It is with great excitement your elders would like to welcome our new Interim Pastor, Dwayne Sumner. In our search to fill this position, we have talked with many potential candidates and met with a number as well.
On Saturday night, July 18th, the elders met with our Grace Group leaders and Sunday School teachers and presented Pastor Dwayne for their consideration. Pastor Dwayne shared with the group his past pastoral experiences and answered questions. The group then voted to recommend him to the congregation as our candidate for a vote on Sunday, July 26th. You overwhelmingly approved him to serve as our Interim Pastor on that date. Join us in welcoming Pastor Dwayne and his wife, Pat, to our church. We believe God has brought him to us to serve us as our interim shepherd while our search continues for a full-time pastor.
A Word From Pastor Dwayne......
In chapter one of Henry Blackaby’s great book, The Man God Uses, with the second sentence he writes, “Throughout Scripture God used ordinary men to affect his kingdom in extraordinary ways.” I want to be one of those men. My hearts desire is for God to use me to affect His kingdom. Fortunately, Blackaby goes on to explain why God chose the men He used: “Each man God used had a responsive heart ready to hear God and a life that was available to obey God. Each also possessed the integrity to honor God.”
Now, I’m not a brain surgeon, but I can easily see what I need to do as the Interim Pastor here at Springhill Baptist Church.
Hear God. Obey God. Honor God.
Doing those three things, I believe, can put me on the right track of being used by God while I’m here at Springhill.
I’m just an ordinary guy. Now, my wife thinks I’m special… sometimes. And my mom up in Eatonton, Georgia thinks I’m special… all the time; because that’s what mom’s do! But I know I’m just an ordinary guy. Whatever gifts, talents, abilities, accomplishments, everyone else may think I have, they do not guarantee being used by God. God chooses who He will use and when He will use them. It’s all up to Him. And it should be, it’s His world. However, I do believe because of who God is that anyone and any situation can immediately go from ordinary to extraordinary with the touch of God. The deal is to put yourself into the best possible situation that would give God cause to touch you.
My goal, as the Interim Pastor here at Springhill is to do just that: Hear God. Obey God. Honor God. And then hope that God touches me, and you, and this great church!
I’m excited to serve along side you, as your Interim Pastor, as we try and reach this community for Christ together.
-Dwayne Sumner
