13th Appreciation Services for Pastor Ricky D. Turner & Family

I am sitting in the Kansas City International airport reflecting on the time I just spent with the Oak Ridge Baptist Church family and their Pastor and wife as we celebrated together the 13th Pastor's Appreciation Service. Pastor Turner and his wife Sister Tinalisa watched, helped and mentored my growth at the Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church.

Pastor Turner is the greatest son to be produced from the Mount Olive Ministry under the leadership of Pastor A. Glenn Woodberry and yet his humility is unsurpassed within the preaching ranks. Unintentionally, I was irritating him as he has always been and will always be one of my idols so I referred to him as Dr. Turner. He kept reminding, "Ray, it's just Ricky", but I know and have been trained better.

I never had the chance to see or worship in the Oak Ridge Church. When Pastor Turner was called to Pastor Oakridge, he was the Assistant Pastor of GMO. I was blessed by God to assume the responsibilities of the Assistant when he left but NO ONE has or ever will fill his shoes at Mt. Olive. I am sure many members of Mt. Olive wish they had a Dr. Ricky Turner still there but thanks be to God the same Power and the same Pastor that developed Turner is still at work developing other ministers for the glory of God.

With that said, Oak Ridge is a worshipping church. They like to have church. Sometimes when a church gets large, builds new buildings and becomes the "CHURCH" in an area, they forget to do what they did to get there. Oak Ridge is not like this. In the words of Pastor Turner, we don't SPECTATE, WE PARTICIPATE, and participate they did. It was a wonderful time.

Even with this great service, I hate leaving the pulpit God has given me, I don't leave my church just to leave or for just for any service so my attending Oak Ridge on this Sunday shows the level of respect I have for this man of God.

Let me express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Pastor Turner, his wife, and the Oak Ridge family for how kind they were to me. To Macedonia: Thank you for allowing your Pastor to share in other settings but please know, Pastor is on his way back HOME. Therefore, pass the word and I will see you in Bible Study and Noon Day Bible Study on Wednesday.

Owens