BREAKFASTING WITH BAPTISTS

BREAKFASTING WITH THE BAPTISTS Back in the middle 1990s, after accepting the call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, I began to have breakfasts with Baptists. I was an AME (African Methodist Episcopal) pastor of a very tiny church in Butler, Missouri, with only 1 (one) member, which fact greatly amused my Baptist friends, some of whom had hundreds. My singularity also facilitated their acceptance of me, since who but one with a profession, a lawyer, could afford to drive 60 miles south of KC to preach to just one member twice a month? Included in that "singularity" notion was humility, since the Bible teaches that one will be made a ruler over many by God, who excels with the few in good works. They kidded me about this one member often as we bonded. In truth, although I began with one official "member," two or three others had died, or just drifted away. And "member" is a term of art. "Member," to me, is whoever shows up with regularity, who contributes to the ministry financially and/or by helpful activity. By that criteria, it would be fair to say that our membership at Brooks Chapel A.M.E. Church, in Bates County, Missouri, blossomed to between 12-20, during my tenure there from 1995-2004. Enough to do God's work. Our breakfasts were times of fellowship and frivolity, for preachers love to laugh and have fun too, especially with each other. Being a very low-ranking AME, they accepted me as one of their own. Some even invited me to preach at their churches. We became brothers. Although, the old Niecie's Restaurant formerly on Prospect in KC is now gone, as are some of my favorite Baptist breakfast brothers, I thought it not robbery to remember them this morning at breakfast.