Hi I'm Pastor Ron, you know the banjo player?
I would like to share a little of my 45 years in service...so here goes the reader's digest condensed version.
I'm a Pastor, Not a Saint!
First off I was raised from the beginning in a Christian family, went to church all my life studied the catechism and went to Sunday school classes from 1st grade all the way through high school. Pastor Mike Larsen used to call me the “Christian poster child” on how it’s supposed to be. Ha!
But let's be real, I’m a Pastor not a Saint! I wish I would have studied more on the scriptures and not have gotten lost in the music.
I started my quest towards musicianship by playing drums when I was in 6th grade. I played a baritone horn in junior high school and played the drum set for the pep rally band because none of the drummers could play a full drum set. I was 13 years old when I got my first guitar for $12.99 at the Stop n Go market on the corner by my house. My Dad told me if I showed interest, he would buy me a better guitar. So for my birthday, he bought me an electric guitar and amp for $20.00. at the pawn shop. My parents signed me up for lessons at the Park and Rec but by that time I was past that and the teacher said she couldn’t help a “rock and roll guitar player! Ha! We didn’t have internet back then, so to learn a tune you had to play a record over and over again until you learned the song….wore out a lot of record needles…I was sure I was going to be the next big rock star! (By grace my soul was bought and paid for by Jesus not some cut throat record company)
All through high school I played in various bands and various instruments. While doing that I was going to a very conservative Reformed church in which the music consisted of an organ (pipe) and piano. Which, as a lot of us know, bored a young musician to death! (Ask me today? I love it!)
So the first chance I had to play anything but that style of music I jumped on it! The “Maranatha” music scene was picking up and there was a lot of alternative Christian music coming out. My older brother had worked on his skill and had become an accomplished singer so I knew if I was going to sing with him at all, I was going to have to learn harmony skills, so I listened to every recording I could find of the best harmony singers and just sang along for hours and hours!
When I was around fifteen years old my brother and I sang for the first time in a church very foreign to ours, where you could play a guitar, and we sang “Jesus is just alright” which the doobie brothers did in 71 or 72? Which by the way, if I had to sing that song again really? Jesus is JUST alright! I should have been ashamed of singing such a song! Thank goodness God is forgiving!!
Well that did it for me, and I started playing any Christian venue I could find! Playing drums for revival meetings, singing in choirs, playing drums, guitar or bass guitar any chance I got!! My younger brothers in the meantime had become musicians and put together a youth Christian rock band so off and on I played with them. We played youth rallies and concerts all over southern California.
I had met Brenda in high school and told her that she was going to be my future wife, Yep! Started going to church with her and received a call to ministry in which I became the church's youngest Deacon and an Awana leader and sang in the choir and played for the youth kids off and on.
“Whew”!
(Side Note) During all this I had spent three years playing drums and singing back up with a Rock band traveling all over. Playing at nightclubs and seedy places where people didn’t care about your music as long as it was loud and you played all night. I didn’t drink so I was always the designated driver. It was such an oxymoron playing to crazies at night and playing to church folk on Sundays, so eventually, it took its toll and I walked away from the Rock band and decided to pour myself into the message of a hope in Christ and his message that Christian ministry and music delivered!
I remember moving to the desert in 1984 and visiting a few churches; fell in with a Baptist church meeting at the Hesperia High school. I had gone for a couple of weeks when I approached the worship leader who was singing all by himself and asked if he needed some help and he said “what can you play?” and I said, “what do you need” so I played a couple of weeks on bass guitar and singing, when at the end of the second Sunday I played with him he handed me the songs in a file and I said “you want me to learn them?” In which he responded “No you’re the new worship leader I’m moving to Washington!” So, for the next two years I stepped into the role of worship leader at Sunridge Community Church. From there I went to Hesperia Baptist Church on 7th street. Played guitar for worship and sang with the choir - but that was short lived.
I had been all this time struggling with doctrinal issues that these churches had been preaching and just knew I had to get back to my roots after all I’m a home grown Calvinist, and was raised in the Reformed church!
So, My mother told me of a Pastor who was the Son of her distant cousin and was planting a church in Hesperia! So we visited, I fit in well, after all Pastor Roger was a Dutchman! So, we became a part of the family and have been here (except for a few, sabbaticals that’s another story!) since it’s inception.
God has called me and allowed me and blessed me to have served as Youth leader, (Pastor Vinnie was a little guy back then!) Deacon, Elder, played in worship under some great worship directors, served as worship Pastor, covered as worship leader, started and lead community groups, and, became Commissioned as a Pastor through the RCA.
God has blessed me in being able to do service for the last 45 years in all areas of ministry. While, working in a great Job for General Electric for thirty years! The road has been a bumpy winding path and a distance only God could have directed. But I would not have changed any of it!
Music has been my passion but not my gift. My gift has always been able to step in and help other ministries in times of strife and helping them to continue and succeed, but my love for reaching out to people in the hospitals or homes to be there to comfort and pray for them when they are sick or in need of comfort has always touched me the most.
Ministry is not an easy gig it takes its tolls in many ways, but I believe if you are exercising your gifts that God has ordained to you, God will always give you the strength to continue through all life’s adversities. If you take the “I” out of ministry and put the “HE” (Jesus) in it’s place and follow His lead true Joy in ministry is attainable!
Through all the ups and downs I will always be thankful to have been a part of this church family and will always be thankful that God has lead me and my family to Oasis Community Church.
P.S. We still have a lot of work to do - Amen?!!!
~ Pastor Ron
So the first chance I had to play anything but that style of music I jumped on it! The “Maranatha” music scene was picking up and there was a lot of alternative Christian music coming out. My older brother had worked on his skill and had become an accomplished singer so I knew if I was going to sing with him at all, I was going to have to learn harmony skills, so I listened to every recording I could find of the best harmony singers and just sang along for hours and hours!
When I was around fifteen years old my brother and I sang for the first time in a church very foreign to ours, where you could play a guitar, and we sang “Jesus is just alright” which the doobie brothers did in 71 or 72? Which by the way, if I had to sing that song again really? Jesus is JUST alright! I should have been ashamed of singing such a song! Thank goodness God is forgiving!!
Well that did it for me, and I started playing any Christian venue I could find! Playing drums for revival meetings, singing in choirs, playing drums, guitar or bass guitar any chance I got!! My younger brothers in the meantime had become musicians and put together a youth Christian rock band so off and on I played with them. We played youth rallies and concerts all over southern California.
I had met Brenda in high school and told her that she was going to be my future wife, Yep! Started going to church with her and received a call to ministry in which I became the church's youngest Deacon and an Awana leader and sang in the choir and played for the youth kids off and on.
“Whew”!
From "Rockstar" to Standing on the True Rock
(Side Note) During all this I had spent three years playing drums and singing back up with a Rock band traveling all over. Playing at nightclubs and seedy places where people didn’t care about your music as long as it was loud and you played all night. I didn’t drink so I was always the designated driver. It was such an oxymoron playing to crazies at night and playing to church folk on Sundays, so eventually, it took its toll and I walked away from the Rock band and decided to pour myself into the message of a hope in Christ and his message that Christian ministry and music delivered!
I remember moving to the desert in 1984 and visiting a few churches; fell in with a Baptist church meeting at the Hesperia High school. I had gone for a couple of weeks when I approached the worship leader who was singing all by himself and asked if he needed some help and he said “what can you play?” and I said, “what do you need” so I played a couple of weeks on bass guitar and singing, when at the end of the second Sunday I played with him he handed me the songs in a file and I said “you want me to learn them?” In which he responded “No you’re the new worship leader I’m moving to Washington!” So, for the next two years I stepped into the role of worship leader at Sunridge Community Church. From there I went to Hesperia Baptist Church on 7th street. Played guitar for worship and sang with the choir - but that was short lived.
I had been all this time struggling with doctrinal issues that these churches had been preaching and just knew I had to get back to my roots after all I’m a home grown Calvinist, and was raised in the Reformed church!
So, My mother told me of a Pastor who was the Son of her distant cousin and was planting a church in Hesperia! So we visited, I fit in well, after all Pastor Roger was a Dutchman! So, we became a part of the family and have been here (except for a few, sabbaticals that’s another story!) since it’s inception.
God has called me and allowed me and blessed me to have served as Youth leader, (Pastor Vinnie was a little guy back then!) Deacon, Elder, played in worship under some great worship directors, served as worship Pastor, covered as worship leader, started and lead community groups, and, became Commissioned as a Pastor through the RCA.
God has blessed me in being able to do service for the last 45 years in all areas of ministry. While, working in a great Job for General Electric for thirty years! The road has been a bumpy winding path and a distance only God could have directed. But I would not have changed any of it!
Music has been my passion but not my gift. My gift has always been able to step in and help other ministries in times of strife and helping them to continue and succeed, but my love for reaching out to people in the hospitals or homes to be there to comfort and pray for them when they are sick or in need of comfort has always touched me the most.
Ministry is not an easy gig it takes its tolls in many ways, but I believe if you are exercising your gifts that God has ordained to you, God will always give you the strength to continue through all life’s adversities. If you take the “I” out of ministry and put the “HE” (Jesus) in it’s place and follow His lead true Joy in ministry is attainable!
Through all the ups and downs I will always be thankful to have been a part of this church family and will always be thankful that God has lead me and my family to Oasis Community Church.
P.S. We still have a lot of work to do - Amen?!!!
~ Pastor Ron
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