Peter’s Story

I had wonderful parents, a great childhood and grew up attending church but did not come to know the Lord until later in life.

It all started right after I graduated from high school and drank a beer at my cousin’s wedding. It was awful, but I somehow managed to choke it down because I wanted to be an adult and I wanted to be cool. It began to become a problem for me in college when I spent more time partying than studying. It wasn’t long before I dropped out of school, got married and joined the workforce. After 10 difficult years of car accidents, court appearances and jail time, my wife finally booted me out of the house.

I moved to an apartment in Waterloo where I was working as a route driver for a bread company. I covered many miles as a route driver, and I got hooked on a radio program called Insight for Living with a Bible teacher named Chuck Swindoll. At the time, I thought I understood what being a Christian was and I didn’t think that God was relevant for my life. I didn’t need religion, I needed money and I needed my marriage fixed! But I listened to Chuck anyway.

Early one morning, at the close of his radio program, he gave an invitation to receive Christ as Savior. I prayed the prayer and it seemed like nothing happened, but nothing was ever the same after that!

It was November of 1981, and I got excited about Jesus! I couldn’t get enough of my Bible teaching radio programs and the guys at work started giving me a bad time about “getting religion”. I even threatened to quit drinking and finally on June 30 of 1982, I went straight home, didn’t stop at the bar after work and never had another drink. I found out years later that the guys at the bar had a “pool” going as to how long I would stay sober. I wonder if anyone ever collected on that pool.

My wife and I got back together and began to rebuild our marriage. It was a long and arduous process of rebuilding relationships and correcting old habits of selfishness and deception. But now that I’ve been a Christian for 44 years and sober for 43 and married for almost 54, it has been so worth it! God has been very, very good to me, someone who is the least deserving of His favor!

I kind of came into ministry through the back door when the pastor left our local church in Greeley, Iowa. I started filling in as we searched for a new pastor and I filled in for 14 years! I also served as pastor of St. John’s Congregational Church in Garber for 8 years and Colesburg Community Church as well.

We answered the call to come back to Vinton this past summer and are excited about returning. We had originally moved here in 1976 and moved away when our youngest graduated from Vinton-Shellsburg High School in 1995. We have spent our last 25 years in Delaware County helping aging parents who have now graduated from this life. Since we were living here when I was converted, some of you may remember me as a drinker. If so, I apologize for whatever I may have done or said to you!

As I mentioned before, God has been very good to us, and I plan to serve Him in some capacity for as long as I am able. My bride and I look forward to serving First Baptist, meeting new friends and renewing old friendships.