Wow! J. Amos Jones has been Pastor of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church for forty-nine years. As we reflect on that period of leadership, there have been three constants throughout that entire period. First of all, there has been the faithfulness of God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church. There has not been a time when He was not there. Early on, this Pastor learned that we CAN do all things through Christ who strengtheneth us. It has been assuring to know that His perpetual presence is with us in everything. The Old Testament Prophet Amos spoke to the calling of this Amos: “Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go,prophesy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:14-15).
The second constant has been the commitment of this Pastor to God, to His work, and to His people. This Pastor’s first sermon was “Debts That Have To Be Paid,” taken from Romans 1:14-16. Just as Paul’s debt was to Christ for being his Savior, and it was payable to the entire world, so it has been with this Pastor for fifty-five years of preaching the gospel, the Good News of salvation, and feeding the flock of God. The commitment has always been to God who “took him as he delivered the mail for the United States Postal Service.” Obedience has always been the test of a faithful servant of God.
Lastly, there has been the loving kindness, the care and compassion, and the concern of the people for the Pastor. There has been the embodiment of Mt. 10:41: “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward” Dear members, we have come this far by faith, let us continue.
Pastor J. Amos Jones
