I Call Him Dad

He was 20 when I met him, though I don’t remember much about the encounter. He had a reputation of being a bit wild and crazy. He was a son of a preacher who drove fast and was a little reckless, to the point he even once rolled his car. His nickname, “speedwater.” He was as thin as a rail, had a flat top, and had just met a beautiful young lady in Indiana. He married her, and soon after, I met him for the first time. He is my dad.

I don’t have the memory he has; he can remember things from when he was a child, events as early as three years old. He remembers his first bike, walking to school, and even his homes and places in the many towns he lived in as a preachers kid. I have memories of things we did as a child, but they only come by watching slides (old photos shown on a projector for those who have no idea what a slide is). Slides of him taking us vacations out west, to many national parks landmarks, California to see an uncle, and what felt like  yearly trips to Florida.

Dad worked in a factory in my early years, the Gearworks in Indianapolis. I mention this because it’s my first actual memory of him, every week, on payday, he would bring me a Matchbox or Hot Wheels car. I still have them today. Our first home was simple, a little ranch in Noblesville on Cumberland Road, it still stands today, and brings a couple of early memories. First was the day I woke up to cows in our backyard, somehow, they had broken through the fence. A second was the night he and mom let me and Jim Coffey sleep out in my tent in the side yard. He strung a light out to our tent to help “keep the monsters away.” We couldn’t have been more than four years old. Finally, I remember big snow storms and the drifts we would have, it was like a Christmas card, and dad would always be out early in the morning shoveling snow.

At the age of five, we moved to a new two-story colonial home on the north side of Noblesville. It’s been home now for over 50 years.  I don’t remember riding bikes, playing games, or playing ball with dad, he wasn’t much of a ball player and that was pretty much my life as a kid, but there are still lots of memories that stick out. First was coffee, he always had a cup of joe with him. Sometimes he left it on top of the car, sometimes he spilled it, but a black cup of coffee was always near. Second, I remember the year dad got mom a popcorn popper for her birthday. To say the least, it didn’t go well. I resolved in that moment that if I ever got married, my wife would never get an appliance for her birthday or Christmas. The final memory is the best. For years mom wanted a pool. Dad’s excuse was that he couldn’t find the pump to the well in the backyard. This worked well for a while, until mom decided she would help him find the pump. One day she sent me under the house to find the water line, I spotted it, and we started digging. We were getting close, my hands and head were in the hole, when mom said, “let me give it one more shovel.” My head still in the hole, she hit the line. Suddenly there was an Old Faithful explosion of water. With several neighbor’s help, we finally got the water shut off. I bathed at one of their homes, and a few months later we had a pool. Dad had met his match. That pool provided so much fun and laughter through the years, and though he didn’t swim much, it says a lot about who he is. His enjoyment was watching the memories he was able to give to his family.

Dad has always had a passionate love for his family which led to him being an incredibly hard worker, doing all he could to provide for us. Our lives changed when he decided to leave the factory and become a real estate agent. Over time he began to succeed, and not only did he become a good salesman, but the companies he worked for noticed his leadership ability. He would become a manager at three different realty firms, spending his final twenty-five years, as a Vice-Presidnet of the Noblesville branch of F.C. Tucker, the largest realty firm in Indiana. His office was nearly always the top preforming group in the company, and his office was a place people loved to work at.

Dad’s strongest attribute is his love for God and His Kingdom. He grew up in a pastor’s home, and there was much he saw that he didn’t like, but it also made him the man he is. After marrying, he became a sectional youth leader and was a song leader. With my mom’s gift of playing both the piano and organ, they were quite a team. My first memory of dad in church was when we left the church in Noblesville and started attending a church in Alexandria, Indiana. Dad became an important part of the church and a close friend to pastor Davenport. Soon after we started attending, the church went into a building program. Though I was just a child, I have fond memories of tagging along with dad and helping on the project.

When I was twelve, we left the Alexandria for a church in Indianapolis, Calvary Tabernacle. It’s here that dad left an indelible mark. He served as an usher, taught in Sunday School, and became a board member. He was a board member for nearly 25 years and was an integral part in securing finances for multiple projects. He left a lasting impact helping Calvary Tabernacle build a new facility and assisting them secure facilities for Indiana Bible College and Calvary Christian School. When Mary and I started Life Connections he came on board and heled us secure financing for its current campus and served on the board for 15 years. In addition, Dad has supported countless missionaries and mission’s project. His impact on the world and the Kingdom of God will not be fully known and appreciated until eternity.

I would define my dad’s life in four dimensions. As mentioned above, he is an incredible businessman and a man who loves God and His Kingdom. After dad’s love for God and the Kingdom he has an incredible love for reading. His office is a small library, filled with a mirid of authors and subjects. Get an invite and you will see 50 years of National Geographic Magazines, the complete collection of Louis L’Amour westerns, a plethora of books on travel, and many biographies. Still larger, is his collection of religious writings and Bibles. Nearly every book Max Lucado has written, authors from the early 1900’s, and all types of commentaries on the Bible. Finally, dad loves to travel. He and mom have traveled the world, seeing five continents. They have been to every state in the U.S., Europe, Israel, Egypt, China, and so many other places. Add countless cruises and ports and there aren’t many places they haven’t been.

Today, December 15, 2023, we celebrate dad as he turns 80. He has lived a full and successful life. He has lived a blessed life and blessed many. He has impacted people’s lives personally, impacted his community, and impacted the world through his passionate love for God and missions. He has been a successful dad, grandfather, and now great grandfather. He has left us all with an amazing example of how to live life, to be a Christian, and has given us a legacy that will outlive him. Dad. I’m blessed to walk in your shadow and thankful that God chose me to be your son. I love you and admire you more than you will ever know. Happy 80th!  May God bless you with many more healthy and prosperous years.

Every Batman Needs a Robin

In their day they were the dynamic duo. One was the pastor, the other the assistant. One was charismatic, the other the work horse. Both could hit a softball further than about anyone else I’ve ever met. Get them on the same team and they were unbeatable. Both had incredible talent and million-dollar smiles. They and their wives merged at the perfect time, built a multi-million-dollar building, and took Calvary Tabernacle to a different dimension. In their day, they were an unstoppable force.

There are people who just go together. Laurel and Hardy, Jordan and Pippen, and Siskel and Ebert. For me, in the early 80’s it was Jim Larson and Jim Brannon. An earlier blog recounts the impact of Pastor James Larson on my life, but the story would be incomplete without Jim Brannon. He was the secret behind the sauce. While Pastor Larson beat the tambourine and preached vision, Jim Brannon was the ultimate second man. Pastor Larson envisioned it; James Brannon made it happen.

I am not sure that Calvary Tabernacle’s current building gets built without him. He was comfortable with, and understood his role as Robin, the second man. Whatever it took for the church to succeed, he stepped up. He wasn’t scared of hard work. I saw him in mud filled holes, working on pipes, and on sky-high scaffolding. He also wasn’t afraid of making hard decisions, he often had to be the bad guy, make the tough calls, and because he was willing, things got accomplished. Ministerially, he served the Indiana Youth Department, preached when Pastor Larson was gone, and filled any void when he saw a need. 

Before coming to Indy, he was an important cog in the success of the church in Stockton California pastored by Kenneth Haney. He served in many roles, working with the youth, assisting with construction, and doing whatever was necessary to see that the church succeeded. His agenda never seemed to be about titles or accolades, it was about stepping up, getting the job done, and seeing the Kingdom moving forward.

Leaving Indy in the late 80’s, he and his wife would start their own church in Livermore California. As with many areas in his life, he had to dig it out, make sacrifices, and hard choices. Those choices often brought criticism, misunderstanding, and difficulties, yet he and his wife never wavered in their commitment to the message they lived and preached. I know their work in at Christian World Church in Livermore has come with great sacrifice, heartache and pain. Yet, meet them and both of them will greet you with the biggest smiles, have you laughing uncontrollably, and one would think they had never experienced pain or had their hearts broken. Mary and I see them as giants of the faith and some of the finest Christians we have ever met.

Thank you, Jim Brannon, for doing what so many aren’t willing to do, be the second man. You set the gold standard for the role. You have led with excellence as a pastor, dad, grandpa, and businessman. I admire and appreciate you, and I am thankful for your example. You have not only been someone that I look up to, but someone I wanted to emulate. Mary and I are proud to be able to call you and Janet our friends. Your reward in heaven will be greater than you could ever imagine.

A Tribute to James Larson

As I reflect on back on important people in my life and ministry there is a man that impacted my life in such a profound way and is the reason I decided to walk with God. I was twelve when my parents left a small church and brought me to a large church in Indianapolis. The pastor at the time, N.A. Urshan, while a great man, was in my eyes, old. He was in his early fifties, his messages seemed to be over my head, and church seemed to be all about what I couldn’t do. It was just a couple years after we started attending that pastor Urshan left for a position in St. Louis and a new pastor was voted in. The new pastor instantly arrested my attention. He was 25, had a smile that wouldn’t quit, was energetic, 6’7”, played basketball, and had a passion for sports. I was 15, loved sports, especially basketball and needed a person of influence.

Within months of James Larson becoming my pastor, I had surrendered my life to Jesus, was filled with the Spirit, and my life was forever changed. He was fun, charismatic and creative, loved to worship, and his messages were convicting, yet relative to me as a teenager. I didn’t think that fun and God could go together, he showed me differently. In his daily life I saw his humanity, he didn’t mind mixing it up when playing basketball, in fact, he instigated some of the fights during the games, he was highly competitive. Playing softball, he was brash, and could hit a ball a country mile. His messages often brought up the Minnesota Twins baseball team or the Vikings football, all which appealed to me.

Once at a men’s retreat, there was a pontoon on a small pond where we were staying. It was there for people to dive off of and there was a sign that said, please don’t sink the pontoon. I still see 20 or so men with him on the boat and him yelling, “coming on guys, we just need a couple more and we’ll have this thing sunk.” That was my pastor. He loved God, but he loved fun.

He and his wife were incredible people of prayer. My passion and commitment to prayer is directly a result of watching their lives. Multiple times a year we would have prayer and fasting revivals and every night the place filled to capacity. Miracles happened, lives were changed, but most of all, those who set under James Larson developed a lifelong love for prayer. Beyond the prayer revivals, he would be in the prayer room before every Sunday service, crying out, circling the room, praying, and pleading for God to move in the service. His passion for prayer was contagious, the place would be packed, so much so that people would be waiting in line to get in the prayer room. It was commitment to prayer that fueled my love for prayer, my ministry, and caused me to teach so passionate about the need to have a daily prayer life.

One word described his love for worship, tambourine. Leaving the prayer room, he would immediately head to the platform, grab his tambourine and lead 1500 people in worship. He loved the presence of God and showed others how to do it decently and in order. He had an uncanny ability to follow the Spirit, could easily call an audible in the middle of a service, and his messages nearly always had crowds in the altars, moved by the power of the Word. His worship made me a worshipper and someone who understood as a leader, I was to lead in worship.

James Larson had vison like no one I’ve met. He had the faith to build a new building when the church wasn’t sure there was enough money, brought the name Calvary Tabernacle to the forefront of Indianapolis, and reached the community in some of the most creative ways seen. He rented Market Square arena for a service, had life changing crusades, and did things that were so innovative.  Who will ever forget the campaign, “Go to Heaven Indy.” He rented multiple billboards all over the city, had commercials on many local stations, and everyone had a “Go to Heaven Indy” bumper sticker.

He also understood there needed to be fun times for the church family. I fondly remember fall outings, church picnics, and spaces he created for the church family to make memories. His love for doing things outside of the box, for doing things that were original, is what gave me my vision and creativity as a pastor. He taught me to be original, not a copy, to do what no one else was doing, and it’s what propelled the many incredible events we did for nearly 20 years at Life.

Though he was pastor of Calvary Tabernacle for just ten short years, he is the reason I would go on to be in the ministry. Though his direct influence in my life was short, I’ve always considered him my pastor. He was part of the passion behind my teaching at Indiana Bible College and one of the men I tried to emulate as I pastored at Life Connection.

I saw him recently and though he had had just turned 70 and health not quite as good, nothing had changed. When he saw me, he jumped out of his seat with that same big smile, bellowed out my name, and hugged me like a big bear. Though he was never Mary’s pastor, she got the same huge hug. Then came the questions about my parents, my sister, and my kids. You would have thought I was his best friend. I think that’s how everyone feels after coming in contact with him.

Thank you, James Larson, for being one of my heroes of the faith, for teaching me to value prayer and the Word, and being a man of great influence on my ministry. I will forever be grateful.

A Visionary Life Changer

He was my first real pastor. He was a visionary beyond his years. A leader, not a follower. The impression he made on my life at a young age would last a lifetime and little did he know, nor I, that God was using him to groom me to be a pastor some thirty years later. He lived in what I would call the “golden age” of the organization he was a part of. It was a time when diversity of belief was embraced, not ostracized. A time when unity about what we believed was valued more than being divisive about what we didn’t agree on. It was 1976, I was twelve, when my parents left the small church they had attended for years to get me to his church, Calvary Tabernacle. My life would never be the same.

In a moment I went from a church of 50 and a youth group of two or three to a church of nearly a thousand and a youth group of a hundred. More importantly, we went from small vision to extra-large vision. We went from, what I felt was boring church, to nearly every service being like a major spirit filled event. He had all-night concerts with groups from all kinds of organizations and conferences with the best of contemporary speakers of the day from diverse associations. He had the best of ministry, powerful worship services, creative children and youth ministries, a radio broadcast, and two traveling and recording groups: the Calvary Four and the Calvary Brass. He continually brought in young and creative speakers. Just a few I remember were a 21-year-old fiery evangelist named Anthony Mangun, a crazy preacher and magician named Jeff Arnold, and a dynamic young minister by the name of Phil Munsey. He also brought in the best of his contemporaries. Hearing and seeing these men would be a part of what would lead me to my call to preach the gospel.

This visionary pastor that forever changed my life and shaped how I would pastor was N.A. Urshan. He lived in an era when most every organization had lots of rules, yet he seemed to follow his own path, and thankfully, in his time it was tolerated. I’m not sure he would have survived in the culture of his organization today. He was a revolutionary leader, not a follower. He was firm yet gentle, compassionate, kind, and full of grace. It sounds funny now, but at the time, the changes my parents made in our life and home once they started attending his church seemed radical. I went from not being able to go bowling to my youth group going bowling. I had a love for basketball, so when I found out the Butler boys were in the band and choir and still got to play basketball on their high school teams, I was sold. Beyond that, in a time when TV was taboo for many churches, at his church it was allowed. I will never forget when my family got our first TV. We had arrived! My mom once approached him over one of the “issues of the day,” make up and cut hair in his youth choir. His response left an indelible mark on my heart. He basically told her, I’d rather have people in my choir with some struggles than not in church, incredible wisdom. He was a man who was passionate about the Word, the name of Jesus, and the power of God. He was connected to his city, his times, and was respected by businessmen and civic leaders. In fact, in some circles it was the belief that if you wanted to be mayor in Indianapolis, you needed to go through Pastor Urshan.

One of the most profound moments with him in my life was when I was 15. I had not been spirit-filled but desperately wanted to play my trumpet in the band at the church. My parents arranged a meeting with him and in the meeting, he offered me a deal. He said, you pray in the altar after services, and I will let you play your trumpet. I thought about it for a moment, looked at my parents, and then him, and said, “no deal.” He looked bewildered and shocked and the look on my parents was one of horror. On the way home I was made aware that I turned down an incredible gesture from one of the most powerful men in Christianity, that I had made a terrible mistake, and I think they may have grounded me for the rest of my life. Many years later, after he had moved on to the role of superintendent of a Pentecostal movement, I ran into him while getting on a flight. I didn’t realize he was on the flight but as I was passing through first class to get to my seat a hand reached up to me, it was Pastor Urshan and he said, “excuse me son, aren’t you the Hudson boy, the young man that turned down my offer to play your trumpet in my band?” I sheepishly said, “yes sir,” I was the man and then briefly told him I was in seminary and was preparing to be a pastor. He smiled and said, “very good,” and I moved on to my seat. It would be one of my last encounter with him and even in that moment I didn’t realize how much he had impacted how I would pastor. Our last encounter with him was at an altar, he had been pacing the platform would suddenly he spotted Mary. He made his way over to her and said, “young lady a revival will come through you, it will involve women and children, and God has a special and unique anointing on you.” Those words have stayed with Mary and I from that evening on.

Today as I write its thirty years later. I’ve been in full-time ministry for nearly 35 years, and just recently closed out my pastorate. Pastor Urshan left this life nearly 20 years ago, just a couple years after we started Life Connections. If you were to ask me who I most tried to pastor and minister like, I would tell you, N.A. Urshan. While I loved the ministries of men like Anthony Mangun and James Kilgore, it was N.A Urshan’s ministry that I patterned my pastorate after. He was cutting edge, not afraid to go against the grain of tradition, had amazing integrity, and treated people with dignity and respect. He taught me to love the Word and how to present the Gospel with grace and class. Though you are in your heavenly home, I honor and thank you for teaching me as a young man to love the Word, to lead, not follow, to be my own person, and to have a unique ministry, not a copycat.

Impacted…By a Man in a Feed Sack

He was one of my influencers. His effect on my life didn’t come from meeting him, only by my perception of him from afar. In fact, I never met him, never shook his hand, or had an opportunity to talk to him. Regardless, I would say he was one of the most impactful people in my ministry. One of my hopes had always been to get an opportunity to meet him, but unfortunately, he passed several years ago, and I never got that chance. I only heard him preach a handful of messages, but each time there was a gentle, kind, and humble spirit that resonated from him. The intersecting moment came for me at a young minister’s conference I was attending in Louisiana. As the conference unfolded, some messages stirred my heart, others inspired my spirit, but it was the message by James Kilgore titled “Glory Robes or Sackcloth” that would change my life. As a young man I thought pastor Kilgore was old, but at the time he was probably only in his mid 50’s. He was somewhat short, had silvery white hair, and spoke with a classic southern drawl. What grabbed my attention this particular evening, along with 3000 others, was two things. First, as he stood to speak, he came with such humility as he made his way to the podium. He almost appeared to be uncomfortable as he stood before the crowd, and it was evident that he was burdened by what God was asking him to share. The second thing that overwhelmed me was the moment in his message when he put on a long fuchsia robe. Without much fanfare he began to speak about how he was afraid many ministers were living and ministering for glory robes. Today we would call it building our brand. Wearing the right clothing and shoes, running in the right circle of friends, projecting the correct social media impressions, preaching the latest trendy ideas. He wasn’t angry, no arrogance or condescending attitude, he was broken. When it would have been easier to preach something popular, he chose to preach the burden of his heart. He spoke of how authentic ministry must be about building Jesus’ kingdom, not ours. Forever I will remember him repeating the phrase, “oh, how we love to wear the glory robes,” but then he would follow up with, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” What happened about halfway through his message is what has forever been branded on my heart. He stopped and disrobed from the beautiful fuchsia robe, put on a feed sack, and for the remainder of the message, he preached in that simple sack. He wept and cried as he talked about how he and his wife had sacrificed so they could share the gospel. He shared how early in their ministry they often lived on very little. He told how the two of them would fast. He would fast every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and his wife would say,”well, if you’re going too fast, I am too. He spoke about going to small churches who couldn’t pay them and how sometimes they would have little or no food. He spoke of starting a church from basically nothing, and helping people who he knew would never be able to repay their generosity. He cried as he talked about those who were broken and they had helped, only to be betrayed once success came their way. He said, in the end it was worth it all that some might know Christ. At some point it was too much for me. I didn’t need the end of the message, I crumbled to my knees. That night I wept for over an hour, when I rose from the ground, I was empty, there were no more tears to be cried. I made a commitment, I wanted to have a ministry like James Kilgore. Sometimes the emotion of the moment wears off and you go back to life, moved but not changed. This would not be the case after this message. I returned to the college in Jackson Mississippi where I was working. Every night for a week I would go to my office and listen to the message. I still would weep, overwhelmed with conviction. During the week I would spend evenings praying for hours, pleading, and promising God I would minister as a man in sackcloth if he would use me. God granted that request, and for 35 years Mary and I have had the privilege of living out James Kilgore’s message. We’ve lived simply. We avoided drawing attention to ourselves; never seeking the limelight. We’ve lived to put others and the kingdom ahead of ourselves. We’ve prayed and fasted unceasingly, only longing to see a sovereign move of God. We’ve cried and wept enough tears to fill pools. We built a church and served the people; rich, poor, educated, uneducated, and every culture. We cared for those who had, and those who didn’t, it didn’t matter. We loved and smiled when we were hurt, forgotten, and abandoned, and we’ve given when we didn’t have enough for ourselves. When we walked away from pastoring, we knew it would come with great loss, but also knew that the Kingdom had to be above our ministry and our future. Many were shocked when they heard the news, but know this about Mary and I. A long time ago we heard a message and decided we would be ministers in sackcloth. We made a commitment that above all, it was souls that would be important, and His Kingdom would be our priority. As I mentioned, James Kilgore never met or spoke to me, but from a distance his humble life forever changed mine. Maybe when we get to heaven, we’ll get to meet him and tell him the story, but for now I share it with you. Why? Because it’s important to realize you are impacting someone by the life you live. You may never have a conversation with them or share a dinner, but you’re being an influencer. Understand the life you are living, the story you are writing, what you are doing, may be impacting someone in a far greater way than you could ever imagine. James Kilgore, thank you for your influence from a distance, I am forever indebted.

Pastor Kilgore’s Message, Humility: Glory Robes or Sackcloth


* This blog is a part of a series called the Tribute Series, My Influencers.

Thomas L. Craft: Rest in Peace

Hero of the faith. Humble Servant of God. Visionary Leader. An Investor in Young Men.  A Passion for Lost Souls. The list could go on and on. No one stands alone but on the shoulders of others, and I stand on the impact of T.L. Craft. He is why I was allowed to spend 15 years at Indiana Bible College and 20 years as Pastor of Life Connections. He believed in me, gave me a chance, and invested in me, as he has done for so many. I loved the days when I was in the office, and he would call and tell me to meet him at the golf course. This is where he poured so much wisdom into me as a young man. I don’t know if it was his way of emptying out the stress of pastoring or that he sensed that God had a specific plan for my life that prompted the calls. Regardless, I’m grateful for those days that we chased the little white ball together, but more thankful that I listened to his wisdom and insight on those hot Mississippi days. As an emerging minister, having an elder that poured into my life made such a difference in my life and eventually impacted how I would pastor. He once told me, “Jon, you can sheer a sheep a 100 times but you can only skin them once.” I never forgot that piece of advice. It saved me many times from making “in the moment mistakes,” and potential repercussions of acting in frustration. Prayer was always a priority at his church, something that left an indelible mark on me, and I will never forget experiencing the most sovereign move of God I have ever seen in one of his Sunday services. I have talked about that service my entire ministry and longed to experience something similar to it again my whole life. So saddened by his passing but thankful for getting to be a part of his incredible life. Rest in peace Pastor and enjoy the place you preached about so often.


* This blog is a part of a series called the Tribute Series, My Influencers.

My Hero…Loved the Bible

There is only one book that I ever remember my dad reading. I’d see it open on the kitchen table during his devotion or laying open on his lap as he was preparing for his next sermon. In pictures you’d see it proudly tucked under his arm. The Bible was his strength. It was priceless to him. His Bible is etched in my memory, and its left a profound impression on my life. With Father’s Day approaching I began to think about his Bible. I began the search to find out which of my brothers or sisters had inherited his brown, leather Bible, worn from many hours of reading and teaching from it. Most thought my oldest brother was the lucky recipient. It wasn’t him. We went down the line from the oldest to the youngest; all eleven of us were asked. I was devastated to find out no one knew what had happened to his Bible nor did any of them have it in their possession. I was anxious to see how marked up it was and to look at the worn pages. I wanted to see if he had written along the margins. Unfortunately, his Bible is gone. Unless a miracle happens, we will never see it again, except for in pictures. As we celebrate this Father’s Day, if you were asked, what is your favorite book, what would your answer be? With all the amazing books out there, let it always be said that your Bible is your most treasured asset. Don’t let it go missing. You will never regret it and hopefully your kids will treasure it when your life has ended and say, “my dad loved this book the most.” To my hero, my dad, thank you for leaving an example of loving the Bible, and leaving me memories that will last the rest of my life.

-Mary Hudson

My Pastoral Appreciation

Ephesians 4:11
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets,
and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers

By definition the word pastor simply means, a spiritual overseer. It is important that throughout our lives we have men whose job is simply to oversee our spiritual life and wellbeing. They are to give us guidance, instruction and principles from the Word of God to help us in our journey. They are to pray over us and be concerned about our eternal destination. This month I wanted to take a moment to focus, reflect and thank the men of God who have shaped my life, family and ministry.

I first want to recognize my dad as my first spiritual overseer. I’ve watched as my dad has led our family; navigating us through turbulent times. He taught me that church was not an option, it was a privilege. We made every service, every week. If there was a revival or a prayer meeting, we were there. If there was a call to fast, we fasted. When he saw that his son was struggling with church and God, he made the change to get me and his family to a better place. He never questioned or compromised doctrine, always stood for truth and when he was called to serve, he did. He sang, worked with youth, taught Sunday School, ushered and has served on church boards for over 30 years. An indelible mark he left on my life was one of the few times I saw him cry. I had just walked in for prayer before a Sunday night service. When I walked into the prayer room, he along with other board members were wailing and sobbing, I thought someone had died, but in reality it was that his pastor was leaving. This is the kind of love my dad showed me for God, church and his pastor.

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N.A. Urshan

The second man of influence is Pastor N.A. Urshan. He was a man of vision, he understood that the church must remain relevant, a man ahead of his time and a man who wasn’t afraid to go against the religious norm. He wasn’t aware of the influence that he was having on a 13-year-old life, he didn’t realize that one day I too would pastor and had no idea that his beliefs and ideals would become mine. We came to his church in a time where my interest in God was waning. It was a time where it seemed churches preached against everything that was “fun.” Pastor Urshan went against the grain. He understood who he was, he understood his time and he understood what it took to reach the next generation and the world; he preached more about a relationship than rules. It wasn’t too long after we arrived that our family got a TV, I went on my first gym bowling day and high school football game…I thought that I had arrived! He had young people in the orchestra who played basketball on the high school teams and young people who didn’t have it all together in the choir. My parents approached him about his methods at one point and paraphrasing him he said, “as long as they are here I have a chance for the gospel to change them.” It wasn’t but a few years later that I was filled with the Spirit and felt my call to the ministry. Now forty years later, I find myself pastoring much the same way as Pastor Urshan. I pastor as I do because I watched how Pastor Urshan never wavered off the doctrine yet had understanding for the need to stay relevant. I learned what he understood, that methods may change, but the message never will. Today, I try to mimic his methods in my generation and teach the next generation the same.

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James Larson

The third man of influence is Pastor James Larson. He came into my life at a critical time and tattooed my heart with a love for prayer and worship. He was 25 years old, was 6’8” and loved basketball and God. I was 15 and when I saw his passion for the things of God I decided that was what I wanted too. He had more faith than common sense, but his faith built what is still one of the largest church auditoriums in Indianapolis and tried whatever to get people to Jesus including billboards, commercial radio spots, bumper stickers and even an egg hunt in a park.  But it was his passion for prayer that forever changed my life. Every Sunday night an hour before church he would be in the prayer room crying out for God to pour out his Spirit. He would circle and every once in a while you would feel his shadow as it stopped over you and you knew it was coming, his hands would go on your head or back and he would pray over you like Jesus was coming that night. He had all night prayer meetings and weeks of prayer and fasting and I saw how it changed the church and reached a community. He attacked the platform the same way, tambourine in hand and the spirit of worship in his heart. I know there were times when he had more stress and more problems than we could ever imagine, but when it was time to worship, he came to worship. He’s been away from my life for over 30 years now, but the influence of prayer he put in my life has shaped my beliefs and my ministry in a way like no other. If you wonder why I’m so driven for prayer, it was because of my pastor and his love for prayer. James Larson gave me the passion and understanding of the power of prayer and I if I can pass anything on to another person or generation, it would be the same. Pray.

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James Kilgore

Time prohibits others who mentored me from a distance but I must mention men like Pastor James Kilgore who taught me how to live and preach with humility and Pastor Anthony Mangun who gave me a passion for the world and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Then there are those men who influenced Mary, thereby influencing me. I recently heard a message by her dad, Pastor Wayne Odum, preaching on the power of the Holy Spirit. She speaks so fondly of Pastor Kenneth Haney, his incredible faith and joining him and others at the church at 5 a.m. for prayer and it was Pastor Stephen Drury and his love for kids at the Tupelo Children’s Mansion that has created such a love for kid’s ministry in her.  These, along with Paul Mooney, and so many others, God put in our lives to shape us, our family and me as a pastor. It is because of them that Mary and I are together, have the type of home and family we have, and love God and His church the way we do. We are a product of the wonderful men who have poured into us, prayed for us and shepherded us. We have been blessed by so many so that we could bless others, we’re thankful for our pastor’s, our heritage and what they have put in us so we could serve others.

This blog is a part of a series called the Tribute Series, My Influencers.

Tribute to Rex Frederick

rex.jpgThe first time Rex Frederick walked into Life Connections there was no way I could have imagined the influence he would have on my life and the church. He had a great smile, was friendly but seemed a little cautious. He asked a few questions, talked to a few people and then left. I wasn’t sure if he would be back but he did come back, this time with Bonnie and his family and from that point on they never stopped coming. I don’t exactly remember when he made the decision to make Life Connections his home for his family, but when he did, he became a part of its very fiber.

There were lots of times he questioned me about things and I wasn’t sure why, but he seemed genuinely interested in both me and the vision I had for the church. I don’t know how many times in the early years I heard him say, “I don’t think I’ve ever met any one like you, you’re different, you look at ministry different than anyone I’ve ever met.” I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but over time I began to gain his confidence and he began to gain mine. His personality was both warm and quick-witted; he became someone I felt I could trust and I think he felt the same toward me. He poured himself and his wisdom into my life from his many years of experience in ministry, as a father and the leader of his family. Once Rex told me that he and Bonnie had never had a fight. I thought, you’ve got to be kidding, but over the years both Bonnie and his kids confirmed the fact that they had never fought. I remember asking him, “even when you bought the Corvette on your honeymoon or the Corvette you accidently bought online?” That kind of example intrigued and challenged me to be a better husband. As a dad, Rex would always say about his kids, “they’re not perfect, but they’re good kids,” and a big smile would come across his face. Anytime I would talk to Matt, Melissa, Heather or Katie about their dad, the same kind of smile came on their face…you knew he was a good dad and they loved him. As a young pastor with no ministerial background, Rex became my mentor, my elder and my friend. Rex saw the scripture in a different way than most and though he was an excellent speaker and minister who had preached in many pulpits, he had no desire or agenda to promote himself, it was always how can I help you make Life Connections a better place to worship. He always was asking, “what’s your vision for… or how do you see…” It was never, “this is what we did at… or I have a better idea.”

He never missed a service, bible study, prayer meeting or community event unless he was out of town and then I would always get a text apologizing and explaining why he couldn’t be at the service or event. As the church began to grow and major decisions had to be made, I would tell Mary, “I’ve got to talk to Rex.” Our relationship became one where each of us trusted the other. He trusted my vision and wanted nothing more to see an outpouring of God’s Spirit and I trusted him to run with the vision, never fearing he would loose sight of what I saw.

Over the last two months of his life I spent most of my days with Rex. His zeal for life, faith in God and belief that God was going to heal him never wavered. He may have been in pain and had doubt, but when you walked in the room his face lit up like fireworks in a night sky and the same smile I saw the first time I met him was still on his face. When you went to visit him you knew you were going to hear about one of three things; what he was going to do when he got out, something that God had gave him in prayer or David and the Giants and the new Christian music jeopardy game he had created.

The Bible talks about David’s great army and all the accomplishments that David was able to achieve in his life. There were many men who fought along side with David, but the scripture mentions that there were 37 men who were called “Mighty Men.” These men were rare, they put there plans and ideas aside and invested their talent in David’s vision and goal. Many of these men were highly educated, skilled and talented and they likely could have rallied men around themselves and built their own kingdoms, but instead they chose to be a part of something bigger. Rex Frederick was one of those Mighty Men. He was a great husband and father, he loved God with all his heart, he had great skill in the pulpit and a way of seeing the Bible like few did. He could have easily pastored a church and done a great job of reaching a community, but he chose to invest himself in others. For that I am grateful. He enhanced my life, my family and his investment in the beginning and foundation of Life Connections will forever be remembered.

  • Rex Frederick passed from this life on December 21, 2015. He was a minister of the gospel, executive board member at Life, husband, dad, grandfather and a great friend to me and many others.

  • This blog is a part of a series called the Tribute Series, My Influencers.