I don’t remember who made the post, but a while back someone posted that Steve Lowery had retired from National COG. His wife Janice is one of my Facebook friends, and apparently, they are getting ready to retire after being there for 40 years. She posted her daily Bible study on FB today, and she was talking about being in her new home in Cleveland and that Monday is moving day. She is flying back to MD Tuesday, so I’m not sure when they are leaving officially, but it sounds like it’s soon.They were associates when we were there 30 years ago, and they became the lead pastors after Dr. Lowery left National many years ago________________More of Him…less of me.twitter.com/camiracle77www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name
As a kid in Cleveland (I was born there), for a few years we lived in a house behind the Lowerys. This is the neighborhood across 25th Street from the COG Offices. Steve was a little older than me, but the kids in the neighborhood would play together. I remember being in their home and seeing T. L. in his study.Few will understand the pressure on the children of well known ministers who are called to the ministry. The children carry the name and legacy of their famous father all their life, and spend much of their ministry being compared to them. Yes, there are some advantages to being in a ministry family, and their are people who love you because of your family’s ministry, but their are the critics who did not like your father and they don’t like you. Added to this is jealousy, often from fellow ministers, who will mock anything you do as being only because of who your daddy is. Good for Steve that he has been at one church for so long, he has held up under the pressure, and he now can retire in peace. Those who take pleasure in condemning an Earl Paulk, Jr, because of his dad’s legacy will not be able to do the same to Steve. (By the way, those who can never leave the comfort of the the south, or small towns, or the Cleveland area, will never understand what it takes to pastor in a large city.) For those who would feel free to make the comparison between father and son with some commentary devised of your own opinion, be warned, as either your children will reject your ministry, or they will follow you in ministry and suffer under others who compare. Your heart will brake either way.
Very good insightful comment Mat.. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
I, too, was born in Cleveland (my entire extended family lives thereabouts).Indeed, if you fail in some way (see the Paulks), you are looked upon as having tainted your father’s sterling legacy (and in their case, I suppose there is more than a little truth to that).
Aaron, what year were you born? Did you go to grade school in Cleveland? I was born in 1955 and attended Stuart Elementary in Cleveland. We moved away in the summer of 1965.
I was born in 1962, and I attended Prospect (oddly enough, my dad had hated Prospect, but loved Hopewell). I attended a number of different schools in Florida, due to my dad’s evangelizing. I would go to this or that school for a week, two, or five, etc., then on to the next one. My mother graduated from Bradley (and my dad nearly did, but his father had died, and so he went to work).
Just happened upon the end of Jan’s daily Bible study on Facebook and she said July 25th is their last Sunday at National. They will install their new pastor next Sunday – Jonathan Zeigler! Had not heard that before. He usually comes here to our area once a year. What a great choice for them________________More of Him…less of me.twitter.com/camiracle77www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691241499&ref=name
Heard some good things about Zeigley________________Recorded Sermons @ http://www.pastorwiley.com