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By Nathan Browning
Surrender “I am right where God wants me” was
the phrase I found myself repeating like
a meditative chant while serving in an
assistant capacity almost nine years ago. I
had spent the better part of a decade serving,
preaching, teaching, and leading music
in the church my wife grew up in and had
already tried moving to the mission field,
only to have that door shut with a vengeance.

There is a comfort that comes with limited
responsibility in the church and that was the
place where I found myself until God made
me uncomfortable.

Surrendering to a burden seems straightfor-
ward, especially for a believer who has grown
up in church and loves serving in the min-
istry. Yet, the thought of being a pastor was
no longer in the purview of my long-term
goals. I had seen what pastoring could bring
and was content not dealing with people’s
problems, cares, or burdens. Besides, I had
already unsuccessfully tried raising support
to start a church in another country. How
would this be any different? Excuses like
these keep many men from surrendering to
God’s leading. I would keep these excuses to
myself for six months as well as the burden I
was struggling with.

God’s Guidance & Provision
Teen camp for our church was a highly
encouraging time. Most of us would take
vacations during that week to sit back, drink
coffee, and watch young people push the
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limits of their physical abilities in wacky youth
games. But when the preaching time began,
one could mentally check out as an adult
because “this is for the teens.” While this was
often the case, God would not allow me to
check out during the camp week of 2015. In
one of the sermons by a dear friend, the topic
of fear was addressed. Through this sermon,
God pointed me to my real problem—a lack
of faith because of fear. I resolved that I would
not live in fear and doubt. I would trust in
His direction. I prayed and surrendered to go
wherever He led.

Time after that week seems to have moved
quickly. I went to my pastor for counsel and
told him I was surrendering to the pastorate.

He replied, “I have known you were ready
and was waiting for you to surrender.”
Within three months, I was introduced to
the families of Calvary Baptist Church in
Hiawassee, Georgia, and voted in as their
pastor. The church had about 12 voting members
and averaged 15-20 on a good Sunday. The
former pastor had resigned after serving
there for around 14 years. The church was
in decline and discouraged, and finding a
pastor seemed hopeless. The decision to
close the doors for good was on the table
but only by trying one more avenue. The
head deacon had received a copy of the USA
Reseeding America publication with a picture
of a church on the front cover that had a For
Sale sign in front of it. He read diligently
and then was encouraged to reach out to



Bob Larson in the hope that
he might know a man who
could be their next pastor.

All this happened during the
same summer months when
I was burdened and finally
surrendered to God’s direction.

Almost nine years have passed,
and we have seen God do
great things through salvation,
strengthened families, and
individuals transformed by
the Word. We now average
85–95 and just celebrated 114
worshipping with us this past
Resurrection Sunday. To God
be all the glory!
success. Here are two areas
that have been a constant help
in the ministry of restarting
this church.

Faithfulness — Moreover
it is required in stewards,
that a man be found faithful
(1 Corinthians 4:2). I have
always struggled with
giving up early regarding
results not being where I
want them. From a young
age I determined that if
the project was not coming
together by the deadline I
Nathan Browning & Family
had predetermined, it must
be a failure and not worth the time
to continue pursuing. For example,
Success when I had completed 10 months of
Measuring success is difficult for most
deputation and did not see the support
pastors and churches. We have differing ideas
I deemed necessary, I was ready to
about what metrics we utilize, especially
conclude that “This must not be
when dealing with the success of a local
God’s plan,” and move on to the next
church. Does the number of bodies in the
stage. In these early years of ministry
pews determine spiritual blessing from God?
and ignorantly blaming my lack of
Does the amount of money given determine
faithfulness on “not God’s plan,” I was
the health and spiritual growth of the people?
challenged by a verse that was engraved
Would a diversity of young families mean the
upon the headstone of my father’s
church is healthier? Many of these thoughts
grave. By the time I had found myself
plagued my mind as I took on a church
living in a new city as the pastor of a
restart a little over eight years ago.

church on the brink of closing its doors,
When looking at the success metrics today,
I had been taught that faithfulness
it is not difficult to be distracted and often
would be paramount to being used by
discouraged, especially when God has placed
God. Giving up when I could not “see”
one in a work that some have concluded is
growth by the previously stated metrics
dead and not worth the investment of time.

was not an option. I have resolved to
Yet, I have found in these few short years that
stay until staying is clearly not what
the rubric utilized in church culture is grossly
uncharacteristic of the biblical
view of success and should be
taken with a grain of salt but not
Men’s group
wholly discarded. Merit may be
given to understanding that young
families, growth in budgetary
giving, and more people in
attendance greatly encourage a
pastor and the church family. Still,
these are merely the byproduct of
following the Bible’s recipe for
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