Be An Original...Well, An Original Copy! (Part Seven)

As last stated....my major disappointment came in April of ’97.....

In April of 1997, a letter from Morehouse College, stating that I had NOT been accepted!  I felt as if all of my dreams had been shattered.  By then, I just knew that I would be accepted, especially after being accepted into Baylor College.  This was not the case.  It took me years after to publicly admit that I had not been accepted.  But, yes, I was NOT accepted into Morehouse!  Then I seemed to receive clear direction.  The idea of Dallas Baptist kept popping up.  However, I had no desire to attend such an unpopular, ‘boring’ school; and saw no way how this would fit into God’s ultimate plan for my life and ministry; and how this would even connect to my intended plan of attending Princeton.  Plus…I HATED Dallas!  But along the way, doors began to open at Dallas Baptist.  It was clear to me, if no one else – that is where God wanted me!

Just after graduating high school, and being accepted into Dallas Baptist University, our city (Corpus Christi) hosted a City-Wide revival.  Interestingly, the preachers who were on to share that week just so happened to hail from Dallas.  One of the evangelists was Frederick D. Haynes, III.  When I finally heard him preach, I thought he was good, but different.  After a while, his preaching began to grow on me.  While I didn’t connect with his exposition at first, I was blown away by his linguistic ability, his use of words (which sort of reminded me of A. Louis Patterson) and his seeming ability to touch the heart of the hip hop culture.  One of the things that fascinated me, when it came to the preaching of Frederick Haynes, is that he seemed to get a very enthusiastic response and dialogue from the crowd without ever utilizing the ‘hoop’.  In fact, it seemed to me, the response was even stronger!  It was then, that I began to develop atleast a momentary confidence and comfort in my ability to ‘tell the story’ and use my mind to speak to and capture the hearts and minds of the hearer.  During that season of my life, this is when Haynes became very instrumental in my use of illustration and introductions in my sermon delivery.  For me, Haynes’s preaching never failed to provide me with anecdotes, word pictures and heart-wrenching questions that would help me to build my own sermons and content.  Unfortunately, it somewhat became a crutch along the way.  I began to study less and listen to tapes for insight and enlightenment.  I discovered at the moments when my study would outweigh the listening aspect, my preaching would be more empowering; and when I listened and copied more, studying less…it had the opposite effect. 

As I prepared to go off the school in the fall of ’97, I was very excited about attending some of the churches of the preachers I had grown to admire.  Unfortunately….my parents didn’t allow me to take my car that fall.  Incidentally, the only church within walking distance of our aloof campus was The Potter’s House of Dallas, where Bishop T.D. Jakes served as the founding pastor.  At that time, Jakes was somewhat of a stigma, seen as highly charismatic and highly misunderstood.  For many, he was very new; and had yet to gain the crossover title of ‘The next Billy Graham’, friends with presidents, renowned publisher, Dr. Phil consultant, Oprah friend, etc.  To say the least, I had to sneak over to his church.  This was during a time when Saturday services were quite new.  I left my dorm room at about 5:30pm, and walked over to The Potter’s House.  Whatever I had seen regarding a ‘church crowd’ paled in comparison to what I saw that night.  Of course, this would be the beginning of what I would encounter in Dallas, but this was ‘epic’.  Imagine coming from Corpus Christi, where things were a little ‘simpler’, entering into a church with thousands of people there, on a Saturday night, with screens, music that could rival a Michael Jackson or Madonna concert, and ball players within you eyeview.  I guess you can say that it was ‘culture shock’.  Interestingly, this was my first experience seeing an epilogue leading up to the worship, and an actual countdown to the opening of the worship experience.  What seems so commonplace now was quite astonishing to me then.  During this first-class worship experience, Jakes comes out!  I don’t know how I remember what the people wear; but I actually know he had on a mauve suit with a curved lapel jacket.  I noticed that, as he stood in the pulpit, he seemed to be in a modus operandi of CEO; checking out the staff, musicians, crowd, etc.  Then he stepped to the podium and welcomed everyone to worship.  After his welcome, he actually came down and shook hands.  Somehow, he and I shook hands.  Tough I would come to know his children in the coming years, that was really the only encounter I’ve had with him personally.  One thing is clear….he preached!  Though different from most of the preaching I’d grown accustomed to; I vividly remember being a little shocked that he preached a solid message.  Don't ask me why I was shocked...I guess during that time many only knew of Jakes as a Pentecostal preacher who hollered and screamed.  Somehow, I played into the hype.  But there was and is not doubt in my mind that, even in listening to the sermon today (I somehow managed to purchase the sermon), the quality and content of his sermon was solid and strong.  He preached, ‘Christ in Crisis’, from an obscure passage in Colossians, dealing with the all-sufficiency of Christ, along with the familiar story of Christ in the boat with his disciples.  I remember walking back, as all of those nice cars left the building…uplifted by the message; while also saying to myself, ‘I can’t do that!’?.....

Be An Original...Well, An Original Copy! (Part Six)

During the course of the E.K. Bailey conference, I was most intrigued and impressed with the up-close-and-personal encounter we had with Dr. Bailey.  At the hotel, we were eating lunch between sessions, and Dr. Bailey came over and sat with us.  I was always impressed by all of the ministers who seemed to know Rev. Miller; and also my father.  

Interestingly, I wouldn’t know until years later that Dr. Bailey was actually the best of friends with my uncle, Rev. Monty Francis, of Waco.  Bailey sat with us for at least one hour or so, sharing his experiences of putting the conference together, his congregational life, T.D. Jakes’ recent move to Dallas, etc.  I found it impressionable how he had no issues or qualms with Jakes’ presence in Dallas; and that he had seen no problems with those who would decide to leave and become a part of his growing congregation.   I couldn’t believe how personal and down-to-earth he was.  As impactful as that experience was for me, nothing during that time matches another experience I had at that particular event.  We were in a general session; and in walks the late Manuel Scott, Sr.  By that time, I had read his two books; and had really grown to love his preaching.  My Uncle Monty, my father and especially Rev. Miller had developed a deep respect, love and closeness to Dr. Scott.  I was amazed at how he seemed to be so genuine, even in that passing and fleeting moment that lasted all but one minute.  I remember, as he walked, he was apparently going blind at that time…he was impeccably dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black tie.  He reached out to touch my head, grabbing my hand and, after asking who I was and following my response, he said, ‘Son…I know your family.  I love you, son.  Don’t you ever forget where you came from.’  That would be the only encounter I would ever have with such a great man and venerable sage, who has proven to be one of my favorite preachers of all time.  It became surreal when, years later, I would stand to preach in the place he proclaimed the word for many years, at the historic St. John Church of Dallas.

By the time I would enter my final year of high school, I had worked up to being a young, itinerant, teenage preacher.  I was preaching regularly in revivals for my mentors, the late R.L. Sanders (of Fort Worth), my uncles...Monty Earl Francis (of Waco, Tx) and Lloyd A. Pullam (of Denton, Tx).

A funny thing would happen to me on that same summer, after attending the Bailey conference.  I was scheduled to preach in revival for my uncle, Monty Francis, at his church in Waco, the Pleasant Olive Church.  As fate would have it, there was also another revival going on down the street, at a neighboring congregation.  The evangelist there was none other than the highly regarded C.A.W. Clark, distinguished Pastor of the historical Good Street Baptist Church of Dallas!!!  I will never forget stoically staring at the Waco Tribune-Herald local column seeing my picture plastered next to the legendary Caesar Clark.  What a humbling (and for me at that moment….humiliating) experience for a 17-year old kid with private insecurities.  One night my uncle took me over to meet Dr. Clark.  Clark had finished preaching, and was standing up front to greet the local parishioners.  I was immediately struck by his height.  He was short in stature, but possessed a quiet serenity and coolness that seemed to shine through taller than a high mountain.  As I approached him, I had the opportunity to ask him to sign my Bible.  I told him that I was in revival down the street; he shared a few words with my uncle, whom he knew.  All he said to me was, ‘….bless you!’  That was enough for me.  It made my day!

I most enjoyed preaching at my home church, St. John 1st in Corpus Christi, at Friendship (where Rev. Miller served as Pastor), and for my preaching mentor, Earl Jackson, in Kingsville, Tx. and the late E. Thurman Walker, of San Antonio, Tx.  These men, among many others, willingly allowed me to share from their pulpits, even when I often failed to do the best.

Their kindness, advice, counsel and confrontations are something I’ve never forgotten; and always consider to be a mark of God’s own faithfulness to me.  So many of these ‘servants’ and ‘angels’ were a blessing to me spiritually and monetarily.  Not just these men; but many others with whom I would encounter along the way.  Just one example of this came just before my sophomore year in high school.  My parents and I were traveling to take my elder brother, Keith, to Prairie View, for his freshman year of college.  Staying over in Houston on Saturday and Sunday, I simply had to go by and see the preacher I had grown to admire, Gary (G. Emerson) Scott, of the Trinity Fellowship Church.  He had left a congregation in Houston and planted his own church, in the Southeast section of Houston.  As a result, it was difficult to locate where he would be on Sunday.  However, my Dad (in some way) found his church, and there we were!  He and his congregation were meeting at a Holiday Inn in Houston.  We were late; but simply being there made me feel like a kid at Disney World.  After service, Pastor Scott took us to his little portable office in the hotel, and personally let me see all of his books.  I was quite astonished to see that he liked many of the same authors I was reading at that time, namely Max Lucado, Frederick Buechner and Paul Tillich.  He then asked his secretary to write me a check for $150, and instructed me to invest in my ministry, but to also pick up a Greek Lexicon published by Baker.  I was on cloud 9!  This continued throughout my young ministry; and has never failed to impress upon me a desire to invest in the lives of young ministers that follow.  
     

I really enjoyed my senior year of high school.  Though in a relationship that somewhat put a damper on the experience, I must admit that I had a great year!  My experience at the Bailey conference solidified my growing desire to be a student of ‘expository preaching’.  In addition, I knew one thing up to that point: I had to go to school.  At that time, I had the plan of attaining my doctorate by the age of 30, no later than 35.  By this time, I had begun to communicate on a regular basis, in written communication, with Cleophus J. LaRue, a native of Corpus Christ who had become quite successful in the world of Academia and, by then, had become adjunct professor at Princeton Theological Seminary.  My entire plan included one day attending Princeton as a graduate student.  By my senior year, I had already envisioned my purpose, calling and the route I desired to take in life: to preach, to teach preachers, to teach in seminary, to write and to pastor.  I had no desire to do anything else.  That was it!

Over the course of my senior year, my major disappointment came in April of ’97.....