October has been recognized as “Pastor Appreciation Month,” and so I am taking a little time to recognize and honor some of the people that God has used as “pastors” in my life.  Those special people that God uses to spur you on to grow in your faith and be busy about the Great Commission deserve to be honored (1 Timothy 5:17).

In this post, I would like to take a little time to appreciate Dr. Curtis Ferrell.  Dr. Ferrell has recently retired from the Associational Missions Director position at the Calhoun Baptist Association in Calhoun County, Mississippi.  Curtis and his sweet wife are some precious folk.  They truly have a love for our Lord and passion to serve Him well.

When I came to Calhoun County some 4+ years ago, Dr. Ferrell was one of the first to come alongside of me.  He had the responsibility for looking out for some 46 churches in the county at that time.  I know that he poured countless hours into local ministers and churches.  He had a passion to see a Hispanic ministry take off in our county.  That might have been tied to the fact that he was the son of a missionary family in South America and also that his family served in South America as well.  Whatever the case, it was so refreshing to see someone with a passion for people that needed to experience the wonder of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I appreciated the ways in which this seasoned minister took time to listen to what was going on in my life and give some wise advice.  He would constantly ask me about how things were going both at church and at the house.  He truly had a heart for the county here during the time the Lord allowed him to serve here.

I will forever be grateful for the friendship that God gave me in this dear man (and his wife).  I know that God has big  plans for them as they will continue to serve Him in our state and around the globe.