Blind Okeechobee man 'delights' in preaching

OKEECHOBEE (FBW)—R.J. Sandefur has taken the words of Psalm 37:4 to heart. A member of First Baptist Church in Okeechobee, the 32-year-old blind man studies about the Lord and trusts God to give him “the delights” of his heart—which is to preach.

“God is the only one who can call somebody into the ministry, and I know He has called me,” Sandefur said.

The faithful young man does not let an opportunity to preach pass by. He has preached in several churches in the Big Lake Baptist Association in pastors’ absences, and he is active in his church’s 10-year ministry to teenage boys in a correctional facility for juveniles in Okeechobee.

“I sometimes preach, and I sometimes just listen to the boys,” Sandefur told Florida Baptist Witness . “Some people say, ‘Why waste your time?’ But I want them to come to Jesus. I don’t want anybody to go to hell,” he said.

Sandefur sometimes also teaches the adult sanctuary class at First Baptist. Pastor Randy Huckabee admires his desire to serve.

“If desire was everything, R.J. would be a pastor now,” he told the Witness. “I tell him to stay prayed up and studied up so that when God allows, he can preach.”

Sandefur said he would love to meet and to follow in the paths of two of his heroes, Billy Graham and Charles Stanley.

“I’d like to talk with them about serving the Lord and other things. If I don’t get to meet them in this life, I’ll see them in heaven,” he said.

Sandefur preached his first sermon in July 2004 at his home church. Using John 8:1-11, he told the story of the woman caught in adultery, stressing the Pharisees’ rush to judgment and Jesus’ willingness to give her a second chance. To his great joy, his mother was there to hear him preach.

“My mother always said, ‘I’ll be on the front row when you preach your first sermon,’ and she was,” he said.

After that sermon, Sandefur said his mom told him, “R.J., you must be a Baptist preacher because you went over by 15 minutes.”

Sandefur was sheltered at home by his late parents, Bobby and Margie, after his premature birth that caused his blindness. He recalled the day visitors from First Baptist’s bus ministry came to their home.

“They asked dad if he had kids, and he told them about my sister. My mom reminded him of me, and he told them I was blind. They said it didn’t matter and they would take me, too,” he said.

Newsletter July 2011 | Andersonville Theological Seminary

      This past May 27, the seminary had eighty-one graduates to participate from 25 states and 4 foreign countries.  There were approximately six hundred and thirty-five people that came to watch those graduates receive their degrees.  In 2012, the seminary has set a goal to have over one hundred graduates in attendance and to fill up the building which holds nine hundred people.  If you are eligible to receive your degree before May 25, 2012, or if you have received your degree previously but have not participated in a graduation service, you are eligible to take part in the ceremony.

We know that it takes a lot of planning to attend the event; therefore, we have already posted the graduation information for next year online.  Students may locate it under the FORMS tab located at the top of the home page.  Please do not turn in the INTENT TO ATTEND FORM until January 1, 2012.  In the meantime, plan your study schedule and your payment schedule so you will be ready when the time comes.  Some students may need to set aside some funds each month.  Early planning always seems to make things work out easier in the end.

 

STUDENTS ARE PLEASED WITH NEW FRAMES

     Students who have purchased the new school frames have been letting us know how pleased they are with the product.  One student’s email described the frame and encouraged everyone to order a frame to display their degree:

Andersonville Seminary offers a beautiful studio frame with the seminary’s name and seal.  It is of the finest quality of wood and has a protective covering with easy access for insertion of one’s diploma.  I would highly recommend Andersonville graduates to purchase this picture frame.                Donna Mott

     Another student wrote the following:

…it is beautiful!  The quality of the frame is outstanding, the lettering is perfect and the seal is very impressive.  As soon as I first received the frame in the mail, within minutes I put my certificate into it.  I couldn’t wait for others to see it too, so I took a picture of it and texted it to all of my family members.  .

Hillcrest Bible Church, located in Oregon, WI, is seeking a Christ-exalting, Bible-saturated youth pastor to give strategic leadership to their ministries for children and students.  The position is a full time position.  For details, see their website at hillcrestbiblechurch.org .  Resumes will be considered starting August 1st.