Journey of Faith

By the grace of God, I was born into a loving family, with parents who witnessed grace in their care and nurture of their children, in their interactions with others, and in their values, morals, and lifestyle. They laid the foundation of my faith.

By the grace of God, I was baptized and raised in a Christian Church, where my understanding of reality, my conception of the world, my values, morals, and ethics were framed and focused by the stories of scripture. My faith was born in the Presbyterian Church.

By the grace of God, I spent many weeks of summer in my childhood at Camp John Knox, where I experienced grace in my interactions with counselors and fellow campers. My faith became personal.

By the grace of God, I was inspired and influenced by a high school football coach who lived a life of grace and character. My faith gained clarity, understanding, and commitment.

By the grace of God, various friends, teachers, and ministers came into my life during my college experience. In those years in between childhood and adult independence, during those days of defining myself and deciding who I aspired to be, these apostles sent by God reinspired my faith and brought me back to the church.

By the grace of God, I was led into a secular career right out of college. My faith was tested and stretched. I was ordained a Deacon, and my love and need of the church grew and grew.

By the grace of God, I was called into the ministry as a second career. At Columbia Seminary my understanding of God and the depth and breadth of God’s grace was inspired. My faith grew from the limited understanding of “God loves me,” into the realization that “God loves the world.” God’s love is not just individual and personal. I came to appreciate and value God’s love that is also corporate.

By the grace of God, my first call in ministry was to a small 100 member rural congregation. My faith was challenged and inspired in our mutual dance of ministry. They patiently and lovingly accepted me as their pastor, as I grew and developed my gifts of preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and administrative leadership. We shared good times together. We faced challenges together. And my faith was fed by the Spirit of God that brought us together and bonded us as one.

By the grace of God, my second call in ministry was to a large church in a small town. My primary area of responsibility has been pastoral care and adult education. In my many encounters with the grieving, in my many celebrations with new parents, in my many interactions in Bible study, my faith has been inspired and filled.

And now by the grace of God, I have been called as the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. And I cannot wait to see what graces God has in store.

Rev. David A. Cagle