Bro Pete Pastor Emeritus

Bro. Pete Jones “Pastor Emeritus”

The year 1984 was a wonderful year with many wonderful events!

Ronald Reagan defeated Walter Mondale with 59% of the popular vote and carried 49 states in the Electorail College.

John Schnatter opens his first Papa John’s restaurant, its location… Jeffersonville IN!

In 1984 the Space Shuttle Discovery makes its maiden voyage on Aug. 30th and returns safely to earth on Sept. 5th.

The 1984 summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles Ca and the U.S.A. took home a record 83 gold Metals, breaking the record set in Moscow in 1980…. Of course the U.S.A Boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics and Russia the 1984.

5/8 The longest game in Major League Baseball history begins at 7:30 PM between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox. The game was played over the course of 2 days, lasting 25 innings, with a total time of 8 hours and 6 minutes.

The Detroit Tigers defeated the San Diego Padras in five games to win the World Series and the Oilers topped the Islanders for their 1st Stanley Cup.

In 1985 Michael Jackson wins a record 8 Grammy Awards, yet earlier that year his hair catches on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.

The year 1984 saw the birth of many people well known today, Businessman Eric Trump 1/6, Face Book CEO Mark Zuckerberg 5/14, Actress Scarlet Johansson 11/22, and Basketball great, LeBron James 12/30

In 1984 I was 7 years Old! LOL

But there was another event that took place right here in Enigma Ga, one that may be less known worldwide than those mentioned earlier but one that had a greater impact with eternal significance for so many of you and so many people here in this community.

On 4/22/1984 Enigma Baptist Church called Pete Jones as pastor and on 6/3/1984 Preacher Pete entered into that role. Bro. Pete has had an impact in your lives, he is a friend and a shepherd who has shared many joyful occasions with you as well as many difficult season with you, he has rejoiced with you as you rejoiced and he has wept with you as you have wept.

According to church records, Preacher Pete baptized 121 people during his tenure as pastor, this is a remarkable number with such eternal significance. I would like to know how many weddings he has performed in this community, he has most certainly married off many of your children. Over the past 35 years he has performed countless funerals many of which are your love ones. Yes, Preacher Pete has served this church faithfully!

35 Years! What a long tenure of faithful service, did you know that today the average tenure for a pastor at one Church is 2.5 – 3 years. As I think of this long faithful service, the words of Matthew 25:23 ring in my head, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Preacher Pete Jones is certainly a faithful servant, most pastors pastor a church but Pete Jones has Pastored a community. I can’t tell you how many people tell me when they hear that I am the pastor of Enigma Baptist Church, say, “Pete Jones’ Church.” Everyone knows Preacher Pete, because he has impacted so many people’s lives in the church and out of the church.

Today we want to recognize Bro. Pete Jones as Pastor Emeritus of Enigma Baptist Church. You may ask yourself, “what does it mean to be Pastor Emeritus?” It is an honorary title that is bestowed upon an exceptionally faithful leader after his retirement. This says, “even though you have entered into retirement and no longer an official of this church you have shown such merit that we CLAIM you as a continuing part of this church.”

Bro. Pete you are my friend and mentor, when I think of your faithfulness it inspires me to faithfulness. A Pastor lives a difficult life, it is a demanding life, sometimes you feel as though you are in a pressure cooker, often times under paid, underappreciated, and over stressed but you neither burned out nor rusted out you kept the course and fought the fight until the Lord was ready for you to hang it up.

It is my honor to present you as Rev. Pete Jones Pastor Emeritus of Enigma Baptist Church.