As I sat and read over the past 6 Men of God blog posts that I have made, I suddenly realized that I have left out 3 of the most influential Pastors that have been in my life. All 3 of these have went on to be with Jesus now but the impact they had on my life will remain with me forever.
Preacher Edd Spencer - Preacher Spencer was my grandfather on my mother's side.
Back in the 50’s and 60’s, my papaw, James Edward Spencer, was one of the most popular preachers in all of Knox County, heck maybe even East, TN. I called him “Paw.” He was a tall, lanky man, filled with the Spirit of God. He preached hell-fire and damnation, but he also preached of God’s love and forgiveness. One thing that made his sermons great was his showy antics. For example, when he preached of the Prodigal Son, he would open the side door of the church and call out as if the long lost son was out there somewhere; he also got down on his hands and knees and ate from an imaginary hog’s troft. To demonstrate Zacchaeus climbing up in a tree to see Jesus, papaw would climb in the window seal of the church or scale a revival tent pole. In 1942, Paw was one of the original founders of Highland Baptist Church where he also pastored 2 different times for a total of 9-years.
Then, 12 years later, in 1954, he founded North Acres Baptist Church, where he preached for 19 years, right up until his death. Still to this day when people find out that I am Preacher Spencer's grandson, they start telling me of all the times they listened to him and how they considered him their favorite preacher. I've got one of my papaw's sermons uploaded on the internet and you can listen to him preach a message titled, "Neglect So Great Salvation," just click HERE.
Preacher Adral Glenn Hall Sr. - My Great Uncle Adral was a little more “citified” than my papaw Spencer was. His sermons were a little more relaxed and he was softer spoken. I don’t recall hearing any “hell-fire and brimstone” messages from him; however, I wasn’t present in as many his services as I was Paw’s. Uncle Adral pastored several churches; the one that I remember the most was Elm Street Baptist church in Knoxville. That is where I accepted Christ as my Savior. It was during Vacation Bible School, back in 1972, I was 6-years old. I remember sitting through the preaching service and it came time for the invitation. Everyone was standing and singing, “Just As I Am.” My heart was pounding out of my chest; I was gripping the pew in front of me so hard that my fingers were hurting. I had been feeling conviction for quite some time but this time was more than I could stand. I heard uncle Adral beckon, “If you are out there and you are lost, don’t put it off any longer…come. If you leave here tonight without being saved, you don’t have the guarantee that you will ever get the opportunity again…come.” All of a sudden I felt the chains just fall from my shoulders. I practically ran up to the front. I was bawling my head off and it was right there on that altar, with my uncle Adral’s arms wrapped around me, that I uttered the sinner’s prayer and accepted Christ as my Savior. Never before had I felt such relief. Uncle Adral passed away on January 10, 1999. Now all I have to remember him by are my memories and a grave marker in Union Cemetery. I visit his gravesite occasionally and wonder if he would be proud of me today, or if I would be a disappointment. I wish that I had spent more time with him during his last days. Unfortunately, I don't have any of Uncle Adral's sermons to share, I sure wish that I did.
Preacher Jamie Porterfield - Pastor Jamie is the man that I call "my pastor." He was the Pastor at House Mountain Baptist Church where my family and I attended. Jamie was one of the most talented singers you have ever heard and he could have made a living professionally singing. But not only was he a great singer, he was a great preacher and pastor. He always preached with great compassion in his sermons. Jamie took interest in me and would go out of his way to help me in my Spiritual walk. It was he that taught me how to lead congregational music and conduct a choir. He worked with me on how to keep proper time with my hands through all of the different time signatures. He would give me pointers and correct me when I would do something wrong. He always stressed that I needed to lead the songs with my heart and he gave me books that told the stories behind the hymns. He encouraged me to read the books and find out why the authors wrote them. It was during Jamie's pastorship that I received the call to preach. He encouraged me all of the time. He saw potential in me and would give me opportunities to preach. I will never forget the night we got the terrible phone call telling us that Jamie's 19-year old son, Joe, had fallen asleep while driving and had died in a car accident. Jamie and his wife Judy were so distraught. I took it upon myself to try and lead the church during this difficult time. One night we all drove to Jamie's house and stood in the driveway and prayed. He came outside and even in his grief and mourning, he told me how much he appreciated me and thanked me for stepping up. Jamie resigned from House Mountain shortly after that and went on to pastor at a Church in South Knoxville. I only saw Jamie one more time after he left our Church and he helped me tremendously with a struggle I was going through. Just three years later, at only 49-years old, Pastor Jamie passed away from cancer. He has been gone now for 11-years at the time of this writing but I still think of him nearly every day. He had a lasting impact upon my life. I loved him and miss him but I know I'll see my pastor again one of these days. I"ve got one of Pastor Jamie's sermons uploaded on the internet that you can listen to. It is titled, "Be Still and Know that I AM God," you can listen to it HERE.
If you are interested, you can read the other 6 blog posts I have made of
Men of God by clicking HERE.
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