On My Way to Stroudsburg, PA
July 17, 2010
Go to the highlighted A and you’re in Stroudsburg.
This morning I’m on my way to northeastern Pennsylvania, to a town named Stroudsburg, located in the Poconos, right on the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border, not that far from Scranton, a town made famous in recent years as the locale for the sit-com “The Office.” But Stroudsburg is important to me for another reason.
About five-and-a-half years ago, when we were still at the church in Oak Park, Davis Duggins came to me one day and said he felt called to become a senior pastor. Several weeks later he began talking with the Berean Bible Fellowship Church in Stroudsburg. I recall that in order to become a recognized pastor in the Bible Fellowship Church, he had to attend several meetings and pass an examination by the denominational leaders. In due course he met all the requirements and in the summer of 2005, he and Kathy moved from Oak Park to Stroudsburg. Over the next several years I heard from him periodically, mostly in emails where he extolled the beauties of the region and talked about seeing deer on the church property.
Two years ago I preached at nearby Pinebrook Bible Conference, a well-known conference center founded many years ago by the late Percy Crawford, a dynamic preacher on the “Young People’s Church of the Air.” A generation ago Pinebrook attracted people from up and down the East Coast. Today it mainly (though not exclusively) serves the Bible Fellowship Church. Marlene and I flew in early so I could speak for Davis at the church in Stroudsburg.
And that’s what I’m doing today, the only difference being that on this two-week trip I’m traveling by myself since Marlene is waiting for the phone call from Josh and Leah saying that our grandson is on the way. As soon as she gets the call, she’ll drive to Dallas to help them with the new baby. I fully expect that our first grandson will be born while I’m in Pennsylvania this week or New York next week. I’m going to make it to Dallas as soon as I can, which probably means two weeks from today.
So I’ll be preaching tomorrow at the church in Stroudsburg, then Monday-Thursday evenings at Pinebrook, then I’m heading north for a week of ministry at Word of Life in Schroon Lake, New York. If you are in the area in either Pennsylvania or New York, we would love for you join us for one of the services.
Meanwhile my cell phone will be on at all times so I can get the news from Dallas that our grandson has finally arrived.