The story of how the Lord saved my soul began when I was nine in the hills of Tennessee, near the small town of Lobelville. I attended an Amish school, although my family and I were not. My father let me work and spend time with my Amish friends, but he had one rule: make it home by dark. Time got away from me, and as the sun began to set behind the hills, I jumped on my bike in a panic; however, I knew I would never make it home before dark. I was trying so hard to be good. I committed to never sinning again just that morning. At that moment, the Lord impressed upon my heart that I was a sinner and on my way to hell. No matter how hard I tried, I could never measure up to Jesus Christ. The Lord showed me that I needed His righteousness, as mine was as filthy rags.

I stood up on my bike, and with my eyes raised to the darkening heavens, I prayed, “Lord, I know that I am going to go to hell. I should go because I am not a good person; I am not only guilty of bad, but I am also bad. Lord, I know you died for me, were buried, and you rose from the dead for my sins. I receive you as my Saviour the best way I know how.” I felt a burden of sin lift off of me, and I was changed from the inside out. I no longer wanted to get away with sin but wanted to get away from sin. I will never forget the grace and love that filled my heart that day; it was the defining moment of my life.

A few years later, at 14, I stood before our little church on the edge of Cane Creek and publicly confessed Jesus as my Saviour. My pastor baptized me in the clear, cold waters of the creek I swam in as a child. As a young man, the Lord impressed me that nothing in this world would hold lasting value. The Lord called me to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first, and He would add all the rest to me. At 17, I moved to Florida to attend a Bible Institute, where I earned a Bachelor of Divinity. During my time there, the Lord affirmed my calling to the ministry, and others encouraged me to invest in the gift God bestowed upon me to preach His Word. I preached, and it touched hearts. It is a great honor and a privilege to stand between heaven and hell and to preach to the souls of men. To this day, there is nothing I would rather do than speak to men for God to impress upon them the timeless truths of Scripture.

After graduating in 2004, I married and began a construction business, framing houses, waiting for the Lord’s guidance. While attending a meeting in Alabama, a friend from Tennessee gave me the phone number of a Huisache Avenue Baptist Church deacon. After the former pastor passed away, the church searched for a new pastor. I was a candidate for pastor in December 2006, and the small church of 18 dear members voted for me.

My wife and I packed our things and arrived on the 3rd Sunday of February 2007. As I began pastoring the church, I began to grow; the church began to grow, and my family began to grow. With growth comes friction. The pressures of ministry and the demands of a growing family took a toll on my late wife, and she began to struggle with depression. Tragically, this led to her taking her own life at the end of 2014. This period was a deep and painful valley for me, my children, and our church family.

The Lord has been merciful to us through it all. God works good into the lives of those who respond to tragedy by casting all their hope on Him. God worked in our lives for good and has ministered healing, enabling us to share His hope with others. Counseling and helping people with their struggles is one way the Lord allows me to minister to people. Through this experience, the Lord led me to pursue a graduate degree in biblical counseling. This degree has been a blessing and helped our church minister to others.

Coincidences can be viewed as God’s way of remaining anonymous. Through a series of coincidences, the Lord led Michelle to our church, and we got married. God has blessed us with a wonderful marriage. After the loss of their mother, my three boys have been blessed with Michelle’s loving care. She supports them and encourages their love for Jesus. Miraculously, the Lord also blessed us with a daughter. Michelle has been a tremendous help, working alongside me in the ministry and serving our church.

My wife and I are so grateful to serve the Lord together for the rest of our lives, and we cannot wait to see what He will allow us to accomplish. We are excited to see the Lord in our children’s lives as we train them in the way they should go!

The Lord is moving in our church, and we desire that the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering. We invite you to be part of what God is doing in San Antonio, Texas. I can’t wait to meet you and see God move in your life!

Thank you,

Pastor Bez

Email Pastor Cummings at BezaleelCummings@gmail.com