I have felt the call of the Holy Spirit’s direction on my life. As I listen and obey to HIS direction, I am blessed with further revelation. I had been invited into lay ministries at Capital Church (Vienna VA Foursquare Church) and the church we previously attended. My wife (Sally) and I were invited, confirmed and served in the leadership of an annual Holy Spirit Conference. We have served in that capacity for more than ten years. The Holy Spirit has spoken through many prophets saying that I shall minister to the hurting and the lost and assist in the teaching of HIS followers. In asking the counsel of the pastoral staff at Capital Church there is agreement of my starting the process. Praise God.

I was a firefighter for thirty years in Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue Department (a neighbor of Washington DC.) As a result of all the emergency incidents that I responded to, I had experienced almost everything that could happen to people and their property. I served at the Pentagon as fire unit officer on September 11 and for a period after that during the recovery. During that period, several other personnel from different departments and I ministered to each other.

It had become clear that far too many first responders were not taking the care mentally and spiritually to lead joyful and full lives. I was one. It was time for me to change how I served.

While attending the Holy Spirit Conferences I was hearing new messages and being challenged. July 19, 1997 at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg Virginia, I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the personal gift of speaking in tongues.

I was introduced to the Foursquare Church in the 1990s when Pastor Jack Hayford would pay a visit to Capital Church. We would go to hear him. I had been reading his books and listening to his tapes.

Through a series of events, it was time for us to leave the church we had been attending. I felt clearly that Capital Church was my next church. It was just different there. A family. I felt immediately accepted. I tried to stay out of positions, committees and work groups. It didn’t work.

I started working with the pastoral staff. I was going on mission trips to Haiti (which I lead for many years.) Then Foursquare Chruch Pastor Jay Donnelly came and taught the basic Disaster Relief class. It was clear for me to be effective I wanted to pursue becoming a licensed pastor. These credentials would also get me into the hospitals where our sick and hurt were. I approached Pastor Amos Dodge (then Senior Pastor) about how I was feeling led. I asked him to think about and pray about my desire to for licensing. He immediately replied that he thought I should. We began the process.

I was successful in the process, and I received my US license from The Foursquare Church March 13, 2015. I was granted recognition as a Wedding Celebrant in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I have been through the necessary steps to be credentialed at the hospitals in our area that require it. I now regularly visit sick and hurt persons at these hospitals.

I went through the significant process to reenter the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department as a Chaplain. It took almost a year to become completely approved and trained. I now serve with the Chaplain Corps. I have been made responsible for one of the Department’s battalions. I meet with personnel at five stations on three shifts with differing numbers of members (totaling over 250.) It is a Ministry of Presence, yes. We are asked to perform counseling and weddings and far too many funerals. Every two months or so we serve as the duty Chaplain where we care for the entire Department as necessary.

An illustration of the need for proper care for the first responders.

I try to explain that we need to allow ourselves to grieve losses instead of internalizing and holding on. Whether the loss is of a family member, a wrecked personal vehicle, whatever. Every day we go to work and take a sip or two of other people’s bad days or situations. Far too many suicides or deaths by heart issues are suffered by our members. We need to do better.

I use the example of a bag of cement. If you get a new bag and try to use it, no problem. Fine powder mixes and is used easily. If that same bag of cement sits in a shed for a year or two, it is hard and must be broken up to use it. I am still breaking out my chunks. Our younger members don’t need to ever go through that. We are working to build resilience.

It is good that they know I was one of them before, so I know what they are experiencing.  I am blessed to serve Our Lord and His people.