Jesus Didn't Have A High School Diploma (Good Thing The Methodist Didn't Know!)

My dad was the pastor of a Methodist church for three years.

Three glorious years where he loved what he did and the people loved him.

That church was completely unified behind him and everyone loved everyone else and did things together all the time.

It was one huge family.

For three years.

It was then the Methodist denomination found out my dad didn't graduate from high school.

Were you aware that you can't preach "the Gospel", the good news of Christ, if you didn't graduate high school?

Not according to the Methodist.

They closed the door.

The members of his little parish didn't boot him.

The national committee or whomever did.

He lost his flock over a piece of paper he couldn't get because his father had gotten sick and, as the oldest in that family, needed to go to work to support the family.

That was in the 1950's.

No diploma then, no church 30 years later.

I don't think he really ever recovered.

Even after he got his diploma, it was too late.

He lost his church.

Then he seemed to lose his way.

When I look back at that I still find it utterly amazing the 'rules' churches place on those who love the Lord and want to spread His message.

My dad was a fantastic preacher.

He was actually really good at preaching.

He didn't so much preach at you, he merely spoke with you.

Very conversational in tone.

I know because for many years I was the one running the sound and taping his messages.

I had grown up with him preaching at different places.

The first I can remember I was probably 5 years old and he filled in for our regular pastor at Lighthouse Assembly of God.

He would do that often until we moved too far away to attend that church.

We then went to Hendersonville First Assembly of God where he picked up right where he left off.

At both places he was the "Minister of Music".

My family would tour around as a southern gospel group "The Glorybound Singers".

Constantly on TV. Constantly on the radio.

Dad had his own radio show, tapped in the garage of our house on Matterhorn Drive in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.

I was 5 years old - if that - when he first started his radio show.

At Hendersonville AOG he would occasionally fill in for the pastor.

Soon he was in a battle for Assistant Pastor at the church. It was a great opportunity for him because it meant he could leave his factory job behind once and for all and do something he loved and was good at.

He lost.

Mr. Green, a much older man who had been there much longer, won the church's popular vote (yes, they vote on these things).

Soon my dad was doing more touring with Glorybound and more preaching at churches other than AOG.

Booked nearly every weekend, he started preaching regular at Bethel church - a non-denominational church in Madison, TN.

Probably his longest 'stint' as a preacher was there. About a year solid.

Until the Methodist church.

What a great church that little Methodist was.

The people were rural and extremely nice.

Dad loved that church.

We all loved that church.

In that denomination there's a rule you can't preach if you don't have a high school diploma (or was).

Stupidest thing of all time and always.

And the reason so many people reject even the most basic of Christianity and religion.

Because if you're going to place those type rules on a preacher, what kind of antiquated rules are you going to place on regular schlubs like the rest of us?

Right.

No one wants that.

The Gospel on the other hand ...

Jesus didn't graduate high school.

In fact, none of His disciples in the bible did. In fact, they were too busy writing the Bible to even read the Bible.

But that didn't stop them from spreading the message of the Love of God.

My dad took the loss at Hendersonville AOG and turned it into Open Doors and Opportunity - all over the southeast.

He never got over losing the Methodist church - but he did study and get his GED.

My dad - high school grad.

Don't let a defeat get you down.

Don't let a set back define you.

Find the Open Doors and Opportunity in every situation.