Young Alabama Preacher Becomes Pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church at 19 Years Old

Courtney Meadows, Preaching Since the Age of Six, Believes He's Been 'Called' by God to Ministry

By Nicola Menzie , Christian Post Reporter

July 9, 2013|1:53 pm

 

Courtney Meadows, currently 19 and preaching since the age of six, was finally able to answer his calling when he was installed as pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church in White Hall, Ala., during a recent and well-attended Sunday service.
"I can honestly say, there has never been a time when I couldn't imagine myself preaching," Meadows told the Montgomery Advertiser. "I always make this statement: If I'm not preaching, life is not worth living for me, because I know that's what I've been called to do."
Meadows couldn't help but smile, and the congregation laugh with him, when the presiding bishop mentioned during his installation service the New Testament requirement for a church leader to be the husband of one wife and manage his children — "when the time comes," the bishop added.

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Being the wife of a pastor for 40 years has had its share of challenges that thankfully we learned to navigate, especially early in our marriage.

We were 28 years young with two small children when Jimmy accepted the call to lead Trinity, which made for several very difficult years for our marriage and family. I know our struggles are not unique to ministry couples—far from it. So when Jimmy asked me to write for the July-August issue of Ministry Today, I knew I wanted to share some of my own experiences and story in an honest letter to pastors’ wives. (If you’re a pastor reading this, you’ll likely gain some real insight into your wife’s journey.)

What follows are some specific lessons—sometimes learned in hard ways—to encourage you that you are not, and never have been, alone.

Marriage and family are prime targets for Satan, especially pastors’ marriages. When we began MarriageToday, we were actually going though the toughest times of our lives and marriage. We began to recognize that marriage and family are the areas Satan attacks the most. If you’re a pastor’s wife, you need to grasp that Satan wants to destroy your family even more than the church.

Understanding how God sees me gives me the freedom to be myself. I knew I was not the typical “pastor’s wife.” I didn’t teach or have any musical abilities. Our church never put pressure on me to be anything more than Jimmy’s wife.

- See more at: http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-leadership/women-in-leadership/20189-an-open-letter-to-pastors-wives?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+delicious%2Fgqlf+%28Christian+Headlines+Top+Headlines%29#sthash.sWem3WAT.dpuf