How I Got Saved

As a child I attended a Roman Catholic Grammar School and even wanted to be a priest. My high school period was spent in a Catholic Preparatory Seminary that was administered and staffed by Jesuits. By this time, my fullest intention was to be a Roman Catholic priest.

However, God intervened and I wound up drifting for a number of years from gangs to the Black Panther Party to Eastern religions to the Occult, seeking some type of spiritual satisfaction.

One Tuesday in December, nearly 30 years ago, I made a challenge to the Holy Spirit. I said, "Today I want to see what is true. Either the Bible is true and I'm a liar or I am true and the Bible is a liar." I distinctly remember a "inner" voice /knowing saying, "OK let's see!".

I picked up a tract by the late Dr. John R. Rice titled "What Must I Do To Be Saved" and read through it's contents and laid it aside because it was the first time that I ever really understood what it means to be saved.

Frankly, I was just plain scared to do it.

I turned the radio on and there was a voice that I heard before but, didn't know the name of the speaker.

I reached to turn the station.

"Now, don't touch that dial mister", he said.

"Just wait a minute. You may be a church member or a singer in the choir. You may be a trustee or usher or deacon. You may even be a preacher and pastor a large and fine church, but unless you are born-again, washed in the pure stainless blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ; you'll cook, you'll roast, you'll barbecue in the endless fires of hell for all eternity!"

Instantly I saw myself burning in Hell.

It was as if the whole room were on fire.

There was a feeling of helplessness..hopelessness; an all-pervading sense of terror!

I could hear him saying, " If you don't want to spend eternity in Hell then cry out to God to forgive you of your sin; and make Jesus the Lord of your life.. believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and trust only Jesus to save you and He will."

I did exactly as he said and the Lord saved me then and there for all eternity.

There isn't anyway anyone can prove that this broadcast was not made for me.

I found out later that the speaker that day was noted Baptist evangelist, Dr. Oliver B. Greene; the show was The Gospel Hour which is still in existence.

And I also found out that he had already been in Heaven a number of years when that broadcast was aired!

My Call to Preach the Gospel

In June of the following year, I suffered what appeared to be a heart attack on Father's Day and was hospitalized.

Unknown to me, the following night my wife and her oldest brother were murdered by a young man that was a friend of their family for years.

When I found out, a week later, I asked God "Why?".

He told me, "Preach deliverance to the captive."

I asked again "Lord why?".

He answered, "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep."In that order.

I said, "Lord, what do you want me to do..preach? If you do I'll do whatever you say."

His final words were, "Cry aloud and spare not!"

It is ironic that these leadings have been ensamples of the three types of ministry that I have been privileged to work in for the last 20+ years. I have labored as a evangelist, a pastor and a missionary. I bring this wealth of experience to any church that is led by God to use me.

I hold valid scriptural baptism from First Roseland Baptist Church, in Chicago, Illinois, planted in 1887, and was sent out by Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, in Justice, Illinois (extinct).

My home church is: WAYMARK BAPTIST TEMPLE, Aurora, Illinois Planted 1997