Evangelism in Kentucky
June 28, 2012
Rev. Lee F. Veazey (M.Div. ’05) is currently serving as the church planter and organizing pastor of Grace and Peace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Northern Kentucky. He was called to serve as an evangelist for the purpose of establishing and organizing a mission church into a separate and particular congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. We asked him a few questions about his time at Westminster and his current ministry.
What are some of the most memorable moments from your time at Westminster?
There are quite a number of memorable moments, but here are a couple that come to mind immediately:
- Spending many cold January mornings in the café studying for Winter Greek with a classmate from Nigeria. During my time at Westminster he became a dear friend and showed me what it means to persevere through difficult times, not only in the academic preparation for ministry but also in pastoral ministry in the local church.
- Being the only student required to take the Hebrew portion of the “Poetry and Wisdom” final exam, due to less than outstanding performance on Hebrew quizzes during the semester. Because this was the last exam on the last day of exams of the 2005 Spring Semester, I was the very last student to walk out of Van Til before my graduation. As I left the building I felt absolutely alone . . . and absolutely relieved!
How have your studies impacted your current ministry?
My studies at Westminster have provided a solid reformed theological foundation and orientation grounded in the Scriptures that I need for a lifetime of ministry. Not a day goes by without having to lean on one aspect or another of my Westminster education. The “indicative-imperative” and “the already and not yet” are not just phrases that capture the Westminster experience; they have been woven into the foundational fabric of the church that God is building here.
What are some things you are learning outside the classroom, since you graduated?
Here are a few things that I’ve been learning since my days at Westminster:
- I’m learning, in the words of John Newton, that “I am a miserable sinner and that Jesus Christ is an all-sufficient savior.”
- I’m learning to walk by faith and not by sight.
- I’m learning that planting a church from scratch is more difficult than I imagined and much harder than anything else I have ever done.
- I’m learning that God can be trusted and that He is faithful to His promises.
How would you encourage students currently studying at Westminster?
I would encourage students to develop growing relationships with their professors so that after they make the transition from student to graduate these relationships will not end. I keep in contact with several professors from Westminster, and they have continued to be a great encouragement and practical help to me in pastoral ministry. In fact, one of my former professors just returned a phone call of mine early this morning, which is not that unusual…except that it was from Paris!
What are some of the particular challenges you face in your current ministry?
Every ministry has its share of challenges, but a particular challenge that I face here in Northern Kentucky is reaching out to people who believe that the “consumer is king” and who believe that “non-commitment" is a virtue even, or maybe especially, when it comes to the church.
How can the Westmister community pray for you?
- Pray that in my own walk with the Lord my heart would be aflame and my head would be cool.
- Pray for God to continue to provide the supernatural combination of boldness and humility as well as for the continued growth of both thick skin and a big heart in ministry.
- Pray for the wisdom and skill needed to minister simultaneously inward as a pastor to the “gathered” as well as outward as an evangelist to the “not yet gathered” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 2 Timothy 4:1-5).
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