SUNDAY SITDOWN

REGGIE GREGORY

CAVALRY BAPTIST CHURCH

By Greg Ritchie

VIDEO AT END OF STORY – WEB EXCLUSIVE

This is a first in a series of reports the Messenger will be doing about local Pastors in our area. To see the full interview, click on the video at the end of the article.

Reggie Gregory has been the pastor of Cavalry Baptist Church in Crockett for 10 years, and has been preaching for a total of 54 years.

How did you get started as a preacher?

“Well I grew up here in Crockett, and of course it was great growing up in a small town where everyone knew each other. My friends and I really enjoyed playing football and sports and we had really good teams. My whole life revolved around sports. It was my senior year when I became a Christian. At that time our church did not have a pastor and they asked me to fill in on Sunday evenings. I wanted to go to college and play sports, and I thought I would be a Christian coach. I began to get second thoughts. I could see more and more the Lord was calling me to go and prepare for the ministry. I was shy about getting up in front of people. I didn’t want to be a preacher but I felt that this was what the Lord wanted me to do.”

What is the most difficult thing about being a preacher?

Of course you are working with people that are imperfect, and they are not going to be perfect. Sometimes it’s frustrating trying to convince people how important church life is, and to read your bible. I don’t think most church members take that serious enough. Trying to get people to take the Bible more seriously. How you are to get along and how to treat others and how you are to live your life.”

What do you like best about being a preacher?

The part that I really love is being able to help people. If I had my choice every message I preach would be about how to comfort and encourage people and give them some direction in life. It involves preaching about things that are not very popular and giving warnings and things.  For me the most joy comes from loving people and them loving you and people getting along and helping each other.”

What do you think God wants from each of us?

“I think the Bible is real clear. Jesus says that if you take everything that God excepts from us and boil it down to one commandment it is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. That means God has top priority over everything in our lives. 

What can be done do to get more young people involved in church? 

“In my generation we were raised in church. We were expected to go to church every time the doors were open. Nowadays it’s harder to get young couples into church. They don’t see the need for it. And they are so busy, our lives are so busy. People having to work two jobs and there are just so many things that are going on. I would say the key to reaching young people is to get parents involved raising their children when they are younger so they get used to coming to church. If you feed them pizza and give them games to play they will come, but I don’t know how much good that would do if you are not teaching them the Bible and give them a foundation for life.”

 Do you have a favorite verse or passage from the Bible?

“Hebrews Chapter 4, verse 14-16 where it talks about Christ being our High Priest and that He is sympathetic. That means that it is impossible for Him not to be sympathetic with anything that we face in this life. Everything that I will ever face in this life, and all the help and guidance and encouragement is bound up in those verses. If I had to pick one verse that gives me a real solid anchor for my soul – everything from family relationships to health, that’s one verse that is really going to hold up.”

What will you say to or ask God when you meet Him?

“I don’t really have a lot of questions. There are a lot of things about the Bible I don’t understand but I think at first I just want to really thank God for giving me life and letting me live. There were times when I could have easily lost my life. I would thank Him for salvation, for saving me. I would thank Him for his word. I will thank Him for His spirit that dwells with me and leads me and guides me. Thank Him for protecting me and guiding me. For forgiveness; I’m not perfect. One day I will be. But I will thank Him for being faithful in spite of my failures. I could spend all day thinking of things to thank Him for. When I start to think about all the things He has done for me, it’s a long list.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]