Testimony and Call to Ministry 

My parents brought me up in church--the Welsh Presbyterian Church of Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania.  Sugar Notch had been a coal mining town, but there wasn’t much mining left to do by the time I came around. 

I have fond memories of church from my childhood and teen years.  As far back as I can remember, I liked being in God’s house.  I liked the way the sanctuary looked, with its stained glass windows and the old wooden pews.  I enjoyed the people at church and our fellowship times.  My Dad took care of the building and grounds, so I spent some time cutting grass, cleaning the sanctuary and fellowship hall, and helping make sure our coal furnace was heating the building in the winter months. 

I had some problems however.  While I never missed a Sunday unless I was sick or at Boy Scout camp (and if so, I went to the camp’s chapel services), I don’t recall being called to repent and to put my faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  The Gospel might have been preached, but all I remember is being terribly convicted of my sin at times and being afraid of dying and going to hell.  I recall the general feeling at church that God accepted me because I was there at the church, not because of any response I made towards Him. 

All through high school I simultaneously was faithful to our church, unsettled in my soul, and acting up during school hours in order to impress my friends.  In January of 1978, while a high school senior, I enlisted in the United States Air Force and was scheduled to attend Basic Military Training School (BMTS) in September, after I graduated and had my eighteenth birthday.  Basic training was difficult!  I missed my parents and got yelled at a lot (everyone got yelled at a  lot)!

I went to chapel services every Sunday while in BMTS.  I was looking for encouragement and comfort.  Also, going to church was a habit I knew I wanted to continue.  Plus, if you didn’t attend church, you had to stay in the barracks and work.  But while attending services, the unsettled feeling I knew earlier in life was magnified.  I realized life was hard and that I did not know God in a way that made a difference.  I came to understand that I had been religious and had gained some intellectual knowledge about God, but that was about it. 

Trying to settle things, I began to affirm my belief in God and in Jesus Christ.  And I began to desire to stop sinning and live better.  I believed the Bible and was willing to believe whatever it put forth.  But I was still unsettled. 

In January of 1979 the Air Force sent me to my first duty assignment--Clark Air Base in the Philippines.  I would be working as a Medical Administrative Specialist in the base hospital.  Again, I found life to be a challenge.  I was half-way around the world, couldn’t call my parents on the phone, and something new confronted me.  Sin was all around me:  sex, alcohol, drugs… you name it, and it was close by.  At times, I wanted to dip my toe in some of the waters of sin, but it seemed like whenever I got it in my head to try, I was kept from doing so.  God's restraining hand was at work.

While in chapel services one Sunday, I was greatly burdened with my sin (and my attempts at sin).  I don’t remember what the chaplain preached about, but I do remember that he offered an invitation.  During this time of decision it all came together for me.  I already believed in Jesus Christ, but knew that I needed to ask for forgiveness for my sins and commit my life to the Lord.  So I went forward during the invitation, wept over my sin, and offered myself to the Lord.  At this time of surrender God saved me.  When I got up from my knees I was a different person.  I had a newfound courage to face the hard things in my life.  I had a desire to be holy and refrain from sin.  My worst habit, foul language, was immediately dealt with, as God took away my desire to speak in such a way.  I started to read my Bible.  As a child, it never quite made sense to me.  But now Scripture came alive and I understood it and applied it to my life. 

God led me to a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching, loving church home--Clark Field Baptist Church.  At Clark Field I met a couple whose influence got me started on the right path as a Christian and church member (and Air Force member).  Jim and Jerri Rodgers, my “adopted parents”, probably thought they were just being kind to me, but their discipleship was foundational for my Christian life.   Clark Field Baptist Church was located in downtown Balibago, just outside the base and co-located with Angeles city.  The church was a mission church, whose pastor and music minister were missionaries appointed by the Foreign Mission Board.  My love for church that began in childhood had come full circle as now I was living in relationship with the Lord of the church--Jesus Christ--and was enjoying being a part of His body. 

I enjoyed my time at Clark Field Baptist immensely.  But in July of 1980, I was reassigned to Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia.  On my first Sunday there I visited and fell in love with Ivy Memorial Baptist Church.  I joined during the invitation at the evening service that first Sunday.  After I joined, I met Jeri Hudson in Sunday school.  We started dating a few months later and were married in August of 1981.  Ivy Memorial was a blessing in many ways.  Our pastor, Rev. Gene Fant, has been one of my best counselors and encouragers, and a good friend. 

The following years saw us reassigned many times:  Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany (both John and David were born in Wiesbaden, Germany; John in '84 and David in '87); Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM; MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL; Cannon AFB in Clovis, NM; Maxwell AFB (Gunter Annex) in Montgomery, AL; Bolling AFB in Washington, DC; and finally, DoD Health Affairs in Falls Church, VA. 

During all of our assignments, Jeri and I joined and became active in local Southern Baptist churches.  Godly church leaders helped us--they put us to work as soon as we joined, everywhere we went!  Dr. Neal Schooley, at Rhein Valley Baptist Church in Waldorf, West Germany, gave an inexperienced (and immature) Christian young man a lot of opportunities to both serve and grow.  Through these years and experiences, God was developing me as a Christian.  I came to identify my spiritual gifts, served in many capacities, and started to feel the call of God on my life to something different from serving Him as a church member.  As I came to realize God had gifted me to teach and lead, I began to believe He might be developing me in order to call me to the preaching and teaching ministry.  This was confirmed by many other Christians in our churches who told me they believed God had equipped me and was calling me to the ministry.  As a matter of fact, I taught my first adult Sunday school class at the urging of our church’s best teacher--Ed Radmore--in our church in Germany.  I didn’t feel worthy of such an assignment, but Ed assured me God would bless my work if I were faithful.

Our time at Eastern Hills Baptist in Albuquerque, Northeast Part Baptist in St. Petersburg, Florida, Manhattan Baptist in Tampa, and Sandia Baptist in Clovis allowed me to serve, grow spiritually, and be molded and shaped by the Lord.  But while we were members of First Baptist Church of Clovis, NM, I sat under the preaching of Dr. Tom Rush, who preached expository messages.  I loved all of my previous pastors (and pastors since) and am friends with many of them, but Bro. Tom became special to me.  It was under his expository preaching that I really began to believe God was calling me to do that same thing--take a book of the Bible, study it, pray over it, and preach/teach the message God, in His sovereignty, already put there for us to receive.  In our next church, Coosada Baptist Church, in Coosada, AL, I was privileged to start an adult Sunday school class that I tried to lead in a pastoral kind of way.  My pastor at Coosada, Dr. James Newell, and his successor, Dr. Mickey Castleberry, were great encouragers in my life.  Our studies each week were expository, and our committed class members made evangelism, discipleship, and visitation a priority.  God blessed our efforts and our class grew, not just numerically, but spiritually and in love for one another. 

We moved to Northern Virginia when I was reassigned to Washington, DC, and at our home church there, First Baptist Church of Springfield, VA, I surrendered to the Gospel ministry in 2000.  The church licensed me in 2001, and ordained me in May of 2002.  Dr. Jim Weaver, my pastor, preached my ordination ceremony on the evening of the day I retired from the United States Air Force.

God has always been gracious and has bestowed His blessings on me (and our family).  Before being ordained, He led me to Bon Air Baptist Church in Arlington, VA, where I became the church’s part-time, bi-vocational, interim pastor.  When I retired from the Air Force the church called me to be her full-time pastor.  The people of Bon Air were a wonderful group of people and very faithful to the Lord's work in the church.  They were very loving and patient with their new pastor! 

In 2003, God led us to First Baptist Church of Centerville, TN--another wonderful church family!  Much of the work was hard there, and the enemy didn’t want God’s Word preached and people transformed, but the result was that First Baptist was the closest church to the New Testament church I’ve ever been a part of.  The core group of the church loved the Lord, loved His Word, and loved one another in very tangible, observable ways.  God saved people, grew Christians to greater spiritual maturity, and called men to the Gospel ministry.

After almost four years in Tennessee, I accepted the call to pastor Ashland Baptist Church in Missouri.  God blessed my preaching ministry, as many people were positively affected by the Word of God being proclaimed and Christ being lifted up.  But as time progressed it became clear that, while God had led us to Ashland, He had other things in store for us.  In January 2008 the Lord gave me the opportunity to serve as interim pastor of First Baptist Church of New Franklin, MO, where I served until August 10, 2008.  Being at New Franklin was a tremendous blessing.  I was able to preach, teach, and disciple, and God showed Himself to be both sovereign and good during this time in our lives.  The people of First Baptist Church have also been a blessing as they have loved and accepted us.

What does the future hold for the Wickisers?  On August 17, 2008, Jeri and I began serving at Swansea Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Swansea, IL, about 15 miles east of Saint Louis, MO.  I am grateful that the Lord led us to Swansea.  I believe Christ is going to bless the church as we serve Him here.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and worthy of the commitment of our lives to Him.  We love Him, and as such, are privileged to be able to do His work in the church, and among His people.  We sincerely pray that Christ is honored through us.

Rev. Wilson W. Wickiser, Jr.

818 Forest Green Dr, O'Fallon, IL 62269

home phone 618-589-9122, cell phone 931-623-1492

e-mail:  wilson.wickiser@gmail.com