I didn't think I was going to be a pastor. I was going to be a computer genius. You know... fast cars, chicks and tones of cash? [Ok... fast computers, LAN parties and tones of Doritos.] But I flunked out - bad. I walked away from God, the church, and humanity. I stayed in the basement drinking gallons of 2% milk and wasting away both physically and spiritually.

So my dad said, "Boy, right now you're not good for much. You hate manual labor and you don't know any trade skills. You have such great potential if you'd only apply yourself. If you don't get an education, then you're not going to do anyone any good - and you're probably going to starve." So he sent me to Bible School. I had to pay for it myself, but it was where I needed to figure myself out.

That's when God got a hold of me, at age 17. During my first year I felt the Holy Spirit call me into full time ministry. After year one I had a certificate of Biblical Studies, a new wife, and a lot of questions. I didn't know what "full time ministry" Jesus meant, but I knew enough that I needed to finish my Bachelors of Religion. After graduation from my BR, I felt the best thing to do would be to talk to a Godly counselor about my options.

He said, "Boy, right now you're not good for much. You don't know hardly nothing, you have no real experience. You have such great potential if you'd only apply yourself. If you don't get more education, then you're not going to do anyone any good - and you're probably going to starve." So I went to Seminary.

My first year of seminary was a great blur. I learned a ton, dabbled in different kinds of ministry, made some great friends and had a kid (well, the wife helped with the last part). But I still had no clue what "full time ministry" Jesus wanted me in. The second year wasn't much clearer. Then by the third year, I'd finally figured it out: Media Ministries. I felt that obviously God wanted me back into my comfort zone of computers, while adding the new knowledge of the scriptures to it (HA!). I was to be a Computer Geek for Jesus! And for a time I had great success. I got a position, passed my courses with A's (2 of them!) and was ready to take on those fuddy-duddy churches and blast them into the new millennium.

The church I worked for loved what I was doing, but couldn't afford me for "full time ministry", so I started looking elsewhere. And found nothing. No bites. Nada. Then one of my previous professors asked me if I'd like to preach a Sunday at a church. I said No... but he felt it was a good idea, so I acquiesced. It was to be my first, real, pulpit sermon. I had taken the minimum required preaching courses (Media Ministers don't need them, right?), and wasn't ready for it. So I wrote the sermon, and preached it right from the script. I was scared to death.

Then weird things started to happen. Someone else called me to preach. Then someone else. Then a little church asked me to come be their interim preacher. All the while I was still sending resumes and searching furiously for the job I knew I was meant to have: Media Minister.

As you've guessed by now, and to make a long story short - I was wrong. Sooo wrong. And when I finally released what I wanted to do, and allowed Jesus to tell me what HE wanted to do, my ministry began. He called me to come all the way across the continent and over the border from Edmonton, Alberta to Cleveland, Ohio to be the solo pastor of a rapidly declining church that wanted a re-start. A group of people, with the mean age of 70, had gone from 200 attending down to 40. I was brought in as an agent of change. Needless to say, when I began I was as out of my element as I could be. God took His rebellious little fish and drew him FAR away from the water.

And that's where I am today. I'm still nervous every Sunday. I'm still learning a lot, every week. What I am is a young fool who is doing his best to learn how Jesus wants me to be the Pastor He wants me to be. Nothing else. From you all: I need help, mentors, trusted advisers, and people to pray for me, and the occasional swift kick in the butt. I thank God for the ministry of Mark Driscoll and his partners on this site, they have helped me immensely, and continue to help me.

If you want to learn about my church. myself or read or hear any of my sermons, go to www.redeemerbaptist.net and feel free to contact me at descha@myfishonline.net.