| GOSPEL ASSEMBLY CHURCH - 40th ANNIVERSARY |
| Our 40th Anniversary...seems like yesterday when I look back into my memories. The memories flood my mind until they are inot one big scene. My first memory of Bloomington was a trip with Father, Mother and family in our small station wagon. We were stuffed into the car like sardines. My older sister, Cheryl, always sat behind my Mother and my little sister, Naomi, always sat up front. Sometimes Cary, my younger brother - now our Pastor, sat up front in the middle, while Chris and I fought with each other beside Cheryl. We went to see Bloomington on a scouting mission and were excited to see the place the Lord had given our Father three dreams concerning starting a church. As a boy of 12 or 13, I was interested how God moved my Father to uproot his family of seven and move to a place he had only delivered gas, and only to a few stations for the Texaco Petroleum Company. He would continue to drive for Texaco until his retirement. Why would he leave home and move 50 miles south to a town he barely knew existed? We had attended a great church in Indianapolis, and my brothers and sister were active in the schools they attended. Why would Dad pick up and leave, and why would my Mother agree to such a life-changing event? I knew then my Father loved the Lord. He put Jesus first in his life. My Mother is the same, their love for the Lord and each other drove them to put their trust in that still, small, voice from the Lord. Pushing to change, driving us to make drastic decisions, moving us in directions other than we would choose for ourselves. We as children accepted this fact and even though we didn't understand, we knew it was right. As children we were on a great adventure, lead by our Heros and Providers. We were heading for our future, and knew where ever they would go we would go unafraid, heads held high and oblivious to what was before us. We had no idea what the next 40 years would bring. We didn't even fathom what our lives would hold. We were with Father and Mother and they would take care of us. We had been taught that Jesus would take care of us also, and if Dad and Mom said it, then it was the truth and we believed it. We didn't know then that this pure, trusting belief in my Father and Mother would be wisdom in which we could always rely. Through pain and sorrow, through times of happiness and wonder, through learning at the feet of Jesus we believed and found the things that we were taught were righteous and could be trusted. We didn't know that small trip to Bloomington would be a life long trip which we are still traveling. Bro. Charles Cohenour Jr., Pastor's Brother |
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| Location: http://www.geocities.com/gacbloomington/anniversary.html Updated: 04/14/04 |