Pastor Emeritus Larry Riemersma reflects on the beginnings of Grace Bible Fellowship

     We were moving to Florida. Our pastor, Clarence Kramer, on that last Sunday in Michigan said, "Now don’t forget the ministry." While I assured him I wouldn’t, deep down inside that’s exactly what I wanted to do - forget the ministry.
     I was twenty-three and had been a pastor for more than one year. We were the first pastor of Grace Bible Church in Newaygo, Michigan. Maybe I was too young, certainly I was inexperienced but I hadn’t figured out what "success" in the ministry was. We were being paid $15 per week by the church and I supplemented my church salary by working a secular job. I lost that job when our first son, Jeff, was three months old and I was devastated. Unable to find work we resigned from the church. I wanted more education so I could provide some security for my family. Six months later we were on our way to Florida. I had been accepted at the University of Tampa and we were going to live with Alice’s parents, Joe and Myrtle Fisher, who had retired in Largo. Weren’t they lucky! My "wilderness wandering" had begun and fortunately it lasted twelve years and not forty.
     It would be twelve years before I would be willing again to be called "Pastor." During this time we were always involved in a church. However, we couldn’t find any church who recognized Paul as a unique Apostle, the one who received the "revelation of the mystery." We missed this premise for the interpretation of Scripture, the principle of "rightly dividing the Word of truth."
     Soon the Lord brought Bob and Jeanne Hume our way. It was refreshing to have home Bible studies with others who felt the same way. Others crossed our path. We even found a church that was close to our position. However, there was a rigidity, a legalism, and a requiring of every one to toe the party line.
     When this was going on I had already graduated Tampa U and had taught high school mathematics for nine years. I loved my work - despite working a fifty hour week. I even had gotten my master’s degree in math education at University of South Florida and was teaching part-time at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. In 1975 there was an opening for a full-time math teacher. I applied and by a miracle (ask me about it sometime) I got the job. My contact hours with students was less, I even had my own office where I could read and study anything I wanted. The Lord was preparing me for the "big decision" in 1976. I didn’t know it at the time but I had a job where I could even prepare sermons during office hours.
     It took twelve years but the Lord broke down my resistance and showed me the necessity of returning to the ministry. Finally I was willing to follow. On September 26, 1976 we held our first service at the American Legion hall on 60th Street in Pinellas Park.
     From the very beginning we had definite goals. We wanted to become a complete church. Home Bible studies are wonderful, but we wanted to serve the whole family; Sunday School, Youth Group, etc. We also wanted an environment where the pursuit of truth was preeminent. People would be allowed to disagree, even with the pastor, but always in the context of love. Foremost, we would emphasize grace; in salvation, in sanctification and in its dispensational sense. Finally, we wanted to support missions. In our first month of existence Chris Egemeier of Grace Ministries International challenged us in this area. We wrote it into our constitution that 25% of non-designated gifts would go to missions. I would estimate over $250,000 has been given by our church to missions. Only eternity will show the results.
     As the saying goes, "the rest is history." Within four months we moved from the Legion Hall to the City Auditorium on 59th Street. Our original 13 soon became 25. The 25 became 40 and we bought a piece of property. God sent the right people our way, people we would greatly benefit from.
     Two or three years after we started Dan Myers came. He was being discipled in the "Christ-life" principle. Dan shared some tapes with me featuring Major Ian Thomas. The one which the Lord dramatically used in my life was entitled "Any Old Bush Will Do." It was about Moses and the burning bush. Etched in my memory is a line from that sermon, "It’s not the bush that is significant, it’s the God in the bush. Any old bush will do!" His teaching on the humanity of Christ also revolutionized my thinking and my spiritual life. Other works came my way to supplement this teaching. First it was "The Green Letters" by Miles Stanford. Later came "Lifetime Guarantee" by Dr. Bill Gillham. Recently this teaching has been reinforced by "Grace Walk" and "Grace Rules" by Steve McVey. Thankfully soon after the church began I learned this church is the Lord’s. I could not accomplish anything unless Christ was my strength. I became dependant on Him. When "good things" happened I gave Him the credit. When "bad things" happened I gave Him the credit - I knew He was doing something in our midst and I was privileged to be watching Him work.
     Over the years there have been pleasures and disappointments. Seeing someone get saved or seeing spiritual growth in a persons life or an increased knowledge of the Word is so pleasing. Even someone leaving our church to enter ministry elsewhere brings joy. Dave and Sue McAuley and Steve and Wendy McAuley come to mind.
     Disappointments include watching a family break up through divorce. I’ve watched young people who I thought were prime candidates for ministry live lives that were not honoring the Lord. Also I’ve seen people’s faces light up when they first understood the Word rightly divided only to later see them leave for another church in town. They gave their reasons but I never could understand. I realized I couldn’t live their lives for them, they were the ones who were going to give an account some day before the Lord. Besides, I knew the Lord was still working in their lives and he wasn’t through with them yet. Maybe...
     My blessings are innumerable. I have so many wonderful friends in Christ. I even have great relationships with people who have left. I have grown so much in the Lord and in His Word. I learned so much because it was my assigned task to study and teach the Word of God. There’s nothing that compares with being a pastor. Thank you Lord.

Larry Riemersma
ProfRiem@gmail.com