In April the Moberly (MO) Church held a Revelation seminar series with speaker Phillip Sizemore, pastor of the Cape Girardeau district. As a result of those meetings 12 people have been baptized to date—each with a unique story.
Steve came just to please his friend who had been trying to get him to attend meetings. He planned on coming only one or two nights. However, he was so impressed as he heard questions being answered straight from the Bible that he never missed a night.
Ann sent in a Bible study request card and was studying with a church member. She had already begun attending church when the seminars started. She came to every meeting and joined through profession of faith.
Two days before the seminar started Michaela moved in with her grandmother, who was a church member, and decided she wanted to attend. She accepted the Bible truths, was baptized and transfered from public school to Sunnydale Academy.
Fred was familiar with Adventism because his son had married an Adventist. Fred knew they attended church every Saturday, and Fred himself attended once. When the pastor asked Fred if he had ever thought about becoming Adventist, his reply was, “No.” Sometime later Fred met an Adventist lady on a family camping trip, and when they began dating he started studying with another church member. About that time the Revelation seminars began and he and his fiancé attended. They only missed one seminar—the day they were married.
Milton had been out of the church for several years, but he and his wife Sarah were searching to fill their spiritual emptiness. Although Milton had been an Adventist, he didn’t feel it would be fair to push Sarah into those beliefs. Yet their searching was leaving them feeling hopeless. About that time Milton’s mother invited them to attend the Revelation seminar. After the fifth meeting Sarah knew God had answered her prayers. It was as if the light went on and everything fit together like a puzzle. At the end of the meetings Milton and Sarah answered God’s call to their hearts as Sarah was baptized and Milton was rebaptized.
Hannah has grown up in the Adventist Church and attends the Maranatha Adventist School. She committed her life to Christ in baptism after attending the Revelation seminars.
Bill and Joyce joined the Adventist church in the ‘70s through profession of faith. Sadly, they drifted away and did not return for 20 years. During that time, they separated. So even though they were coming to church, they lived separate lives. While attending the Revelation seminar Bill became convicted that he needed to give up the things that were separating him from God. He rededicated his life to Christ and chose to be baptized. Joyce agreed to join him in baptism as a symbol not only of their rededication to Christ but also their recommitment to one another in marriage.
Lowell had been invited by his neighbors to attend a previous prophecy seminar. What he heard made sense to him, so he began coming to church. This spring Lowell again attended all of the meetings and made his decision to be baptized.
Pastor Tom Michalski is currently conducting a Bible study on the book of Daniel for those who would like to study deeper. There are several more in this group preparing for baptism.
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Author Julie Peterson is a member of the Moberly Church.
