In the photo above: Lynley and I sitting inside a sea of people.  The church concluded our induction service with a time of concentrated prayer.  It was a very special moment for the Mandrell family as we officially answered the call.

Click on the audio button below to listen to this third installment story.  Click here to skip to the fourth and final portion of the discussion.

Without question, one of the most tumultuous seasons in the life of a church is the time when a new pastor arrives.  This time of change is often marked by conflict, fear, uncertainty, and stagnation.  This was not the case in our church years ago when the Lord did a special thing in our midst.  The purpose of these audio blogs is to share that story.

In 2006, the Lord took me (and my wife) by complete surprise.  Englewood Baptist Church called me to the humbling role of pastor.  This “changing of the guard” was anything but normal as I was voted in as “Pastor Elect” and began a 9-month co-pastorate with Dr. Phil Jett, who soon became my closest ally and dear friend in the Gospel.

Recently, Dr. Jett and I sat down with popular radio voice, Tom Mapes, and talked at length about the crazy turn of events that transpired in 2006-2007.  As Dr. Jett has said, “It was a God story.”  We give him all the glory for the exciting journey we traveled together.

I will release this audio blog in 4 installments to make it a bit more digestible.  :)

Click on the Audio Button Below to listen to the interview.  Click here to proceed to Part 2 of the discussion.