Peter Lumpkins: With That, I am...

     At the risk of being too personal, this post focuses more on me than I normally allow.   It is not that I am reluctant for people to know who I am.  Most ministers finally accept the reality that, to a large extent, they live in see-through quarters.  Rather, it is simply not the purpose toward which I started this site. Forgive me, then, as I become a bit too personal...

By Conversion, I'm Believer.  Growing up in Tennessee hills, I was the last of twelve children.  We lived in a four room house and when I say four rooms, I mean that literally.  No closets, no pantry and, of course, no bathroom.  Our little outhouse stood about fifty yards behind our house.  It could go no further because the railroad trestle towered over and behind the little shack.      

A small creek--Coon Creek Hollow was our landmark--ran parallel our yard.  Summers were fun for we had a little swimming hole within twenty yards of the house.  The creek also served as our way of bathing--at least the months we could stand the temperature.  In the winter, our only alternative was a sponge bath behind the wood heater in the living room.  Momma would string up a sheet to give us a little privacy.

My home was not a Christian home.  By that I do not mean that my home was heathenism. Nor was it a shining light of virtue.  It is sad nevertheless true that I can hardly recall an image of Daddy without also recalling that he was an alcoholic.  Most every memory I have includes his beer in his hand.  One thing for which I'll be eternally grateful is my parents taking me to Sunday School.  They did not go but they saw to it the kids could go.

I was first introduced to the Gospel at a very young age--perhaps five or six.  I have a faint memory of responding to an altar call as a young boy.  I know I was moved about something for I remember weeping at the altar.  My sister tells me I was saved and baptized as a little boy in the Church we attended.  I do not remember such nor do I make claim that I was saved then.  I only know I remember being strongly moved.

I followed in Daddy's footsteps after he died.  Upon turning sixteen, I virtually stayed drunk for four years.  It's all I knew.  After marrying in 1973, I stopped drinking so much but still had a lifestyle for which I remain embarrassed to this day.  My son was born early in our marriage and would become a catalyst in bringing me to Christ. 

In 1977 I started attending a Baptist church in Nashville, Tennessee.  Kathy had actually been going to the Church for sometime as a result of our son begging to go to Sunday School.  In fact, Kathy received Christ as Savior and Lord about a month before my own time.  Her gentle spirit and evident change of life prompted me to attend. 

On Sunday February 20th, I got out of bed telling Kathy I was not going back to Church.  I made a dozen excuses that morning why I was not going but ended up going anyway.  It was that morning, during the invitation, that my mind became captivated with the Gospel.  I cannot recall what the Pastor said nor any song sung.  I do recall vividly--as if it were yesterday--that I needed Christ as Savior.  If I were to be saved, only Jesus could save me.

I stepped out from the pew making my way forward.  The next Sunday, Kathy and I were baptized together.  My life is a converted life.  I am believer by conversion.  Turning from sin and turning toward Christ, God rescued me from condemnation and eternal separation from Him. 

By Conviction, I'm Biblicist. I remain perfectly aware that the term "Biblicist" is chided, bemoaned and, in some circles, rejected outright.  I accept that.  But I still wear Biblicist as a badge of honor.  Indeed I think NonCalvinist and Biblicist walk arm in arm.

I have not always been, by conviction, Biblicist.  It is true that in the beginning of my faith journey with Jesus Christ, it seemed natural just to believe the Bible  and take it as God's Word.  Many challenges would have to met, however, before Biblicism was forged in my mind and heart. 

University studies posed indescribable challenges to my faith and my belief in the veracity of God's Word.  Often times, I was made out to be the Bible-believing buffoon in both religion and philosophy classes. Unscrupulous professors caricatured my beliefs and baited me to engage them, knowing I was not up to the challenge. Their skill in engagement often times left me in invisible but very real tears--almost to the point of giving up.

Prayer, hard study and especially the weekly expositions of the Word of God itself led me in forging, deep within my own heart, an impregnable fortress.  I now possess something philosophy cannot argue out, politics cannot vote out, law cannot rule out,  religion cannot reason out  and Hell itself cannot torture out.  I am, by conviction, Biblicist. 

Being Biblicist now serves as benchmark in my belief system. Being Biblicist is primarily the reason why, when I left my Calvinist cloak in the closet,  I would not warm myself in an Arminian robe.  Some argue Biblicist is, in reality, only symbol without any substance.  That's fair.  But for me, even if I'm only fooling myself, being Biblicist is preferable to theological system no matter the brand.

By Consequence, I'm Baptist.  By that I do not mean to suggest being Baptist constitutes being the only legitimate Church.  Nor even less do I suggest that with Baptists is deposited the Keys to the Kingdom. 

My involvement with and acceptance of Christians in other denominations and theological traditions through the years demonstrate I do not believe nor practice such exclusion.  I have worked with evangelicals of all persuasions--and even some mainline denominations as well--in city-wide evangelistic projects. I believe a spiritual camaraderie exists between all true believers everywhere. 

Nonetheless, I do not believe such informal agreement on worthy projects and/or basic Christian orthodoxy we all hold dear justifies formal union between all Believers everywhere.  Inevitably, this side of the Millennium, division is not only real but division is necessary.  Else many, many Believers would be living in sin by forming alliances that compromised their deepest convictions about what they believe the Bible to teach.

I do not hold my Pentecostal brothers and sisters in spiritual contempt because they do not embrace my views on eternal security.  Nor would I expect them to cater to my views if I were of a mind to join their Church.  I think the same attitude would flow back toward me from them.  We can be in fellowship and spiritual harmony without necessarily eating at the Lord's Table together.

I'm Baptist.  By consequence, I'm Baptist.  That is, from my perspective, following Biblicism leads to being Baptist.  Indeed if being Biblicist led elsewhere, I hope, under God, I'd be willing to make the trip. 

In addition, I'm sure others may have quite a different journey in mind.  They may just as quickly say "I'm Biblicist too.  But being Biblicist led me to be Presbyterian."  Again, that's fair. 

Albeit, I do not think I am wrong, but I will surely concede that we both cannot be right.  Thus, we remain formally unaligned.  Our differences will glare back at us until Jesus Comes. 

And while we cannot formally align with one another, we can still love one another, accept one another, learn from one another, pray for one another and each of us tell the world what Jesus did for us.

With that, I am...

Peter

Comments

[Jim Champion]

Peter

Thank you for your testimony. My wife grew up in East Tn, and her family life was very much like yours. One difference with her, is that she was a committed Christan from a very early age and did not have to go the years of searching that yuou went through - Praise the Lord.

Thanks again

Jim

[peter lumpkins]

Jim,

You are very welcome, my Brother. It is good to feel our journey is, in many ways, so much alike.

I trust you and yours have a great Christmastide. With that, I am...

Peter

[David R. Brumbelow]

Peter,
Your testimony blessed and encouraged me. Don’t hesitate to use it in your preaching or in your writing. Years ago my preacher dad had a “Testimony Revival” and each night had different preachers and laymen present how they met Jesus. It seems to me that every Christian has a testimony that will especially reach out to others. Our personal story is one of the most effective things we have.
I guess the only problem is when some try to glorify or embellish their life before they met Jesus. Or when we forget that the best testimonies may be those who got saved at an early age and stayed true to the Lord through the years, like a Daniel. But an humble, honest story of salvation speaks like few other messages.
Outhouses, of course, also never fail to bring vivid memories and thoughts.
Sincerely,
David R. Brumbelow

[Steve]

Thank you bro Peter, isn't the grace of God wonderful that it can reach down to sinners such as us.
That was a heart warming testimony. Why did you go to university? What course were you studying?
Steve

[volfan007]

peter,

you and i have many similarities in our lives. i really enjoyed hearing your testimony. it blessed me.

from one tn boy to another,

david

[selahV]

Peter: and if only folks knew all of you. I'm so grateful the good Lord gave my family and I a relationship with your since Louisville in 1979. I am ever grateful for all the crazy conversations, the midnight "bombings", and popcorn chats and prayer sessions. Not to mention the gallons and gallons of shared coffee at Bob Evans.

People do not know you, Peter. They have no clue of the intelligence you possess. The pastor you were. The leader you've been. The daddy you grew to be.

They don't know your humor even when they read it and, in some cases, possess the same kind of humor themselves. They don't understand you, Peter, and the beauty in that is you don't need for them to understand you. Your ego isn't that hungry.

I am so grateful you shared a tidbit with others of what is so foundational from where you speak. Arrogant---you are not. Boorish--neither. Antagonizing---sometimes. Devilish---always. I think that comes from surviving as the baby in a family of 12. love you, my brother. selahV

[peter lumpkins]

David,

Thank you for your encouragement about the worth of the testimonies our Lord give us. We each, as you indicate, have unique stories. Indeed, perhaps the dominant evangelism strategy in Gospel/Acts is converted people telling what great things the Lord did in their lives...

Steve,

When I was saved, I was virtually illiterate. My Pastor's wife--an English teacher--encouraged me to 'get educated' so that I could talk to anyone about Jesus. I'll never forget what she said that struck rock with me: "Being educated will never, ever close a door for you, Pete. But being uneducated more than likely will." Within a few months, the Lord had us packed and moved to Louisville, Ky.

After Boyce Bible School at Southern Seminary, I attended university studies. My track was "Humanities", while my concentration was Religion & Philosophy...

David,

Perhaps all we Tennessee boys have similar experiences (and gals too! Note Jim's wife above). I hope one day we can have some real fellowship together...

SelahV,

Your words are kind, H, and a more deserving description than my life warrants, I confess. Sometimes I look back with pain and think "What if I'd only..." and others I look back in awe and say "My Dear God, why have You blessed me so..."

Grace now, Grace tomorrow. With that, I am...

Peter

[Chris]

Peter,
Thanks for the openess.

[Byroniac]

Peter:

Thank you for your personal testimony. It has been a blessing to read! Other than the bit about Biblicist and NonCalvinist, I think I can agree with every word.

Now you and I honestly and respectfully disagree on this system known as Calvinism. However, two things you have said have struck me with full impact. You said, "Being Biblicist now serves as benchmark in my belief system..." and later, "...being Biblicist is preferable to theological system no matter the brand." Amen and amen!

Thank you for that much-needed corrective in my line of thinking. It's too easy for me to forget that. My "system" could even be wrong, though truthfully I cannot fathom it being so, yet I know that the Bible, being the Word of God, remains just as true as the One who gave it. And the Word of God is the standard by which all else should be judged.

[Colin]

Peter,

Very encouraging. I do appreciate the time you take to blog and share from the well of grace in your life. I am grateful to you for this and have indeed learned from you.

Colin

[selahV]

Colin...you'd really like him if you ever get to spend some time in a revival with him. When you get your church, you oughta have him come preach for you. He can sing too. Ya won't even need a music guy. (not that you'd have one anyway.) Something to think about. OUr first revival with him, we had 25 people saved, baptized and all grew in the Lord afterwards. People in our churches in which he preached years ago are still asking about him and saying he is the best evangelist they ever had preach. One young man who was saved in our first revival with Peter is now a deacon of that church. He led him to Christ in a tobacco field as I recall. selahV

[Colin]

SelahV,

I already like him, but I am sure I would like him more. It is interesting that you mention that, because the same exact thought crossed my mind this morning when I was considering revivla meetings.

[selahV]

Colin...super. now we have validation, huh? :) God has connected some really neat dots with me in this blogging world. I'm rather happy with the picture I'm seeing. Of course it won't be done in my lifetime, but I do like what I see so far. bless you. selahV

[Scott Gordon]

Peter,

It's good to get to know...instead of the spooky, meanie I hear you being called.

:-)

SOLA GRATIA!

[Keith Schooley]

Very nice post, Peter. Praise God for His work in your life.

I'll agree with you wholeheartedly on being a Biblicist. Even though I'll call myself an Arminian, I only do so to make clear where I fall on the soteriology spectrum. Most Arminians are not following a theological system; they are just following where their Biblicism leads them. (I also respect the fact that most Calvinists are also simply trying to be Biblical as well.) I don't choose nonCalvinist as a moniker because an atheist could be a nonCalvinist (and I don't like defining myself by what I am not, anyway.)

And I also respect that being a Biblicist leads you to being a Baptist. Although my own Biblicism leads me in a slightly different direction, I think it's more important that we try to be Biblical in all things, even if, in our humannness, that leads us in differing directions.

[peterlumpkins]

Keith,

Thank you my brother. And, I think you possess a valid point about the label 'NonCalvinist' also being applicable to 'NonBelievers' as well. I suppose no label is fool-proof.
Nor do I, in essence, think 'Arminian' a negative theological label. Yet, in SB subculture, 'Arminian' is hoplessly identified with 'falling from grace' though we both know all Arminians definitively do not embrace such.
Thus, that stands as a forminable reason most SB in the SBC avoid the term.

In a comment somewhere, Keith, you stated 'text precedes theology' a dictum I both learned from my mentors and attempt to practise in my own belief system. I think that captures 'biblicist' precisely and a label that fits us both.

Grace. With that, I am...

Peter

[Joe Stewart]

Peter
I've been AWOL because of my own schooling. What a testimony.

[peter]

Joe,

Thanks for coming up from a busy schedule and loggin on here. Thanks also for your words...With that, I am...

Peter