When Hope Unborn Turned into Victory: From the Pew to the Pulpit

By Rev. Dr. J. LaVon Kincaid Sr.

If you read only one book on spiritual direction and discernment, this book is a must read on how God moved in Dr. Kincaid's life from an unborn hope to a life of successful and effective ministry of more than sixty years. An evangelist, pastor, seminary professor, elected official, bishop, and renowned United Methodist minister, Dr. Kincaid shares his prophetic, anointed, and exciting journey in ministry.

Dr. Kincaid's hope is that God will use his story to help dispel the fears that separate us from our life calling. He also hopes to encourage and empower others who may be wrestling with a call to ministry, or Christian service in their life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781684983988

Book preview

When Hope Unborn Turned into

Victory

From the Pew to the Pulpit

Dr. J. LaVon Kincaid, Sr.

Copyright © 2022 Dr. J. LaVon Kincaid, Sr.

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-68498-397-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68498-398-8 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to my incredibly devoted wife, Bobi Jean Lyons Kincaid. I do not have adequate words to articulate the important contribution that she has made to my ministry and life for over fifty-five years. More importantly, she has been the ideal pastor’s wife and a wonderful mother to our two sons, LaMar and LaVon Jr.

I also dedicate this book to my dear departed mother, Louise. She was a single parent of an only child and did an incredible job rearing, nurturing, and supporting me throughout my life and ministry. She has received her heavenly reward and is resting in her eternal home. Her spirit and presence linger with me each day of my life.

This book is also dedicated to my sons, LaMar and LaVon Jr., family members Lynn, Jalen, Keyerra, Jaralyn, Lylia, and all of whom who have been true blessings and delightful supporters throughout the development of this book.

Lastly, this work is dedicated to the countless lay and clergypersons who have poured into my life from the beginning of my ministry in 1960 to the very present time.

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

How It All Began

The 1960s

The 1970s

The 1980s

The 1990s

The 2000s

Church Reopens

A Retrospective

Testimonials

Reviews

About the Author

Foreword

With all of life’s challenges, overlapping responsibilities, stresses, and frustrations, it is not hard to understand why so many people feel overwhelmed by fear, alienation, confusion, and doubt. That is why Dr. J. LaVon Kincaid’s autobiographical memoir titled When Hope Unborn Turned into Victory: From the Pew to the Pulpit is very much needed at this time.

His personal reflections on his life—spanning more than sixty years of Christian ministry and witness to the reality of God in his life, devotion to Jesus Christ, and constant efforts to be malleable to the leading of the Holy Spirit—is a truly inspirational story.

In his documentary handbook, the story of his evolving faith, courage, and compassion for the welfare and justice for others reveals his emerging sense of divine call to Christian ministry. In this memoir, one glimpses his growing blessed assurance of God’s presence more clearly revealed through each of the succeeding decades or stages of a young J. LaVon Kincaid’s life.

From health challenges encountered as a child, his sense of call to ministry came early in life. His license to preach while in high school and college days, his blessed marriage to Ms. Bobi Jean Lyons, seminary education, and the many ecclesiastical appointments that followed all tell stories of faith and God’s grace despite challenges, tests, and frustrations.

As such, his story is as educational as it is inspirational. It is clear that from a young age, whom we now know as the spiritually mature Dr. J. LaVon Kincaid, really has always been a mentor, role model, spiritual guide, counselor, and friend for many throughout his pastoral journey across the years.

It was my privilege to meet Dr. J. LaVon Kincaid as a colleague and friend nearly thirty years ago as we both arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, within weeks of each other. He came on appointment as assistant to the United Methodist Bishop, and I came as newly appointed associate professor of Urban Ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and founding director of its Metro-Urban Institute (MUI). I asked and he accepted my invitation to serve as a member of the MUI’s newly formed Advisory Committee. For many of those years, he was committee chair and served as Metro-Urban Institute adjunct faculty, teaching Introduction to theology classes in its Christian Leadership Certificate program. In short order, collegiality soon was transformed into Christian brotherhood.

All the above notwithstanding,