Revival in Bastrop, LA

I'm always excited about new places and experiences in traveling to preach and teach the word.   One such New experience was my most recent visit with the Williams Drive Church of Christ in Bastrop, LA.   I had previously only driven through Bastrop never thinking that one day I'd return to conduct a revival.   It's amazing how the Lord brings things about.  Since drive through Bastrop the Lord led the minister's Grand-daughter to place membership with the Mountain View church who encouraged him to invite me to Bastrop.   Some two years from the time of driving through Bastrop and stumbling across the Williams drive church I found myself conducting a gospel revival....Look at God!!!   Anyway,  the minister, Brother Earnest Smith, is a very easy going 71 year old preacher who even in his golden years still has a thirst for knowledge and education.   You see, at 71, he went back to school to get his associates and is presently working on his bachelors degree.  He sits in class with his grandchildren getting an education.   I think this is so commendable that he believes its never too late to be a finisher.   I was so encouraged by this.   Wow!!!  

The Williams Drive church, being a predominately older congregation,  has a great deal of kind hearted individuals.  This traditional congregation continues to maintain many of the ways of the past church.  This includes, the reading of Sunday School minutes,  the singing of certain songs and the rejection of others and the reluctance to exercise certain liberties.   A lesson that I learned through this meeting is that there is room in the Kingdom for everyone.  Old and young, traditional and contemporary, black and white (which incidentally were both represented at this revival).   I really had a great time especially after getting past the initial introduction to the church.   The Williams drive church  is also a family church complete with uncles, cousins, aunts and big mammas etc.   Their leadership consists of Elders (of which were brother Earnest Smith and brother Robinson) and a few deacons ( one of which was brother Smith's son, Fred).   The church building sits smack dead in the middle of a predominately black residential community; a beautiful edifice.  

All and all,  I had a wonderful time teaching during the week of the revival.  The church there is truly a church in a small town that has a big heart.  

P.S. -  Brother Fred... you Que like a Texan.  

Till next Venture,

JK.