December 2025

I remember going to Midnight Mass every Christmas Eve when growing up. I grew up in a Catholic family. It was our tradition. I think part of the reason was to take our minds off the games and toys we were looking forward to getting in the morning, and to keep us up so late that when we got home, we were able to go to sleep.

After reluctantly going to bed and finally falling asleep, my parents would head up into the attic to get all the stuff Mom and Dad have stashed there. They would spend the next couple of hours putting the train set together for me and my brother, Andy, and the doll house for my sister Patty, making sure to do it all without making a racket and waking us up.

It was interesting to learn years later that Mom and Dad, Mom mostly, would keep their eyes open for specials throughout the year. They would buy something on sale and stash it up in the attic safe and sound until Christmas Eve, when they brought it down and placed it under the Christmas Tree. We already knew they loved us, but this was their very special expression of their love; an all-out, extravagant display.

Two thousand years ago, our Heavenly Father expressed His extravagant love for us by sending his only Son into the world. Jesus wasn’t sent just to tell us about Father’s love, but to demonstrate His love; for while we were sleeping (sinners), Christ died for us. Picture the first "Christmas tree." It was an old, rugged cross. And beneath it is an enormous pile of gifts, each with an individual’s name tag. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ... and the wages of sin is death ... but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Two thousand years ago, our Father purchased the greatest Christmas gift ever given for everyone. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Picture a Cross with millions of boxes containing everlasting life gifts, and notice there is one there with everyone's name on it.

But just because God has purchased and offered the gift to everyone doesn’t mean everyone has eternal life. Only those who have stopped by the Cross and have received and opened their gift personally get to enjoy it. Have you received your gift of eternal life? Will you respond by accepting your gift today?

Our final Pastor’s Fellowship for 2025 will take place on Wednesday, December 10th at 12 noon. I know this is short notice, but pastors please plan to attend this gathering! Our new Transitional Director, Brian Williams, will be with us for that meeting for a question and answer session with our pastors. As usual, Mike Mines will have a great (free) lunch for us. Please contact him to let us know if you will be there.

I thought I had planned out my last couple of months before retirement very well. But God had different plans. I still plan to end my employment with the PBA on December 31st, but I could never have foreseen what has taken place. On Thursday, October 30th my wife Peggy mentioned that she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go to the Emergency Room. We went to Riverside Hospital that afternoon and they did a barrage of tests and decided it was her heart. They scheduled a catheterization for the following Monday thinking the worst thing they would need to do would be to insert a stint in one of her arteries. While conducting the catheterization the doctor discovered more damage and told us she would need to undergo bypass surgery. We met with the surgeon, and he scheduled the surgeon later that week. The bypass went very well but she had some complications that caused the procedure to take much longer than they anticipated.

Fast forward to now, she is home for a long period of recuperation. Needless to say, I have needed to be with her almost constantly. I have been working from home since she left the hospital. I am just now able to spend some time in the office.

I want to thank the leadership and people of the PBA for patience and grace through this period. We have received nothing but support and promises of prayers from everyone. Being able to spend time with Peggy and to work from home has been a huge blessing! She is on her way to complete recovery.

Meanwhile, we are still planning to move to Virginia Beach – and have secured a rental home there. I will continue to serve Buckroe Baptist Church as their Interim Pastor as long as they need me. This means I will be on the Peninsula regularly for a while. Our biggest prayer now (aside from Peggy’s health) is that our home in Newport News will sell soon so we may plan our move. Please feel free to continue calling on me. And please lend your support to Brian Williams who will serve as Transitional Director for the PBA beginning in January. When the Leadership Team decided to call a Transitional Director my first thought was that Brian Williams would be perfect for that position. I kept that thought to myself, but eventually the search team came to that conclusion. I know the PBA is in good hands moving forward. Chuck

We provide this information to assist churches seeking a senior pastor. We can only provide
information given to us by churches, so please keep us informed! You may also let us know
about other open positions in your church if you would like us to publicize them. Churches
currently without pastors: