Andy's Personal Mission Statement

I have spent over 36 years in lay ministry, in service of the Lord, and am confident that He is calling me to do more to serve in His kingdom on earth. The Bible is my inspiration for serving, one verse is Jesus talking to His disciples regarding how to treat others in our walk with God. In John 13: 34-35 we read where Jesus says, “34A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is the center of a Christ-like life. Without love for God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and humanity we are nothing, I am nothing.  I have found that when my love for God increases so does my love for others. He helps me to have an overflowing of love to even the “unlovable”. 

As Jesus said, if you truly love Him, you will serve others in love. Serving the Lord in any leadership position requires love regardless of faith, gender, ethnicity, churchgoer, background, lack of faith, or circumstances. 

I have personally adopted the following statement from Southern Baptist Endorsement Manual for Chaplains and Counselors in Ministry: “The chaplain’s ministry is to all persons of the agency/institution and to all persons that agency/institution seeks to serve. Those served include persons of faith who seek the chaplain’s services as well as those who have no religious preference. The focus is not simply on those who respond to the chaplain’s presence, but to all persons within the chaplain’s sphere of influence. The chaplain is expected to provide ministry to all these persons regardless of their faith group as well as those of the chaplain’s particular faith group. Most agencies/institutions expect the chaplain to facilitate the free exercise of religion within their organization. Simply stated, the chaplain is to ensure that all persons have access to appropriate expression of their chosen faith group.”