Toni Stewart's Testimony

Hi,

My name is Toni Stewart. I am so thankful to be a part of the Second Baptist family.

As a young child my family lived only a few blocks from Second Baptist Church. My parents were good and loving parents, but we did not attend church as a family. Back then it was safe for me to walk to church and I did. I am thankful for all those that touched my life back then, but I really wanted my family to be there. I was saved in the Pastor's office after the worship service one Sunday morning. I had been struggling with this decision for some time and was so excited to be forgiven and part of God's family. Leona Evans was my G A leader and she knew my parents and took me home from church that wonderful morning.

Leona came in with me and spoke to my parents. They were not happy about my news. I came to understand many years later that they did not understand and that they were wrong in their reaction, but as a child, well....let's just say this was a spiritual setback that took me years to recover from.

It was very easy for me to lose my way. My family spent weekends at the lake water skiing and boating and little by little I stopped attending church. I was never a bad person, but I did alot of things I am not proud of during the following years. No excuses, just facts.

Many years later I found myself dropping my son off at Second Baptist Church where he attended with his friends. History was repeating itself. My son was saved at a lock-in here on New Year's Eve 1989. During that time my husband and I were spending alot of time with his friend's parents. They were and are some of our closest friends today and are members here. They loved us where we were, they prayed for us, my son and his friends prayed for us, Christian family members were praying for us. Of course, we had no idea that anyone was praying for us at the time.

On the Thursday night before Mother's Day 1990, our Pastor and my son's Sunday School teacher came to visit him concerning baptism. I asked a few questions while they were at our home. After they left I made a decision that would change my life forever. Yes, I had been saved as a child, but due to circumstances that is as far as it went. That night I decided to live for Jesus and shared my decision with my family. On Mother's Day morning, May 13, 1990, I made a public profession of faith. I could not wait for the invitation to come forward! That evening I was baptized and became a member of the Second Baptist family along with my son! Before long my husband was there too, but his journey is his to tell.

I cannot begin to tell you everything that has brought me to where I am today on this blog, but I can tell you that if you need the Lord, if you want to be a part of a loving church family, if you just want some peace, come....as I tell my little ones in Sunday School..."Jesus Loves You."

Thank you for this opportunity to share and to all those working so hard so others can come to know Christ.

God Bless, As Always,
Toni