I trust the Chik-Fil-A drive thru so much I don’t even check the bag to see if they got my order right. If they were to get my order wrong, I would just assume they know what’s best for me.
@MarkProffitt@rachlovesmedia Sure. The opposite might be said of Singapore, where everything is strictly enforced. The streets are spotless, decorum is rigidly polite, & any disruption is a national event. Acceptance of immigrants is 1/10th that of the next closest country. And assimilation is NOT optional~
@joshuaultman
THIS DAY IN BREVARD HISTORY - 54 years ago this month, Adrian Rogers was called from First Baptist Church of Merritt Island to become pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, beginning a 32-year ministry that would make him one of the most influential Southern Baptist pastors of the 20th century.
But before Memphis, Rogers’ ministry had deep roots on Florida’s Space Coast.
His first senior pastorate was at Fellsmere Baptist Church, where he performed his first baptism in the C-54 Canal, the well-known waterway running through southern Brevard and Indian River counties.
In 1964, at age 32, Rogers became pastor of First Baptist Church of Merritt Island as Brevard was booming during America’s race to the moon. Seeing the thousands of people pouring into the Space Coast, Rogers told the congregation, “This church cannot be a normal church.”
During his eight years on Merritt Island, Sunday attendance grew from about 300 to 2,000, and approximately 2,400 people were baptized. One remarkable photograph from those years shows around 2,000 people forming a giant “living cross” in the street outside the church.
That photo later helped inspire historian and pastor Phil Kramer to write *Moon Port Pastor*, a book devoted to Rogers’ years on Merritt Island. Kramer has argued that while Merritt Island may not have made Rogers the preacher he became, “I think Merritt Island made him the leader he would become.”
Rogers’ ministry became closely tied to Brevard’s space-age identity. Members of the congregation included NASA engineers, and around the Apollo 11 launch and moon landing in 1969, First Baptist hosted community events, welcomed visitors, and used the historic moment as an opportunity to share the Gospel.
In August 1972, Rogers was unanimously called to Bellevue Baptist Church. Seven years later, he was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, becoming a central figure in the denomination’s Conservative Resurgence and ultimately serving three terms as SBC president.
From baptizing new believers in the C-54 Canal to leading thousands on Merritt Island during the height of the Space Race, Adrian Rogers’ remarkable ministry had deep roots right here on Florida’s Space Coast.
@BobGolen Gotta watch the numbers. Enter often,
and use the space. Make one shift and capitalize everything at your disposal and don’t be afraid to give yourself a reboot~