What do you do here at First Orlando?
I lead the team that does all the discipleship for the church. That includes the Men’s and Women’s Ministries, the ACTS Ministry and the LIFE Group ministries.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Nashville, but raised in West Monroe, Louisiana.
How large is the family your grew up in?
It was just my mom and me. My dad died when I was 2.
When and how did you come to know Christ?
During second grade, I was in church and fell asleep during the service. I woke up at the end of it, saw some people going forward and asked my mom why they were going forward. My mom called the pastor, who came over, and I gave my life to Christ, though I didn’t understand much what salvation meant. But it was in the ninth grade when I truly became aware of what in meant to have Jesus not just as my Savior, but also as my Lord. That’s when things really started changing in my life.
What was the first job you ever had?
Once a week I would roll the trashcans out of the apartment complex we lived in. My landlord, who was also the principal of my school, paid me a dollar a week. I enjoyed going up to the school office and saying to the lady at the desk, “Mr. Lewis owes me some money and I need to see him.”
Where did you go to college?
I went to Louisiana College, which was a fantastic experience. I went as a Religious Education major, but I changed my major to Management Information Services because my roommate had a computer in our room and I fell in love with computers. I then went to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and got my masters in Religious Education.
When and to whom did you marry?
I marred Kasey Hendrix in 1990.
How many children do you have?
Two, a son and a daughter.
How did you get into ministry?
I was very involved at First Baptist Church of Monroe (Louisiana). I had two father figures in my life: my scout troop was the “outdoor” father to me; and my youth minister was my spiritual mentor. During a summer camp between 11th and 12th grade, God had been working on and dealing with me. I finally said, “OK, God, whatever You want, I’ll do it.” I was really blessed in that God gave me real clarity that I was to be in youth ministry. I loved it all along and never doubted it from the beginning.
While God has evolved and broadened that calling, it was such a blessing to have that kind of calling from the start. I started at my first church when I was 19 and have been working in church ever since.
Have you ever done any long- or short-term missionary work?
A few short term. One of the best I went on was to the Himalayas. It was kind of a covert thing where no one was supposed to know what we were doing. We peaked out at 11,000 feet in the clouds. It was a phenomenal experience with God and the hardest physical, mental and spiritual thing I’d ever been a part of.
Where else have you been?
I’ve been to Juarez, Mexico; Daytona Beach; the Grand Canyon; and Louisiana. Random places.
Where else did you serve before coming to First Orlando?
At 19, I started at Simpson Baptist Church in Simpson, Louisiana. I then went to Pineville Park Baptist Church, also in Louisiana, where I served four years. While in seminary, I worked in a church called Rush Creek in Arlington, Texas. From there I went to Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas, and then to Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, Louisiana. I stayed there for 10 years. I was a student pastor at all those churches. I then went to First Baptist Church of West Monroe, Louisiana, as the evangelism pastor (where David Uth was the senior pastor). I then went to a ministry called Student Life as the marketing director. That is a parachurch organization that impacted about 100,000 students a year at camps and events, plus another 200,000 on a weekly basis through curriculum.
What brought you to First Orlando?
That was an evolution of my calling. While I was at Student Life, God had impressed on me that what I was truly gifted for and what I was truly called to do was to be close enough to watch life-change happen. Nothing jazzes me up more than for people to move one step closer to God and understanding the intimacy of their walk with Him. At Student Life, I couldn’t do that. But God really used that year to rebirth that notion in me. So I started sharing with David (Uth) my call and what my vision was for the entire family, not just to the students. I had wanted to build a program that was comprehensive for 1st through 12th grade and their parents. At the same time, David had been looking for an education guy, but had been running into dead ends. So, he prayed about it and offered me the ministry opportunity as the “family” guy. In a few months, I was asked to also oversee all LIFE Groups. I then asked for all discipleship, as well.
What was the turning point of your life?
In the ninth grade when God became real to me. I was at a camp called “Super Summer” at Baylor University and it was like the switch turned on inside of me. I walked away from the big sins — the language and drinking — and was really able to start walking in a right relationship with God. I still struggled, but that was the pivotal point.
What do you like best about your job?
For one thing, I get to work with a great team. For another thing, I love to watch people “get it.” Knowing I have a part in how that looks is a great thing. I like not just instructing people in what they should do, but showing them how they should be doing it. I also get to be creative, problem-solve and everything else God has built me to do.
What is your most memorable moment in ministry?
What probably changed my ministry most is when God reminded me that I’m in this job 60 hours a week, and He is at this 24/7. While He uses my words, my passion and my touch on people’s lives, He is the One who is constantly at work away from the church. I realized all that when I had some students who I didn’t think were getting it, and yet they were having their Bible studies, quiet times and telling others about the Lord. I realized that the Lord had been working on them all along when I only considered them peripheral.
Do you have a favorite Bible verse or portion?
John 13:7: “Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” For me, that verse came at a time when I asked God why my dad had died. I didn’t understand that. I had been asking that question for 18 years. I trusted God that one day I would understand, and that gave me peace. Two other verses, Proverbs 3:5-6 and Philippians 4:13, are like book ends to every up and down in my life.
What do you like to do with your free time?
I like to be with my family. I like to play. And I like cruising around in my 1971 Jeep Commando.
If you were not a pastor, what would you be doing?
Whatever it was, it would involve people and being in leadership. I’d also like to be on a creative consulting team. I love to think outside the box.