As of June 1, 2011, our evangelist of nearly seven years, brother Tim Smelser, has moved on to tend to a new flock. He will be joining the Powers Ferry Church of Christ as their full time preacher, and, while we wish him and his new church family all the best, we will miss Tim very much. He has been a wonderful influence to our congregation, and I don't think we'd be the solid, close-knit group we are today without his presence. We are each better Christians because he has been in our lives.
Personally, Tim is more than a brother in Christ; he is also my cousin – a cousin I barely knew when he started working with us those years ago. In that time, he has shown me what it is to be a Christian husband and father. He has been an example of standing firm in the faith while demonstrating mercy and kindness when needed. He has helped me through spiritual challenges of my own, and I hope now I can help others as he helped me.
For the time being, we are not actively pursuing a replacement for brother Tim. Brother Ben Lanius will be doing much of the preaching for our flock in the coming weeks. Others (myself included) will also be doing some of the lessons as opportunity arises. As always, I'll continue to document those lessons here, and you will still see lessons from brother Tim as well. I'm far from caught up on his most recent sermons, and I'll occasionally dig into my archives to post notes from the days before this blog's existence.
While Tim Smelser may be moving on to work with another Christian family, this family will keep him in their hearts, and we will continue to work to live up to the standard he always held before us in God's word.
But as for you, O man of God…pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses……O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.Grace be with you.
- I Timothy 6:11-21 (excerpts)
