At age 47 I'm celebrating my 65th anniversary

Many of the books in my library came from my Grandpa Distler (pictured above) who was a pastor for 47 years before his entrance into heaven on February 15, 1994.  Grandpa was a stickler for detail so as I go through his books I often find notes he had written on pieces of paper - notes in his own handwriting.  Recently I found one such piece of paper in which he had written the different churches he had pastored and the dates he was there:

Grandpa started an an Interim Pastor at Leverich Memorial Church in New York (1947 - 1948)


Woodside Community Baptist Church in New York (October 1948 - September 1956)


Union Baptist Church in New York (September 1956 - March 1957)


Faith Baptist Church in New York (March 1957 - April 1962)


Goodyear Heights Community Church in Ohio (April 1962 - November 1970)


Sutter Salem Bible Church in Illinois (November 1970 - March 1977)


Fenton Bible Church in Michigan (March 1977 - April 1987)


He then finished his life as the Superintendent at the Victory Rescue Mission in California from May 1988 until his death in 1994.  

I could not help but to continue that list with the path God has taken me in ministry because my ministry in many ways is an extension of my Grandpa Distler's Ministry:

Community Church in Ohio (May 1987 - November 1995)


Osceola Grace Brethren Church in Indiana (November 1995 - August 2004)


Grace Church in Pennsylvania (August 2004 - September 2010)


Gaylord Evangelical Free Church in Michigan (March 2011 - Present)

This May my wife and I will celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary as well as our 25th year of being in full-time pastoral ministry.  But as I looked through the above list I also realized that this year I am also celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Distler family serving in pastoral ministry.  Between my Grandpa Distler and I we have served as pastors in 12 different ministries and in 7 different states (New York, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, California, Indiana and Pennsylvania).

Happy Anniversary, Grandpa!  Thanks for the legacy you left me