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DEC 01 90

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EDWIN PO'\JVJ!UIDcmocnt staff

The Rev. Don Foster will leave Mount Vernon Baptist Church after Dec. 30 to take up ministry at a newly fonned church in Florida.

Rev. Don Foster

By EDWIN POWELL and felt the call to enter the ministry Democrat Staft'Writer himself. He became the part-time

pastor of a 28-member church and The Rev. Don Poster will be fol- fully intended to remain in his posi­

lowing the birds south this winter as tion at Eastman Kodak. he leaves Mount Vernon Baptist "(The church) grew to 200 in Church to take up a new call at two or three years and they Community Baptist Church in presumed upon me to quit my job Flagler County, Fla. at Eastman, and eventually they

Mr. Foster first came to Mount won out. My salary was cut in half Vernon 10% years ago, and during to go with them full time," he said. his tenure, he has been instntmen- While accolades are freely tal in'building it up froni a medium- heaped upon~ successful pastors, sized congregation of 135 members Mr. Poster is just as quick to pass it to one of the largest congregations along to the church staff. in the county with more than 800 "The pastor is sort of like the ' names on the rolls, according to the quarterback on a football team. Rev. Bud Russell, Mount Vernon's They get all the glory, but the associate pastor. linemen are out there knocking

During his years at Mount Ver- heads so he can get through to non, the congregation quickly out- make a touchdown. grew the stone auditorium in which "I've got people here on the line services had been held for half a knocking heads for me to do it. century. By 1987, a large portion of Without them, I couldn't," he said. the congregation was seated in the When Mr. Foster flfSt came to basement on Sunday mornings, Mount Vernon, he was the only watching the service on a c1osed- staff member at the church, other circuit video system. than a part-time custodian. Now,

The church then built a new the church has an associate pastor, auditorium adjacent to the existing a minister of music and a full-time one and attendance has never been secretary. the same, Mr. Foster said. The decision to give up all the

"The new building's what really security and respect he has attained did it. The first service we had in the during his decade at Mount Vernon new auditorium, we had 821 and was not an easy one, but one trip to we've never been under 600 since," the Florida church convinced him he said. that he was needed there.

With our society's emphasis on "They wouldn't let up on me for upward mobility, Mr. Foster said __three months," he said. "They some might question the wisdom of asked me to pray aboutMt, and they a career move that would take him persuaded me to come down and from a thriving church of 800 mem- look at the situation. bers to become the first full-time "When I looked at that situation, ) pastor of a church of 54, but it is I was reminded of Jesus when he nothing he has not done before. looked at the people and saw them

"I've always taken a church as sheep with no shepherd. It really smaller than the one I was in. I've got to me." always felt like the larger churches Mr. Foster takes the task of a aren't what God has called me to," shepherd seriously, as evidenced he said. by the wooden shepherd's crook

Community Baptist Church will which he has leaning against the be the sixth church Mr. Foster has wall in his office. It is not a taken full time, and so far, every ceremonial one - polished and one has prospered under his topped with brass - but a funcfion­leadership. alone as a shepherd might actually

"If you flIld out what God's use in the field. doing and get in on it, it's going to Although fie is leaving Mount go," he said. Vernon, Mr. Foster said he will not

Mr. Foster began preaching 30 have seen the last of some of his years ago while he was working as parishoners, since several of them a chemical research analyst for have cabbage ' furms in Flagler Eastman Kodak. County, Fla.

The son of a Baptist minister, he Mr. Foster's flIlal Sunday at had grown up close to the church Mount Vernon will be Dec. 30

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