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ELDER L. JEFF HARRIS
On September 26, 1957 I was brought into the home of Elder and Mrs. Moses Leonard Harris, Jr. in the northwestern corner of the state of New Mexico. The Lord blessed me to experience conversion at the early age of nine and I was the first to experience baptism at the hands of my father. I joined the Primitive Church in Waco following outstanding preaching by Elder Jessie Bass and my father. I remember well that five others came forward to join after my profession of faith that special night so long ago. I left a burden of my poor soul in that water that has never returned after all these years.
I was married to Donna Jo Meyer on July 2, 1977. Donna and I were married in the Albuquerque Church and made our first residence together in Farmington near my father's home at Fruitland. God blessed my faithful companion and I to have four healthy children while living in New Mexico: Rebekah, Jefferson, Timothy and Ashley.
In December of 1978, the Portales Primitive Baptist Church called for my ordination and at the same time called me to serve them as pastor. We moved from Farmington to Clovis (near Portales) in January of 1979 and my ordination was set for July 28th of the same year. Elder K. B. Martin examined me and my father brought forth the charge. Other ministers that composed the presbytery were Elders Allen Millican, Glen Lauderdale, Rip Morrisett, Johnny B. Rogers, E. L. Griffin, T. C. Lawrence and Jerry Christian. It was a solemn and yet joyful day in the Lord. It was my privilege to serve the precious flock at Portales for seven years. During two and one half of those years, I attempted to help the Church in Roswell every other Sunday. The churches and ministers of New Mexico seemed to love and respect one another and there were no divisions that occurred during those days. All of the Churches then existent in the State were located at Bloomfield, Albuquerque, Roswell, Tucumcari, Clovis, Hobbs, Artesia, Carlsbad and Portales, which shared regular times of fellowship meetings that were, for the most part, well attended. May God be pleased to preserve the witness of truth in that part of this nation until our Saviour's coming. Amen.
In 1986, the Lord sent me to pastor a wonderful group of people in Big Spring, Texas where I was blessed to labor for six and one half years. All of these dear saints are yet upon my heart to this day and it was one of the most difficult decisions I ever made in my life when I left this church to pastor the Eureka Church near Chula, Georgia.
We moved to South Georgia in the summer of 1993 and I have continued at Eureka Church since that time. Eureka was constituted in 1910 and met one Sunday a month until June of 1992. I rejoice in spirit to think how far these faithful brethren have come the last seven years in their journey of faith. God has certainly blessed them in every way. We also have been instrumental in the establishing of many churches in the Philippines, where over 1100 baptized believers now worship each Sunday under the banner of Primitive Baptist, for which we thank the God of our fathers above.
Thus far in my little journey, the Lord has led me on and I would be less than honest if I were to say that it has all been joyful and easy, because it has not. In over twenty years of pastoral ministry, I have learned to trust God's promise (I Cor. 10:13) and not to fear the judgment of men (I Cor.4:1-5). I have felt that God and God's people have been far better to me than I could possibly deserve and that, no matter how dark the valley or intense the storm, nothing shall disengage God's faithfulness to His people in the earth! Great is His faithfulness unto me. Blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who ever, "causeth us to triumph" (II Cor.2:14). |
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