The Decision to Leave Houston

The decision to leave Houston was a difficult one.  There were probably a couple of factors that pushed me in that direction.   One was the desire to have pulpit responsibility.   I had always considered my experience as an associate minister to be a temporary one.  I felt gifted to preach, and I wanted that opportunity.  

The other was financial.   Quite often preachers move for financial reasons, but they never say so publicly.  You don’t become a preacher for financial reasons.  You’re not in it because it’s a good paying job.   But you do have the need to take care of your family.    When I accepted an associate’s position, I knew I would be limiting myself financially.  In time I realized the salary was inadequate for my growing family. 

We prayed about it, and I decided to bring the subject up as budget plans were being made for the next year.   There would be an opportunity for salary negotiation. I had decided that if I did not consider the salary increase offered to be adequate for my family that I would look into making a change.  I told Truman that, but I did not tell the elders.   When they came up with what I thought was a “low ball” offer, my decision was made.  Truman took me aside later.  He was most understanding, and told me how much he was going to miss working with me.

In the months ahead I began actively looking for another position.  At first I wanted to remain somewhere near Houston.  I went through a couple of interviews in the Houston area, but nothing came of them.  In one church we learned that strong racial prejudice was dominant in the church.  We knew that our children would never accept that, and I couldn’t see myself fitting into that kind of situation.  Nothing seemed to be working out in that area.  

I told Ann that I would be willing to work anywhere in Texas, Oklahoma or Arkansas.  She said, “We’ll go where the Lord wants us to go.”  I didn’t even have Louisiana on my list.  I got a call from a church in the New Orleans area, but chose not to pursue it.   Little did I realize that I would eventually spend fifteen years of my life in Louisiana.  I didn’t plan on returning to the North, but I would also spend fifteen years with a church in the North, and I’m living in that same community today.  I didn't give the Lord too much room to work with that Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas limitation. God overruled.