Many of us have been praying for Joey's former pastor, Nathan James, as he faces terminal cancer.
Joey said Pastor James came to church in a wheelchair yesterday with all six children now home and in church with him (and his wife, of course). Joey spoke to several children--the line was too long to speak to the pastor himself.
In typical Joey language, he told me "Pastor James will be with Jesus before his birthday on August 4."
So heartbreakingly sweet.
Calvary Memorial has successfully passed the baton too. After Pastor James retired during the pandemic, the church conducted a two year search, then called Pastor James' son-in-law for senior pastor. He had been there all along, serving as the assistant! God is so good!
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/journaltimes/name/nathan-james-obituary?id=52527492
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/journaltimes/name/nathan-james-obituary?id=52527492
The obituary. The three sons (and families) who are serving overseas as missionaries are in Bulgaria, Thailand, and the Philippines.
https://www.youtube.com/live/GlI5-5eld5c?feature=share
Here is the link to the 7/23 service where the former pastor’s death is announced at around 13:00.
Joey is at the very beginning, as they gather, and at the end.
The sermon is by another retiring pastor who, as I understand, served as interim the two years they had no pastor. He finishes a three part series on the family today. Sweet how God leads churches in different parts of the country to do the same thing on the same weeks! Interesting that he ends (last 20 mins or so) with reviewing the ways they updated their church constitution in order to show compassion for the sinner but also to leave no doubt that any expressions outside of God’s pattern for sexual identity and marriage are sin.
Joey just texted me that Pastor James died Weds. Heaven is sweeter. Praying for the family.
Praying🙏
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻