CREATIVE CELEBRATION

 

Interim pastor Bob Townsend greeted the crowd at the 120^th Anniversary of Maxwell Baptist Church by reminding them of his own tenure as pastor.

“I served here when I was young,” he said, “and again later, and now as interim. I don’t know whether to refer to it as “third time’s a charm,” or “three strikes and you’re out.”

Personally, I am thrilled to have Pastor Townsend serve once again with people we grew to love in our thirteen years as their pastor. The entire day, last Sunday, reminded us of the faithful men who have preached in Maxwell for all these years. What a blessing to see succeeding generations of believers as a result of a church which grew out of American Sunday School Union meetings back in 1903.

Another blessing of the anniversary celebration was sharing the platform with my good friend, R. P. Smith, the cowboy poet. R. P. wrote a poem in honor of the one hundredth anniversary twenty years ago. He also joined us when we celebrated the 110^th Anniversary in 2013. On this occasion he shared several of his down-home, ranch-based musings on the goodness of God.

There are still descendants of Jeremiah Snyder in the church in Maxwell. He ran the ASSU Sunday School for twenty-five years before the church was organized. What a blessing to see generations of believers remaining faithful to God. That is the promise God made to the man who fears the Lord. “The generation of the upright shall be blessed” (Psalm 112:2).

A worship service of celebration and dinner on the grounds were a blessing. But the greatest blessing of all came from visiting and rejoicing with faithful saints from multiple generations. God has built His church in Maxwell, Nebraska.