Salvation
Sunday night, my pastor, in a little country church on the back roads of the Thumb area of Michigan, preached a message on the unpardonable sin. The message hung over me like a cloud of gloom and doom through Thursday. “Did I commit the unpardonable sin?” Finally, Thursday night I approached my mother, but not wanting to admit guilt, asked, “What is the unpardonable sin?”
“If you’re concerned about it, you haven’t committed it.” she reassured me. It was then that she cancelled her meeting she had that night and spent the time helping me to pray and to confess my sin and to get saved. I was 13 years old. That decision and spiritual birth set me on a different path for my life.
Looking back on that day, I wish I knew then what I know now about all the steps of faith ahead of me. At one point, a little later, I remember praying, “God will you make me spiritually mature, right now?” That didn’t happen! I am still maturing, confessing my sin, and learning obedience to the Word of Christ. This is God’s will for my life and His will for the life of every believer.
Calling
Going off to college was my first major calling into the ministry. I remember kneeling at the side of my bed with material from three colleges spread out before me. It was the spring of the year and college registration needed to happen right away. When I got up from my knees, I knew. The Holy Spirit brought the convicting preaching of the college president to mind. That’s where I was to go—to a place where I could grow spiritually and get training to serve the Lord.
Bob Jones University changed my life in so many ways. Before I could get my picture taken for my student ID, I had to get a haircut. I didn’t even know my hair was long. BJU was my launching off point. I don’t know how I knew or when exactly the call happened, but I was to serve the Lord in the ministry. Surprisingly, I didn’t meet my wonderful wife-to-be at BJU but met her back home on the farm when she was visiting our little country church. She was traveling in a ladies trio representing another college. We were married after I graduated from BJU. We worked on my parent’s dairy farm for about a year while we waited for an opening at Mt Carmel High School in Kentucky. The door opened and God lead us to nine wonderful years as music teachers there.
God then led us to 12 years teaching music at Falls Baptist Academy in Wisconsin. Part way through the 12 years, God started impressing on my mind the idea that He might be calling me to preach. However, it was not until our next ministry at Greendale Baptist Church and while teaching at Calvary Baptist School that two things happened that convinced me of the call.
First, there was a revival among the Calvary choir students that spread to the whole school. God used the explanation of words of the hymn arrangements (every verse is a sermon.) they were singing to open their eyes. It was so exciting to hear their testimonies. Second, as our Greendale pastor was preaching he mentioned that God could call someone to preach later in life. I was 50 years old. At the invitation I went forward and yielded to the call to preach.
Education
After getting a master’s degree in biblical studies at Maranatha Baptist Seminary, Twin Valley Free Will Baptist Church opened their doors to us, eventually licensed, ordained, and sent me out to preach. I look back with great appreciation to the congregation and their pastor.
The Lord gave me over 10 years of opportunity to shepherd a congregation at the First Free Will Baptist Church of Comstock. There were wonder “glory” days and then there were “difficult” days. Looking back, I think God was training me more than the congregation—all the while I thought I was training and teaching others. The reality is that I am still in training and will be in training the rest of my life.
Now, the Lord has opened the door to minister to the Plainwell community. We have had great experiences this past year with the community and church and look forward to seeing even more of what God has for all of us in the future!
— Pastor Dean Sanford