Happy Anniversary, Pastor and Mrs. Benefield and the Sequoia Baptist Church

My mom and dad in their early days of ministry at Sequoia Baptist Church

36 years ago my parents moved to Visalia, California, to start the Sequoia Baptist Church. They had four children ranging in age from infancy through 5 years old. I was three. This past Sunday, Sequoia Baptist Church celebrated her 36th Anniversary. My dad is still faithfully preaching the Word of God. My mom is still faithfully serving by his side. Their steadfastness for the Lord has been a great inspiration to me, and I count both of them among my heroes.

My siblings and I (the 4 smaller kids) sitting in church in the late 70's.

Someone once said, "Without a heritage each generation has to start over." I read that quote on a Department of Forestry poster, but it is so applicable to our homes and churches! I am thankful that the four little children in the above picture didn't have to start from scratch when establishing marriages, homes, and ministries. Because of the heritage passed down by our father, our mother, and our church, it's almost like we had a "running start" in life. They taught us how to trust God, how to serve God, and how to live for God, and it gave us the right foundation on which to build our own lives.

So I take this opportunity to wish a very Happy Anniversary to all the people of the Sequoia Baptist Church, and to publicly honor and thank my dad and mom for 36 years of forging the trail for the next generation.

Last year we put together this brief tribute for Sequoia's 35th Anniversary, and I thought this blog post would be an appropriate time and place to share it with friends who may not have seen it. A special thank you to Pastor Steve Nichols for allowing us to use his song "Unknown Heroes." (starts at 2:25)