Recently I received a heart-warming letter from a young man I knew and his family who were members of the first church I pastored in South Alabama--the Brownville Pentecostal Holiness Church--six miles from Evergreen
He is Robert Waters. At my age of 91 I often wonder if my work and ministry has had any lasting results. Robert has helped me to correct that faulty thinking. My thoughts have turned to Scripture, namely one God gave me when I was a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. It is recorded in John 15:16:
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.
KJV
I haved asked Robert for permission to publish his letter to me. Here is his response: "It's hard to believe that it has been 61 years since you and Melvine came to our church in 1963. You have been on my mind for a little while so I decided I would see if I could find you and I did. I just simply wanted to let you know how I felt. I am not looking for any attention or acclamation but to give you thanks and appreciation for coming into my life and helping me in the most important decision that anyone can make, accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior."
The following is Robert's original letter to me:
He is Robert Waters. At my age of 91 I often wonder if my work and ministry has had any lasting results. Robert has helped me to correct that faulty thinking. My thoughts have turned to Scripture, namely one God gave me when I was a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. It is recorded in John 15:16:
John 15:16
Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.
KJV
I haved asked Robert for permission to publish his letter to me. Here is his response: "It's hard to believe that it has been 61 years since you and Melvine came to our church in 1963. You have been on my mind for a little while so I decided I would see if I could find you and I did. I just simply wanted to let you know how I felt. I am not looking for any attention or acclamation but to give you thanks and appreciation for coming into my life and helping me in the most important decision that anyone can make, accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior."
The following is Robert's original letter to me:
Dear Pastor Morgan,
It has been a long time and you probably don't remember me as it has been over 50 years, My name is Robert Waters. You became our pastor at Brownville Pentecostal Church near Evergreen, Alabama in 1963. I was 15 years old at the time. I loved hearing you play the trombone. Melvine was one of my teachers at Evergreen High School. She was a wonderful teacher. I never forgot her. I'm so sorry to hear of her passing.
I vividly remember the day when I went forward and knelt at the altar to surrender my life to Jesus. As tears ran down my face you knelt with me and prayed and also wept with me. It was a day I will never forget.
My dad was Morton Waters. I remember him telling us he met you and Melvine at the parsonage when you guys came down to Evergreen to lead our church. He talked about ya'll a lot in the years that passed.
My sweet mother went home in 1997 after 56 years of marriage and my dad followed in 2001.
I have 2 sisters, Mattie Lou (Howard) and she still remembers you. She is 82 and lives in Alexander City, Alabama. Her husband Tom passed away 5 years ago.
My sister Nancy (Miller) lives in Cookville, Tennessee and her husband Mike also passed away several years ago. She is 79.
I live in Pace, Florida. Whenever we all get together we reminise about when we were in Brownville PH. Those were foundational years for us, especially me. I am 75 now, have a wonderful wife and I just wanted to take a few moments to let you know I was thinking of you and what an impact you made in my life. I will see my Savior and my parents again thanks to your guidance and teachings. Thank you again for what you did in my life, forever changed!!!
Robert Waters
It has been a long time and you probably don't remember me as it has been over 50 years, My name is Robert Waters. You became our pastor at Brownville Pentecostal Church near Evergreen, Alabama in 1963. I was 15 years old at the time. I loved hearing you play the trombone. Melvine was one of my teachers at Evergreen High School. She was a wonderful teacher. I never forgot her. I'm so sorry to hear of her passing.
I vividly remember the day when I went forward and knelt at the altar to surrender my life to Jesus. As tears ran down my face you knelt with me and prayed and also wept with me. It was a day I will never forget.
My dad was Morton Waters. I remember him telling us he met you and Melvine at the parsonage when you guys came down to Evergreen to lead our church. He talked about ya'll a lot in the years that passed.
My sweet mother went home in 1997 after 56 years of marriage and my dad followed in 2001.
I have 2 sisters, Mattie Lou (Howard) and she still remembers you. She is 82 and lives in Alexander City, Alabama. Her husband Tom passed away 5 years ago.
My sister Nancy (Miller) lives in Cookville, Tennessee and her husband Mike also passed away several years ago. She is 79.
I live in Pace, Florida. Whenever we all get together we reminise about when we were in Brownville PH. Those were foundational years for us, especially me. I am 75 now, have a wonderful wife and I just wanted to take a few moments to let you know I was thinking of you and what an impact you made in my life. I will see my Savior and my parents again thanks to your guidance and teachings. Thank you again for what you did in my life, forever changed!!!
Robert Waters