My Story #99 -- New School In Lexington

 

My Story #99

New School In Lexington

Pastor Ronnie Wolfe

Once I was settled in Lexington and on a school schedule, I traveled home every weekend by taking a Greyhound bus to either Williamstown or Falmouth. There my parents would pick me up, and I would stay home on the weekend and travel back to Lexington on the bus and get there in the late afternoon but early enough that I could go to church in the evening service at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church. My mother gave me four dollars every week to buy a round-trip ticket home and back to Lexington. Once I remember that one of the boys that I met in Lexington wanted me to go with him to a restaurant to get a Coke. He said he had the money. The only money that I had was the four dollars my mother gave me for a bus ticket. We went to the restaurant, sat down, and ordered a Coke for each one of us. When we were finished drinking, the boy went to the counter and told the waitress that he had no money. I could not spend my money, so I told her I did not have any money, either. I was so angry with that boy that I told him I would never go to a restaurant with him again—and I didn’t.

One Sunday evening, I think it was, I was listening in church when Bro. Walker, our pastor, began to speak about a preachers school. He explained all about it and said that for people who had regular jobs there was a night class that met on Monday night at seven o’clock. That interested me, so I looked into signing up for that class. This was the good news I told you about last time. I signed up for the class and met for the first time my teacher, Bro. James Hamilton. The class was Bible Survey, and that is a class that every Christian should take. This was the starting point for my work for the rest of my life.

Somewhere along the way I heard about Lexington Baptist College. There was an institute for older preachers who were not interested in a Bachelor degree, and there was a college for those who wanted to pursue more education and receive a degree. The school also had a higher degree call ThB, or Bachelor of Theology.

After I finished my course at Fugazzi Business College, I got a job working for First National Bank and Trust Company, the largest bank in Lexington. I spent eight years working there (off and on). I got to know many people through my work there.

Eventually, I enrolled in Lexington Baptist College and in 1968 received my Bachelor degree from the school. Because of my training at Fugazzi, I also began to teach Typing and Shorthand and a couple other classes along the way. That was a great joy to me. Lexington Baptist College (LBC) became precious to me. In 1985 I received the ThB degree. Later I enrolled in Mountain State Baptist College where Bro. Carl Sadler was the president. There I received my Master of Christian Education degree I believe in 1991. Later I enrolled in Andersonville Theological Seminary and received my Doctor of Christian Education degree. Now it is time to stop going to school. I think I have learned by now how to learn on my own. Praise the Lord for these experiences!