I was an ordained associate pastor at my childhood church while I continued a career in aerospace sales. Then I got a call from my pastor, who also served as bishop of the Western Michigan jurisdiction of our denomination: "Son, this is why you've been with me all your life. A church in Grand Rapids is in trouble. They're one week away from losing the lease on their building. We're going to pray over you and anoint you with oil. Saturday morning in Grand Rapids you will get the keys, and Sunday morning you'll be in the pulpit. See you tonight at church."
He gave me absolutely no opportunity to reply. I called my wife and we concluded, "I guess we're on our faith journey."
Five people attended the little white church on the hill that first Sunday: Jean and I and our children, ages 4, 2, and 1. There was no money in the bank.
For our first Easter service, we bought Easter baskets anticipating families would attend. Nobody came, not even those we'd been visiting. So we stood outside waving at those going by and gave Easter baskets to the children. I guess that was the beginning of our street ministry.
By August a dozen or so people attended on a regular basis, but we faced our first financial crisis. We had barely met budget that month and then received notice that we needed $400 to meet our first denominational assessment.
Back then my wife and I were not only the pastoral staff, we were also the janitors. As we were vacuuming the church and cleaning the toilets after Sunday service, a gentleman walked through the door.
"I've been watching you since you came here in the spring," he said. "I've watched nobody come, but I've watched you show up. I've watched you, your children, and your wife remain faithful."
He said: "I grew up in the church, but I haven't been a part of one for a long time, and I haven't paid my tithe in a long time. God told me to come here and pay my tithe at this church this afternoon."
"And Pastor," he said, "if you pray for me, which I know you'll do, then I want to sow my tithe into this ministry." We prayed for him, and after we finished praying and he left, we opened up the envelope. It was exactly $400.
Many times over the years my faith has been tested. However, this experience was the beginning of God showing us what it means to have faith in him. As we faced this first financial test, God calmed our fears, answered our prayer, and showed himself faithful through a stranger who walked into the church. That man and his family soon became members of the church.
Renaissance Church, which began with five, now has a membership of over 700. We have touched lives through international television ministry and locally through our community development corporation. Through our nonprofit, we've raised over $40,000 to help inner-city children to attend college. God has blessed us far beyond our testing.
It all began with a phone call that scared the living daylights out of me. Yet today, when I lack confidence, I pray, God, if you don't do it, it won't be done. And I don't want to do any of it without you.
I still get queasy when I reflect on the magnitude of the calling on my life. To me, that queasiness is an indication that God is waiting for me to fall on my knees and ask him to guide my path.
There's an old church song that says "If we just hold on to God's unchanging hand, everything will be all right." Many times that's difficult, yet it's ever so true. The foundation of our faith and ministry is Luke 1:37, "For with God, nothing shall be impossible." Indeed, God has made the impossible a reality for us.
Dennis J. McMurray is pastor of Renaissance Church of God in Christ, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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