I even have served as a pastor of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, a Southern Baptist church, for the past twenty-eight years. Humanly speaking, if it weren’t for Dr James Dobson moving Focus on the Family to Colorado Springs, Vanguard would have never been birthed in Colorado Springs.
My wife, Tosha and I, graduated from Liberty University in 1989 and it was Dr Dobson who gave the commencement speech at our graduation.
He talked about going back to the University of California in Los Angeles, more popularly often known as UCLA – he was an avid tennis star at UCLA in his college days. He went back and perused the trophy case to see if he could find his trophies from his days there. He said, “I couldn’t find them.” He searched and discovered they’d been thrown away. I’ll always remember what he said next, “This world will trash your trophies, but God has a trophy for you should you live for Him that lasts eternally!”
Dr Dobson’s statement a few years later can be utilized in my life and ministry by God to birth a press release I make rather a lot now.
“What we do for God matters, and ultimately, it’s ALL that matters!”
Thank you, Dr Dobson, to your example that birthed in me an awareness of what matters most!
In the spring of 1996 as my wife and I were graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary, we were attempting to discern with the Southern Baptist Convention where to start out a church.
Melanie Beroth was a detailed friend of my wife from Liberty University, and she or he had moved to Colorado Springs to work as a publicist for Focus on the Family and Dr Dobson.
In a routine call between Tosha and Melanie, my wife mentioned how we were on the lookout for the place God wanted us to start out a church. Melanie immediately said, “Why don’t you come to Colorado Springs and begin Vanguard?”
And as they are saying, “the remaining was history.”
We officially began Vanguard in March of 1997 under the shadow of the influence and leadership of Focus on the Family and Dr Dobson in Colorado Springs. Just just a few years earlier, Amendment Two had taken Colorado by storm and Dr Dobson was one in all the leaders of this amendment.
When we arrived in Colorado Springs, we quickly learned how divided town and state were as a result of this amendment issue. Dr Dobson had the courage to face for what the Bible believes in and teaches us to live by as followers of Jesus Christ.
In the early days of Vanguard, we had numerous the kids of the Executives of Focus on the Family attend the church. I crossed paths with Mike Trout’s daughter, Rebecca Ireland (her radio name), who was a DJ for Magic 98.9 FM. Vanguard bought an annual promoting contract with the radio station and Rebecca interviewed us on the morning show the week before we began Vanguard in March 1997.
Just just a few years into the church plant, Focus on the Family was under fire by activist groups who were standing against Focus and Dr Dobson regarding his biblical view on homosexuality. In April of 2005, a gaggle of pro-gay activist were coming to protest Focus on the Family.
Tom Minnery, who became a pricey friend of mine, hosted a gathering of the pastors of town to ask them to return and listen to what Dr Dobson needed to say about this and to ask them to face with Focus. At the meeting, Dr Dobson shared and asked for input from the pastors. I raised my hand and stood. I shared with him my background at Liberty and the Vanguard Church plant I used to be affiliated with in town. I asked him if we could host a city-wide gathering and invite people from each side of the aisle to return together and discuss this issue of homosexuality in a community discussion format.
After this meeting, Tom Minnery contacted me, and Vanguard together with Focus on the Family and the independent newspaper run by my friend, John Weiss, all agreed to this event. We had about 1,200 people at Vanguard for this event. It was an enormous success in bringing together the community and this was as a result of Dr Dobson’s willingness to try something recent. My respect for him grew much more.
I also served on the Christian/Jewish Dialogue board with Dr Dobson and attended the annual dinner with him. One 12 months after Dr Jerry Falwell, founding father of Liberty University – one other hero of mine in the religion – had passed away, I used to be one in all the speakers on the panel on the annual Christian/Jewish Dialogue dinner. Afterwards, Dr Dobson got here as much as me and began talking to me about Dr Falwell. He wept openly as he shared with me how alone he felt standing for moral truth without his friend Dr Falwell. I used to be overwhelmed by his transparency and vulnerability in that moment. I used to be also impressed along with his heart to proceed to face for what he believed God had called him to face for in his generation. He was a stalwart for God’s truth.
In 2009 Dr Dobson stepped down as chairman of the board of Focus on the Family. At this time I had began a pastor gathering called “The Merge” and we hosted a luncheon at Focus on the Family with the brand new President and CEO, Jim Daly, to honour Dr Dobson. It was an honour to be an element of those closing days of Dr Dobson’s leadership at Focus. I gave Shirley Dobson a letter to share with Dr Dobson to thank him for his faithful service to the Lord. She later wrote to me and said she shared it with him, and he was appreciative of the type gesture the pastors of town showed to him that day.
As I reflect upon Dr Dobson’s departure from earth to heaven, I stand to applaud his efforts to live faithfully for the Lord Jesus. The substance for which Dr Dobson stood is just like the famous quote within the movie “Gladiator”: “What we do on this life echoes into eternity.”
Dr Dobson, what you probably did for Jesus here on earth echoes into eternity for the glory of Jesus. I stand and applaud your efforts and commitment to make a difference in a world that so desperately needs the love of Jesus of their lives. I all the time admired your efforts to make all the pieces you probably did concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray God uses your example to encourage a generation of leaders and pastors to maintain standing for truth no matter the price.
Dr Dobson, may the Lord use your faithful example to encourage us to maintain living for Him in a world still in need of the one Saviour that may change it, and His name is, Jesus Christ!
Well done, Dr Dobson!
Enter your rest and the reward the Lord Jesus has for you!
