25 years

The event snuck up on me. Quietly, without fanfare, the 25th anniversary of my family’s relocation to and ministry in Fayette and Coweta counties arrived. There was no announcement, no fanfare, no parade, no banners, no balloons or streamers. It came and it went like a Georgia snowfall.

In June 1983, we moved to Peachtree City from Grand Junction, Colo., to assume the pastorate of a small 4-and-a-half-year-old church. I was 32, my wife 31. Our three sons were young: Jason was a rising fifth-grader, John was entering third grade, and James was barely 2 years old. I had dark brown hair in those days — plenty of it — and was quite a few pounds lighter.

By Peachtree City standards, we were poor. Although I had made about $25,000 in Colorado as an associate pastor (a pretty princely sum for an associate at the time) and Cindy, a registered nurse, made only slightly less, the church in Georgia struggled to pay the $16,000 salary — and Cindy didn’t work for the first few years so she could help with ministry to women, teaching Bible classes, and assisting the church to grow.

The church did grow over the years, as did my salary and my responsibilities. My family grew as well. The boys grew up, got married, and had families of their own. We have a grandchild due in July and that will make 10 in all, three grandsons and seven granddaughters.

Certainly, the community grew. As I recall, Peachtree City only had three places in which to eat, in addition to the country club and, in an emergency, one could make the drive from the Peachtree City City Hall to the old Newnan Hospital in eight minutes, if the police were elsewhere. All of the roads were single lanes in each direction and one had to travel to Shannon Mall or Southlake Mall to shop or to see a movie. Newnan wasn’t much different.

Since arriving in Georgia, we picked up a few diplomas, too. Cindy, who had earned an associate’s degree, added a Bachelor of Nursing, a Master of Nursing, and a Ph.D. in nursing. Once she married me, she never made a “B” in any subject, earning all “A’s” in every program, demonstrating how greatly I influenced her in a positive way. That’s my version, at least.

For my part, I added a Master of Arts in Biblical Literature and lack only the final project to receive a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry.

The first church I came to serve, Trinity Fellowship, is still growing, still prospering, and is still building. Almost 12 years ago, along with 18 other people, I entered a different denomination, planted a new congregation, and we are now constructing our second building and dreaming about a third.

My two oldest sons and their families live in nearby Senoia while my youngest, after honorably serving his country in the military, is married with a family and living in New Mexico. Both of my parents have died since I moved here but we are blessed and grateful that Cindy’s folks are healthy and well. In fact, they are currently spending a month vacationing in Colorado — and they made the trip in a car!

Cindy (or “Dr. Epps” as I call her in private moments) is a full, tenured, professor of nursing at the University of West Georgia where she teaches both in the master’s degree program and in the “RN to BSN” program. She is also the director of the UWG’s nursing program in Newnan.

Since last November, I have been serving as a bishop in my denomination and am on all sorts of councils and committees, but all that takes second place to my role as the pastor and spiritual father of the church we helped to begin.

For 19 years, I have served as a police chaplain for the Peachtree City PD and, for 10 years, have been the master of ceremonies at the city’s Memorial Day Services. For 12 years I have been writing weekly columns for the newspaper (that’s around 650 articles!).

A native Tennessean, I still cheer for the Vols and am writing a worship/praise song to the tune of “Rocky Top” (you think I jest). I have become a Tech fan and even pull for the Georgia Bulldogs when they aren’t playing the Vols or the Yellow Jackets.

Still, I have become a Georgian in most every way. All of my children have grown up here, nine of the 10 grandchildren were or will be born here, and this is where we have settled and, God willing, are planning to stay.

I am white-headed and white-bearded now and not nearly so buff as when I was 32. The top of my head gets sun-burned where hair once protected me and, although I used to teach karate, I can only kick someone in the face if they lie down first.

I do not know if I am any wiser but, for sure, I am older. Another 25 years will make me 82 years old. One way or the other, I expect I’ll be here.

It certainly goes by fast — but, for the most part, it certainly has been good! But it’s the future I look forward to the most. The best days are ahead. Dreams and destiny await! Go Vols!