Light at the End

By G. RAYMOND CHAVERS

This book begins with my second formal/public calling in 1961 as led into a Licensed Minister and involves all the mystery ways God has let me in the Gospel Ministry. I have learned our Lord is not restricted to the usual ways of thinking in the Ministry calling. The Book is inspirational to Ministers who can get very discouraged. I trust you will stay with your calling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781462830350

G. RAYMOND CHAVERS

The past 69 years of my life I can observe our Lord's producing success and results. His results in His way in my Ministry life. I was raised by my Grand parents due to thier own reasons during childhood and teenage years. they also raised me in all complete church life including Sunday Schools Church Services and night Training Unions. Revival Services came along and we were there. Summer Vacation Bible Schools also we were there. We were in a denominational church and I was Saved and Baptized at the age of 9 the last night of a Revival meeting. A few years later a boys organization was formed the Royal Ambassadors in the church. I achieved Ambassador Extraordinary rank. At the age 13 a voice told me, "Raymond I want you to Preach." It stayed with me and I told Grandmaw about it. She told me to tell our Pastor and I did. I did go and make a public commitment to Preach. The Pastor gave me a chance to Preach and Grandmaw helped me write it out. So at the age 13 I gave the "Sermon." I received a lot of well wishers. From there the voice stayed with me through the years including while in the U.S. Air Force and Discharge.

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Copyright © 2009 by G. Raymond Chavers.

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Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CONFIRMATION

PRAYER PARTNERS

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

PREFACE

The purpose of this book is to possibly help reduce Minister and Pastor Casualties simply because they cannot get the BREAKS they need from Pastors or Higher Up People. They cannot get the recognition from the Pastors even though other Preachers are coming along and getting PUSHED to the front. However, my fellow Preachers In Christ you somehow just DO NOT fit into the picture or the SYSTEM. Oh, but you ask, Was it a misunderstanding on my part to even be called to preach?

That question only you and the Lord can answer, however, perhaps I can throw in these ideas to think about regardless of where you are at right now in your achievements in Preaching.

I suggest you do not get on an emotional HIGH with this subject or you can get misled. Many times people have come to me that way, very emotional high, and I warned them about it. Because when that thing happens that brings you down suddenly to a Spiritual Crash it is very HARD to stabilize back with our Lord. It might take an average of 2 to 3 hours to stabilize. So do not base your calling of God on an emotional high experience with all the TEMPORARY excitement that it has to offer.

Instead let us turn back to the very initial experience you had with our Lord in calling you at all to Preach. I ask you right now. HOW REAL WAS HIS VOICE and HOW CLEAR DID YOU LISTEN?

For personal example for me this is my outline very briefly. This book will deal with this and more. I felt the first call at 13 years old in 1953. This second call was in December, 1961. I was Licensed to Preach on December 6, 1961 at our local Baptist Church with our Pastor Presiding. I was later Ordained to the Gospel Ministry on May 13, 1973 and at that time called by our church as an Ordained Minister as an Assistant Church Pastor (Associate Pastor) In-Charge of our Church Bus Ministry at no salary. I served one year and resigned. Later January, 1994 I was asked to start a group to organize into a church. They chartered into a church in May 23, 1994 and called me as their Pastor. In 1998 January we transferred from El Paso, Texas to Rochester, MN. In our 10th year 2008, we were forced to stop meeting for now until we could find a location to meet and carry on. This is now May, 2008 we think we found a place, but it is not ready yet.

Now I suggest we go into this book and find what our Lord has for us now to consider on our calling to the Gospel Ministry. Shall we? Here we go in the Spirit of Christ, and the oddities or strange things the calling of God might present. All this is in the Name of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

INTRODUCTION

This book is written to the Licensed Preachers and Ordained Ministers and Pastors who are experiencing very tough times in their Ministerial work and who do not fit in with the usual average church makeup of Pastoring qualifications or church regular guidelines.

This book is heavily dedicated to some servants of our Lord who have had guided me in my Ministry life and still are heavily influencing me. I heavily mention them below in this way.

Ann Maupin a very close friend of ours who I met when I was first Licensed to the Ministry in 1961. We have now regained our connection and we share our ministry with her now for old time sake. I regard her as our church youth Mom. Mom is still there for us kids, even now. Hi Mom Ann Maupin!

Elder Benjamin and Rosalind Woolridge Sr., who walked with me through the thickness of thick nightmares of my Ministry and Personal Life. I met them about 1986 year. Elder Ben Woolridge Sr., our informal Assistant Pastor of our church, gave me the idea of this book a few years ago. The time seems to be right now with Leadership of the Holy Spirit. They have walked with me in life, the good and the very down times, all these years.

Then there is Raymond H. Frost and his wife Hilde L. Frost, who invited me to come up here to Rochester, Minnesota from El Paso, Texas in December 31, 1997 to live with them since everything was in devastation for me in life and also to start our church here as a Pastor full time. Since then the Lord has called Ray Frost home to Glory and therefore, I also write this book in memory of Late Ray Frost and dedicate this writing to him and his wife Hilde as well. More of them to be discussed in this book.

I trust this book will be understood in the Guidance of the Holy Spirit as He leads me to write. I will be in heavy prayer during this writing for His Power to be made MANIFEST.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In writing this book, I do not write it alone. There are more people who have been in my life now and in previous years who I feel the need to be acknowledged and in this way also thank you for being there for me in times of devastation and joys as well. Thank you to these people who our Lord used them to me for His Purposes. To our Lord God be the Glory in Jesus Name:

Rev. Doctorate Minister (D.MIN) Steve Melvin, Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention Staff Member, Rochester, Minnesota. Rev. Steve Melvin has always been there on the phone when I needed to talk to someone about Pastoring problems with this most unusual church. God has PUT me in. The church is the Joyful Hope Baptist Church, Rochester, Minnesota. He understands the church and me very well. Always will talk to me during these 10 years I have Pastored, when he is in his office.

Susan Born Bryant, who is on our church staff and served well with helping plan the music for services, cleaning and organizing the Worship area which is in Susan and Roger’s apartment. She also was a lot of help with me when I was so sick when I came to Rochester, Minnesota. Susan and other family members were a tremendous help.

Lela C. Born has offered her house basement for our church services so we can continue our church after we have been displaced from their apartment. She is also a HH member, later to be discussed.

Then there is Arlene Laven from her Singles Department at her church. I was low in life immediately following a broken relationship. I walked into it that Bible Study group desperately lonely and looking for someone. She brought herself forward as a friend and been there all this time, even with contact today.

I also have the family of Mr. and Mrs. Harold and Carol Drew. After my then relationship dissolved, I met them by way of their daughter Amanda Drew. They as a family accepted me into their family even during the darkest days of my personal life. Amanda walked into our apartment more times and found me in an emergency status and stabilized me.

And then there is my wife Leah Tutor Chavers, who very graciously has consented to do all of the typing of my manuscripts for this book. The Lord God has brought us together in God’s way as she is from the Philippines. I am very close to all of her family.

CONFIRMATION

It was heavily suggested by Elder Benjamin G. Woolridge SR. in El Paso, Texas to add this page to this writing. He and I along with Susan Born Bryant feel that the nature of this writing could easily be considered as very far out from the perhaps usual ways of life of a Minister or Pastor. They feel their names and contact methods might be needed to confirm to the reader that all the writing that took place in El Paso, Texas be able to confirm with Elder Benjamin Woolridge SR. By the same approach that one of our church officers here Susan Born Bryant be the local contact here where I have been since January 1, 1998. Susan has been in close contact with