New Members Profile: Frank and Pat Gerhow

Frank and Pat united with our church by letter from a neighboring church in Marshall County on February 22, 2009. We look forward to getting to know them as they serve the Lord here at First Baptist Church. They prepared a profile for me to put up on the blog...

Frank was born March 3, 1947 and raised in San Francisco, California. He served 25 years in the United States Navy retiring in 1990 as a Chief Petty Officer. He was widowed in 2001 having been married for 22 years. He accepted and was saved in Jesus Christ in 1974 at the First Baptist Church in Burlingame, California.

Pat was born July 31, 1949 in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Ohio. She came to Byhalia, Mississippi with her husband, David and worked for the Internal Revenue Service for more then 30 years. She was widowed in 1986. She retired in 2007. She accepted and was saved in Jesus Christ at age 10 in Goshen, Ohio.

Frank and Pat met over the internet and were married on August 1, 2004. Pat has a one married daughter, Jennifer who lives in Lexington, KY with her husband Rob Brown. Frank has four children, Lynne, Mark, David and Stacy, six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

They share many interests including horses, trail riding and spending as much time as possible with each other. Their life is based in the Lord.

Frank has worked as a security supervisor since 1990 and plans on retiring on April 9, 2009 and then tackling a very large Honey-do list for Pat. Just something to keep him busy.

Frank and Pat live at 590 Victoria Rd, Byhalia, MS and can be reached by calling 662-838-5414 to by email at fgerhow@centurytel.net

March Newsletter Article

Do you remember what life was like when you first became a Christian? If you are like most, it was a great experience of joy and peace in your life. You were excited about what God was going to do in your life. You looked forward to coming to church and being a part of the Bible study. Eventually the newness of being a Christian will fade, but that doesn’t mean that our joy and peace should. The problem is that many Christians have lost their excitement. They come to church week after week and sit on the pews with no emotion or concept of what it means to be conformed into the image of Christ. This is sin, and I like to call it apathy. If you look up the word, you will find that it means indifference.

I believe that we are all prone to some level of apathy in our spiritual life. Why, because Christianity is a marathon not a sprint. Christianity is a lifelong process of conformity to the image of Christ. Many times we start out at a sprint only to run out of gas. We then get discouraged and begin to question our spiritual condition, or we feel that nothing we do matters anyway, so we don’t try to serve the Lord.

How do we overcome a spirit of indifference? First, we must realize that Christianity is not a sprint. We must pace ourselves for the lifelong process of change and growth. Second, we need to learn endurance. The Bible speaks of perseverance on many occasions. God knows that life can be tough. That’s why He will one day do away with sin forever. Until that time, we must endure the difficulties of this life in a way that give God the glory and points others to Him. Third, we must realize that we are not alone in this life. God has given us the Holy Spirit to walk with us daily. Our endurance does not simply come from within us. Our endurance is built on a trust in God that He is with us every step of the way. Only then can we free ourselves to serve the Lord and live an exciting spiritual life.

One note before we close this discussion. Some may seem apathetic in church because they have never been touched by God. In other words, some may be indifferent because they are not part of the kingdom and have never been saved.

Let us shake off our tendency to be apathetic, and let’s serve the Lord with gladness!

Bro Anthony

Three Baptized!

Three young people were baptized at First Baptist Church of Byhalia on Sunday Night February 15, 2009. What a joyous occasion to celebrate. Family and church members gathered to support and pray for the children as they made a bold statement of faith from the baptismal waters. Pictured are Brittany Reed, Samuel Worthy, Dawson Schiele, and Pastor Anthony P. Langley. Pray for each of these children as they embark on their spiritual journey of growth and faith!

Fannie Mae Nichols Update

Mrs. Fannie Mae Nichols tripped over a sidewalk today and was injured. It was first reported that her jaw was broken, but it is her cheekbone that was fractured. She also sustained some abrasions and bruising to her face. She is very stove up and in a great deal of pain. She was released from the emergency room and is at home now. Mrs. Nichols already deals with constant back pain. Pray for her as she recovers from her fall.

Bro. Joedy's Ten Year Anniversary

First Baptist Church honored Bro. Joedy White on Sunday, February 8 for ten years of faithful service as Minister of Music. Bro. Joedy has served in this position since January of 1999. In his ten years, Bro. Joedy has built a strong music program that honors God and guides our worship. Thank you Bro. Joedy for you dedication to excellence and your passion for the Lord. Keep up the good work...and maybe we will do this again in ten years!