 150^th anniversary of this revolutionary event in American history.

For the next five years, I am participating in the remembrance of this catastrophic event in our history by reading as much about this war as possible.  To launch this effort, I have completed Douglas Southall Freeman’s four volume biography of Robert E. Lee.  Having been born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, I grew up admiring and respecting General Lee as a Southern hero.  I must say, at times as I worked my way through these volumes, I sat on the edge of my seat watching the action of General Lee’s leadership of the Army of Northern Virginia.  With inferior troop count, always lacking for adequate food for soldiers, horses, and live stock, Lee led a tenacious fight for four years.

After Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox on April 10, 1865, he accepted the position of President of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia.  He served in that position for the last five years of his life.  Freeman reports a statement General Lee made to one of his former staff generals, where Lee confessed, “I fear that I have wasted my life in military service.”  When I read that statement, I was shocked and amazed.  Lee may have been on the losing side of the Civil War, but he had enjoyed a successful career in the Union Army prior to the War, and had led the Army of Northern Virginia exceptionally well.  But he felt that he had wasted his life in military service?

The truth is, many people get to a point in their lives when they feel that they have wasted their lives.  I have often wondered what makes for a life that really counts in this world, and I continue to conclude that a life lived for God and in service to one’s fellow human beings is a life invested well.  On numerous occasions Jesus is recorded to have said that the greatest people in this world are the ones who serve others for His sake.

What A Fabulous Vacation Bible School We Had This Year!!!

June 13, 2011

Words simply cannot express the appreciation I feel for every person who contributed to making this year’s VBS a splendid success!  Thank you Patti Young and Karla Jordan for your leadership in pulling together ALL the hundreds of details to make this VBS a success.  When all is said and done the key leaders of an effort pull the heaviest load.  A successful VBS cannot happen without excellent teachers.  This year that starts with Shirley Strickland and Linda Stroup who taught the preteen class.  This was a perfect match for the students.  Thank you Shirley & Linda for a job well done.  A big thank you also goes to James & Stefanie Browning, Kyle Moss and Nicole Mulligan, who taught the younger children.  Great job guys!!  Also, thank you Jeff Young for being our official VBS photographer.  It is wonderful that we were able to capture some of our memories on film to last for generations to come.  (Click here to see our VBS pictures.)  VBS always has crafts and this year those responsible for crafts out-did themselves!  Thank you Gene & Glenda Young, and I heard Forrest Stroup assisted you to get this important work done.  Yes, we all gained weight from the delicious food Kim McMillan provided nightly.  Thank you for sharing your talents in the kitchen with us.   Additionally, a successful VBS cannot happen without children, and children cannot arrive safely from across Roswell without a professional bus/van driver.  We had the best at this position with Doug Strickland drawing on thousands of hours of safe driving experience.  Thank you Doug for bringing the children safely to our VBS.  Last, but certainly not least, thank you to Mel Rhinehart and William & Brenda Jordan for coming every night to take part in our Adult Class.  Your love and support is greatly appreciated!  Seeds of the Gospel Message were planted in the lives of children and now starts the most important part of this VBS effort:  pray for God’s blessings on the lives of these children and adults and for their eternities to be impacted by the VBS experience.

The month of June 2011 will end with our annual revival services with Rev. Joel Caldwell from Atlanta Street Baptist Church bringing our messages every night.  I know we will have good singing and many people to attend these services.  Again the most important work we can do is pray for God to send a great revival for our church.  Let’s start today to pray for this to happen. It is still my joy and pleasure to be your pastor and to serve the good people of Willeo Baptist Church.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday in Bible study and worship!

Vacation Bible School

June 2, 2011

 Adult/Parents classes taught by Pastor Ron Wilson

Values and Ministry Renewal At Willeo Baptist Church

May 12, 2011

Last Saturday evening 19 members of the Willeo Baptist church met in Champion Hall to share stories and discuss how we can focus our work and ministries for the near term future.  I was pleased with the open and enthusiastic conversation and the evident love we all have for our church.  I will list below the core values of our congregation which were discerned from the stories.  I will also list several of the possible new ministry initiatives we entertained for the coming months.  We will prayerfully and with open conversation move forward into these opportunities of service in our community.

8. Renounce a spirit of apathy and fatigue.

5. Contact the private and public schools in the neighborhood near our church to get involved with their activities.

These values and ministry initiatives will be listed in this Sunday’s bulletin for your prayerful consideration and faithful support.  We will use this road map for planning our future when the Church Growth and Planning Committee meets to plan activities and ministries for our church.  May I extend a deeply felt appreciation for everyone who came out on Mother’s day weekend to work to accomplish this focus for our church.  If we will be faithful and committed to these values and plan, we will see the Lord bless our efforts in ministry.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in Bible study and worship!

A Great Day of Worship and Ministry

April 2, 2011

Sunday was an excellent day of worship and ministry, especially the ministry.  On a cold, rainy day we had over 40 people in worship, and 14 Willeo members traveled 70 miles around North Atlanta to bring greeting and our witness to faith to seven of our current and past church members at three nursing homes, and one family at their home.  The joy which was experienced by both those receiving and those sharing the faith was deeply moving and greatly appreciated.  Come to worship this Sunday to hear the story of how blessed Terry Heath and we were as he led our “choir” in song.

We are in the Easter Season and I have charted out my sermon series for the coming weeks.  I want to focus on people Jesus encountered on His way to Calvary for us.  I will start this Sunday with the widow who gave her all in offering to God’s work, trusting God would take care of her.  I will follow up the next Sunday with a message on Pilate and Jesus, the next Sunday addressing Jesus and the thief on the cross.  On Easter Sunday we will consider “Jesus:  The Resurrection and The Life.”  I am very energized by these coming Sundays of worship.  I hope you are planning to attend, even invite a friend or family member.  God is blessing Willeo Baptist Church.  Please gather regularly with us as we go forward with our Lord.

Calvary Childrens Home Expresses Appreciation

March 3, 2011

Once again, as your pastor, I am so pleased that we have a long and consistent record of supporting the Calvary Childrens Home. What we do to communicate God’s love to a child as he or she is growing up, holds an eternal weight of blessing for the child and for ourselves. Thank you Willeo Baptist for your faithfulness to God’s calling to serve these children.

Church Growth and Planning Committee members, please remember that we will meet for our meeting after lunch.

It is my pleasure to serve as your pastor.  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship with your Bible and a friend by your side ready to worship our Lord together.

What a Great Day of Worship and Celebration!

February 24, 2011

What a day of worship and celebration we enjoyed this past Sunday!  The Calvary Children’s Home choir and leadership blessed our lives tremendously!  Brian Busby brought a powerfully impactful sermon, and the children inspired us with music, song and testimony.  Click here to see our photos.  Thank you Willeo Baptist congregation for your strong support of the fine work of the Calvary Children’s Home, and a double “THANK YOU” to Carol Mitchell for her leadership and service through our church to keep us focused on the good work of loving and encouraging children.  Jesus said that when we do deeds of mercy and love to the least in this world, we have done these things to Him.  I am so pleased with our church’s many decades of support for the Calvary Children’s Home.  Let’s keep this going!

Did you know that in 2011 we can celebrate the 400^th Anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible?  King James of England had this volume published for the English speaking people of the world in 1611, and it has been a standard in the churches in Europe and America for these four centuries.  I would like for us to have several Sundays to recognize this truly significant milestone in church history at Willeo Baptist.  I want each member of our church to share with me their favorite verse or verses of Scripture from the King James Bible.  We will either read that Scripture in worship, or I will preach a sermon from that Scripture on a Sunday.  Start thinking now what you want to share so we can celebrate the King James Bible at Willeo this year.

In this Year of the King James Bible at Willeo Baptist, I am thoroughly enjoying the work with our boys on Wednesday evenings during the adult choir practice where we are learning the books of the Bible and will bring what we are learning to the Sunday morning worship services from time-to-time.  Pray for these boys as they learn the books of the Bible and for me as I work with them this year.

It is a pleasure to be your pastor and serve with you at Willeo Baptist Church as we go forward for the Lord together!  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in Bible study and worship.  Bring your Bible and a friend to share the Willeo spirit with.

One In The Bond Of Christian Love

February 5, 2011

The Apostle Paul teaches us “to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12: 15).  The Church of Jesus Christ is indeed at its best when we are able to carry out this admonition.  When a church the size of Willeo Baptist loses someone as important and so well loved as Vickie Rhinehart, we find ourselves both weeping and rejoicing.  Weeping, because we miss her so deeply and her gracious presence on the front left side of our sanctuary every Sunday, yet we rejoice because we believe she is experiencing life eternal with God, and that we shall see her again someday in God’s timing.

For this column allow me to share with you the note of appreciation our church received from the Rhinehart Family.

Mel Rhinehart

As a congregation we will indeed greatly miss Vickie Rhinehart.  Please continue to keep Mel and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Top Ten Moments in 2010

January 4, 2011

From Newsweek to Time magazines and from almost every other media outlet, the end of one year or the beginning of another year brings the list of the Top Ten news making stories and events of the year.  Well, I thought it might be a good idea to list the Top Ten stories and news making events in my family’s life in 2010.  Some of these events are truly exhilarating, while a few are among the most challenging moments for Jody and me.  Here is my Top Ten Life Changing Moments in 2010.

10. Created solid momentum for the McAfee School of Theology Annual Fund and endowment ventures.

9. Fielded the Willeo Baptist Church softball team and planning to field a second edition in 2011 even though our record in 2010 was 1-9.

8. Completed landscaping at our home and feel very good about how our place is looking.

7. Very successful celebration of our church’s 175 year anniversary.  I still cannot thank Jeff Young and the committee for all they did to make these events so successful.

6. Had 20 people involved in our Vacation Bible School this summer with 13 of those people being non-church members from the Drake House Ministry.  And, we initiated a cooperative effort with the Drake House Ministry and families.

5. Eleven new faces in a worship service in November.  Let’s keep reaching out and connecting with new people to seek to do the Lord’s will in missions and evangelism.  Willeo Baptist Church can grow and reach new people.

4. Our son, Matthew, passed the Alabama Bar Exam on his first attempt!!

3. Our son secured a good job with a very good company in Birmingham, AL and is now moving forward as an independent young man!!!

2. Experienced the loss and grief of the passing of too many Willeo Baptist Church longtime, solid members.  We will remember these faithful followers of Jesus Christ in a memorial service January 9^th.

1. Dedicated a baby and her brother, Olivia and Russell Young in our Christmas Eve worship service.  What better night in all the year to dedicate children to our Lord than the night we celebrate the Christ child’s birth!

2010 was a very good year for the Wilson family!  I hope 2011 is even better!  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship.  Remember to invite a friend to join us in worship.