October 15, 2024
McCAYSVILLE, Ga. — Dr. David Drake, pastor of First Baptist Church of McCaysville and Copperhill, and his wife, Marilyn had a unique way of celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Rather than taking a trip to some exotic place and enjoying life on an extended vacation, they decided to do something special each month during the year of their golden anniversary.
According to Drake, the most meaningful event during the 50th year of their marriage was a trip to Mesquite, Texas, where they met with a group of Christians who had been in their student ministry 45 years ago.
The Drakes had been married for two years when they left their home in Rome, Ga., for Dallas, Texas, where David enrolled in Criswell College to prepare for the ministry.
Following his graduation from Criswell College, the aspiring young preacher enrolled in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Drake explained, “It was during that time that I was asked to serve as the youth minister at the Town East Baptist Church in Mesquite.
For more than three years both David and Marilyn poured their lives into their ministry to the students at the Mesquite church. In the process of teaching, equipping, encouraging, and loving those students they developed a family of teenagers that produced remarkable results.
To effectually orchestrate the reunion, four of the individuals who were in the Drakes’ youth ministry from the late 1970s took the initiative to locate those who were in the student ministry in those days, the names and addresses of those who were involved in those days were compiled, an invitation for a TEBC Youth Ministry reunion was crafted, and the reconnection process began.
Drake commented, “Although many of those who were in our group lived many miles away and others had previous engagements, there were fifteen of those who had been in our youth ministry, and their spouses, who came to the reunion. A couple in their 80s, Don and Shirley, who were parent figures to the youth when I was there also came to the reunion.
“All of those who were in our ministry are married with children now and many of them have grandchildren. The last time I saw them they were dealing with typical teenage problems: dating issues, the challenge of passing chemistry, and just trying to establish their identity. Now, 46 years later they are dealing with college tuition for their children, planning their retirement, and trying to keep up with their grandchildren’s soccer schedules.”
“When I was their youth minister,” Drake added, “I tried to impress upon them my life Bible verse: “So he (David) fed them (Israel) according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands” (Psalm 78:72).
There were other noble things that David and Marilyn attempted to impress upon the students during those years at TEBC. Jennifer, one of the students from 1978 stated at the reunion, “How many times did we hear from Brother David about the secret of a vibrant spiritual life: ‘Stay in the Book, stay on your knees, and stay after souls.”
She then added, “That became my lifetime goal and really helped me determine my trajectory. It is also the advice that I have tried to instill in my children both through my words and by living that example before them.” (Drake reported that Jennifer and her husband, Doug, have 12 children and 24 grandchildren.)
Kim, another youth from the David Drake era addressed both David and Marilyn, testifying, “We are so grateful for the teaching and godly example both of you provided for us. Your influence continues in the lives you have touched.”
David added, “Marilyn was moved and blessed by the entire evening experience. So many spoke such kind words to her as to her impact in their lives. Some of the men remarked about how she had challenged them to stay pure in their life and walk with Christ.”
The reunion with that family of teenagers gave evidence that the spiritual foundation that was laid 46 years ago has resulted in a lasting journey of faith and spiritual depth. The investment that the Drakes made in those students has stood the test of time.
The McCaysville pastor exclaimed, “When the reunion was over and we were on our way home, I began to wonder. Who had had the greatest impact and change of life? Ministry changes people. I’ve learned that often the greatest changes come to my life when I am trying to serve others.”
Drake declared, “Don't wait for your ministries of the past to come to you ... be proactive and reach out to someone that made an impression in your life and ministry. "
“When at Truett McConnell University as Director of Church Relations, I asked President Emir Caner what my job description was. He said, "Be A Barnabas! Be an encouragement in the lives of those you encounter.”
“With our highly sophisticated technology today,” David explained, "you may be able to find someone from your past, reconnect with them and have a reunion that meets a need in their life or perhaps rekindles a spiritual spark in your own life. I know the spiritual ‘edge’ of my life experienced a refining process in Mesquite, Texas by spending an evening with some of God's finest followers.”
