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Faithfully yours - The power of God’s grace – part one

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Published on Saturday, March 5, 2016

By Neil Strohschein

The Neepawa Banner

In 1990, Joel Gregory was called to be the pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. He came with the understanding that for the first few months, he would serve alongside Dr. W A Criswell, who was in his 43rd year at the helm of that prestigious congregation. Criswell had announced his intention to retire, but those who knew him well suspected that he would change his mind when faced with the reality of his decision. That is exactly what he did.

From the moment he arrived in Dallas, Gregory knew that he had entered a world for which he was totally unprepared. “The ability to preach well will get you to the top,” he said. “But the skills you need to keep you there were skills I hadn’t taken the time to develop.”

Gregory’s world began to crumble 18 months after he arrived in Dallas. Criswell decided to remain as senior pastor of FBC until his 50th anniversary. This created a rift in the congregation and growing tension between Gregory and Criswell.

Six months later, after what he described as “the two most difficult years of his life,” Gregory made the decision to resign. He did not consult with anyone. He just walked into a Wednesday night meeting, stood before the congregation and announced his resignation, not knowing or anticipating the upheaval this would cause in the church and in his personal life.

In the end, he lost much more than just his job. He lost his home, his marriage and his reputation. Many of those who had supported him turned against him. He went from having it all to losing it all. As one observer put it: “His rise to the top was meteoric; his fall was equally rapid and painfully public.” He left Dallas, moved to Fort Worth and tried to drop out of sight.

For the next two years, Gregory sold cemetery plots door to door. This provided him with a reasonable income. Then one of his friends suggested that he write a book chronicling his experiences. He did and his book was read by one of America’s best known (and most anti-religious) late night talk show hosts. He invited Gregory to be a guest on his show. That’s where I first learned of him and heard him share his story.

Twenty-one years have passed since Gregory’s book came out. He’s back preaching again (not pastoring a church, just doing pulpit supply and seminars), he’s remarried and he is teaching a new generation of preachers how to follow in the footsteps of the great preachers of the past.

Gregory’s message is a simple one. This quote is from his sermon How Not to Get Shook up When Your World Shakes Down: “I went from being on international television to disappearing. I went from living in a mansion to a tiny apartment. I went from being everywhere to being nowhere. I can stand today and tell you that when your life is at the corner of Rock Boulevard and Hard Place Avenue, that is where God lets you find him.”

I have been at that corner three times in my life. I can tell you that Gregory is absolutely right. Like him, I have developed a deep appreciation for the redeeming power of God’s grace. That’s the topic I want to explore with you for the next few weeks.

PS: To learn more about Joel Gregory, visit: www.gregoryministries.org. To read his full story, visit www.baptistnews.com and read “The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Joel Gregory.”