Gemini? No .....Jim And I

Psalm 133:1
Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!

Lot's of miles between these two fellows.
Year's apart at one point of their lives as they took different paths. But like true friends, they can pick up like no time had passed at all.
Jim Bentley probably knows me as well as anyone, except my wife.
He has been, and continues to be my closest friend, brother and about a million other names as well.

If you go up to Etowah Middle School (where the old high school use to be), and you go in the main building, you'll see some stairs. Go to the next floor and as you round the corner at the top, the first door to the left is where Jim and I first met. Room 313 / Hazel Hicks homeroom. The year was 1968.

Bentley and Bynum......the alphabet put us together. If his name had been Zatunkadunk and mine had been Aldebumabe...it never would have happend. But the "B"s brought us together. Me sitting behind Jim. I think there was more prophetic going here than meets the eye...me behind Jim because I have followed him all these years. Just glad that the connection continues to be strong.

I don't remember all the conversations of our first few weeks together, but I do remember we both played guitar and he was big into Simon and Garfunkel as well as folk music. One thing lead to another and Jim invited me down to his house. During my visit, Jim asked me if I would be interested in playing guitar with him for a musical his church youth group was putting on. I was in.
You have to remember that all this is taking place when churches viewed guitars as being instruments forged in the fires of hell. Any young man who picked up such an abomination was doomed forever. Not Jim's church....a man named Tony Traylor was all about shaking up the status quo. Score one for guitar players everywhere.

We made trips all over the state as well as a week long tour up to Canada and back, playing and sharing "Good News". Our friendship was now full fledged and little did we know that it would stretch over the next 45 years. You see, I think God knew and planned for me to not only meet Jim and sit behind him in home room, but that this pattern would be replicated time and time again as we both took on the call that God had for each of us. Me following after Jim.

Jim went on to chase God....eventually receiving a the call to start a church. I still love his telling of his initial encounter. After hearing that God wanted him to start a church, Jim replied, "I can't preach"....to which God responded, "I didn't call you to preach, I called you to start a church. Point God...set, match, victory.
Me? I went on to chase the darkness for a number of years. All along the way our path's crossed.

On May 20, 1994, God called me to start a home church and I knew that if this was what was truly on His heart, then I would need to be under a spiritual covering. Do you know how hard it is to find spiritual covering in this town? After trying different places, I knew I had to call Jim and see if I could start this new work under his covering of the Vineyard. He was quick to welcome me and Vicki and we had no clue where this thing was going.

Ever since then, Jim has given of himself and his talent to help me. He is one who encourages and helps to equip others so they can do what God has called them to do. 

After three years of doing home church, Jim asked me one Sunday morning during a phone conversation, "Have you ever considered being ordained as a Pastor." I had a million reasons why I shouldn't but only one as to why I should. God had called me to pastor when I was thirteen but it so scared me that I ran. Now it all had come full circle and the time was right.

Jim ordained me on July 6, 1997.
I started left my job on August 1, 1998 to begin full time.
I took over as pastor of Vineyard's Sunday morning service, New Compassion's.  
On August 21, 1999 we hosted our first Recovery church meeting, which we referred to as VINEYARD HOUSE OF BLUE. This proved to be my training ground and school for what God was bringing me into at Rapha. Jim saw the value in this new thing God was starting, so he prayed over me and released me to go and see where it would lead.

I left Gadsden Vineyard April 28, 2006 to start a church on the compound at Rapha, a local treatment center here in Attalla. It was during this time, God begin to put together what is now Vineyard Recovery Church. We learned a whole lot of how "not to do" church.  In October of last year, I started to receive prophetic words concerning a move back to Vineyard. This was solidified on February 2 of this year. Once again, I approached Jim about having a place at Gadsden Vineyard. I was given the small sanctuary room, the one where we originally hosted House of Blue. We held our first meeting on April 13th. 

Jim has been there every step of the way. He is one incredible man and I count it a blessing to know him as friend. My prayer is that I can return to him a small portion of what he's poured into me. Isn't that the way the Kingdom of God is suppose to work? I think so.

God on you.....
mb