Tomorrow after worship, my family will pile into the van and head to College
Station, TX, for the 25 year anniversary celebration of Chris and Peggy
Osborne as the pastoral couple of Central Baptist Church. Nicole and I were
members of CBC from 1994 until 1998. I went down front to join the church
during the response time in a worship service the first month of my freshman
year at A&M. By requesting membership, I had just selected Bro Chris as my
new pastor; just the second shepherd I'd ever had in my life. My father was
the pastor of every church I belonged to during my first 17 years of life.
Three months shy of my 18th birthday I was living in a different city from
my parents, selecting my next pastor. Frankly, it wasn't hard. The church
held to the doctrinal beliefs I do and 2-3 sermons preached by Bro Chris was
all I needed to know I'd found my new church family and pastor. He is bold,
courageous, provocative, funny, and brilliant. God's Word comes to life in
Chris' sermons. To be sure, the CBC family deeply impacted my life in
lasting ways and I have lifelong friendships that were forged in that local
body, but Chris' preaching was the high point of my time at CBC. During my
four years in his church, he preached through just 1.5 books of the bible.
His systematic teaching of God's Word, his passion, and his sincerity were
used by God to further shape me and form me as a Christ follower and to
reconfirm what God had done in my life-called me to be a pastor. My junior
year I met, dated, and got engaged to his family's house sitter and baby
sitter, Nicole Parker. Ms Peggy and Bro Chris poured themselves into our
lives and all these years later they still do so. Nicole and I meet with
them annually for four days of mentoring and teaching about how to pastor a
church, be a biblical family, and live life for Christ. The time and energy
they have poured into us has caused them to occupy a special place in our
hearts. We deeply cherish them. Countless pastors and missionaries have
surrendered to ministry under their leadership. Literally, thousands of
Aggies have sat under Bro Chris' teaching and are living across America and
around the world. The impact of his preaching and their influence on
people's lives can only be measured in heaven. We can't wait to help honor
Bro Chris and Ms Peggy tomorrow night.
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