Pastor's Pen (Bulletin Version) - October 22, 2006

In October of 1998, Messiah Baptist Fellowship (as Fellowship Baptist Church was then known) had a Church Charter Day at the facilities next to the Red Door Sub Shop in Salisbury. Thirty people signed the church charter that day as they were led by Pastor Steve Wagner. After having a family style dinner at English's Restaurant, they returned to the church facilities for an afternoon service. Dr. William Woodhall, a retired pastor from Delaware who later served here as Interim Pastor, was the guest speaker for the afternoon service and preached from Acts 2 regarding the necessity of building a church based upon the principles of God's Word.

Looking through the history this week in preparation for our Anniversary, I was amazed at all the changes that have occurred in the short eight-year history of this church.

The original charter was signed by thirty-one people. In the past eight years, some of those original charter members have moved out of state, some of them have moved on to other places of worship, and some of them have moved on to their Heavenly reward. There only remains a handful from that original group, yet the church is moving forward and thriving.

God has provided us with a great "core group" of believers and has brought the church through many things in the last eight years. I rejoice in the leadership of Pastor Wagner and Pastor Woodhall in laying a solid foundation for this church. I rejoice in the leadership of our deacons and men in allowing us to stay strong as the church went through a leadership change with Pastor Wagner's call to South Carolina (often difficult for a small and young church).

As I have looked at the changes and thought about things (even the restaurant they ate at that Charter Sunday is no longer in existence), I rejoice in the things that have not changed. Our God is not changed, His Word is not changed, and the firm stand of this church on the unchanging Gospel has not changed.

May God give us many more years of faithfulness to Him.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone