We had Church Tonight

I am finally back in my hotel room after the most amazing Wednesday night service I’ve ever attended. Earlier this evening I spoke to about 150 people at the Couples Class at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. As soon as we were finished, Pastor H. B. Charles, Jr. (you should check out his blog) hustled me upstairs so we could begin the worship service in the massive and beautiful 4500-seat sanctuary. Tonight around 1000 people came for the service.

Pastor Charles greets the congregation.

After the pastor’s welcome, the ensemble led a chorus that got us on our feet and clapping.

The praise team lifted our spirits.

Then the pastor reminded the congregation that “Some people have come tonight who haven’t heard a kind word from anyone all week long. We can take care of that right now.” With that we all began to mingle and greet one another. Then came another up-tempo chorus followed by a very moving solo featuring “O How I Love Jesus.”

Eventually Pastor Charles said, “Preaching time has come.” That’s a big moment in African-American churches. Preaching is the time when we all wait to hear from the Lord. I’ve known Pastor Charles (or “H.B.” as his friends call him) for about six years. We met via the Internet. Two years ago I preached for him at his church in Los Angeles. He serves on the Keep Believing Board of Reference. When he moved to Jacksonville a year ago, I followed his ministry with interest. This church is huge in every way. Around 4000 people gather here every Sunday. It’s just down the street from the massive First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, pastored by Mac Brunson. 

I felt enormous liberty in preaching tonight.

I didn’t realize that I was being projected onto two massive screens.

Pastor Charles told me to take as long as I wanted so I must have preached 45 minutes. Maybe a bit longer. I think it was okay because the pastor told me he often preaches 55 minutes on Wednesday night. Whoever designed the sanctuary did a masterful job. With its large pulpit and broad stage, and with the circular design, it’s really a preacher’s paradise. I felt right at home as I spoke on “If I Believe, Why Do I Doubt?”

I’m leading the closing prayer.

These two sweet girls came up to say hello.

This young boy asked me to pray for his uncle.

After the service many people came up to say hello, including one woman who grew up in Tupelo.

After my message the pastor gave an appeal. As we sang a song, several of the key men lined up in front of the pulpit to talk with anyone who came forward. We closed the service by joining hands and praying for each other. Pastor Charles asked us to pray for those to our left and to our right. “It’s a way to shrink a large church and make it seem smaller,” he told me later. 

These are some of the preachers I taught last night.

After the service people stood around for quite a while talking to one another. And many came by to comment on the message and to thank me for coming. Shiloh is the one friendliest churches (and one of the best singing churches) I’ve been around in a long time. 

With Pastor H. B. Charles Jr., a great man of God and a great personal friend.

When it was all done, Pastor Charles took me back to my hotel. Before we parted, he prayed for me and for Marlene, for our family, and for Keep Believing Ministries. He is a very good man and I’m glad to have spent the last two days with him. 

Sometimes when service is particularly moving, people will say “We had church today.” It means God moved in a special way. That’s how I felt. We didn’t just have a service. We had church tonight.

God is doing big things at Shiloh Jacksonville. Tonight I got a little taste of the blessing.