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50 YEARS IN MINISTRY April 1, l953 - April l, 2003 Dr. Neal Carlson
After graduating from high school in May, 1952 I immediately enrolled in summer school at Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana, USA. I attended the mid day worship time at the university and on Sundays the First Baptist Church in Ruston. During that time from, say, June, l952 to March, 1953 I became aware of inspirational thoughts from God. They can not be put in understandable words, but the bottom line was .... on April 1, 1953 I walked down the aisle of the church and publicly declared that God had placed a call on my life. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5) After the summer of supplying the pulpit of various churches, in the fall I enrolled at Louisiana College - a denominatonal school located in Alexanderia, Louisiana. I continued being a pulpit guest in various cities and towns until October, 1953 when, at age 19, I accepted the call to be pastor of the Jacoby Baptist Church, Lettsworth, Louisiana. There are two areas in my life which have kept me "in" the ministry and free from "burn out" these many years. I refer to: from the "outside" - that is the loving support from my dear wife, Nancy and on the "inside" - the sweet spirit of the Lord Jesus. Now, April, 2003 - 50 years later - and 11,500 messages -I am thankful to the Lord that "through it all" I can praise Him that I have done as God commissioned through Paul and will continue to do so for the next "50" according to His will. The following scriptures make an impression on me and I trust others in ministry who will and are reading these lines:
"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and
And from the Lord through the prophet Isaiah: The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and to comfort all who mourn, and provide for ...And (Isaiah 61:1-6 NIV)
A list of churches that Nancy and I have pastored are listed on About Dr. Neal page. God has been faithful and I praise Him as I look on the past as pictured below. 
Blessing of the Fleet, Morro Bay, Ca. My first sermon was given in April, 1953. In the fall of that year I was called to my first church at age 19. I have always filed my sermons away by years and continue to do so. However a time has come to “size down” my office and what you see is probably of interest only to me before I throw away the filing drawer. But for my own memory, here is the first 50 years. I will probably keep the folder labeled 1953. :) I feel this is very important. There are a lot of different While I was in Louisiana College, Pineville, Louisiana, It was not until I was getting my Doctor’s degree in 1971 that I When recently asked, “Well, Neal, what translations are you using?” I trust that these paragraphs will encourage you and motivate you to But I quickly type – it is not how many times you have been through the Some of the translations could be new to you, so in listing them one might be PERSONAL ADDENDUMI don’t know who would even be interested in this but perhaps my great-great-great grandchildren – if the world should so remain. However, here are some personal facts I have written in one of my books: Behind the pulpit – and for some time – I had typed: “Now then stand and see this WONDER which the Eternal is about to perform before your eyes. Only reverence Him with all your heart, for you see what a wonder He has performed in your presence. Once I remember announcing to the congregation that next Sunday I was going to resign. This made news and sit quickly spread through the city. On that day the church was full, extra seats were brought in…….anxiously awaiting my announcement. Finally I told them that I was resigning as head of the Community Church.. That this was not a social organization – this is God’s church and He is the HEAD. I am a real record keeper (And I really don’t know the value) and my record shows that from April 1, 1953 to Dec. 2006 I had preached 11,911 messages……includes Children’s sermons, studies, Dial-a-Devotions, funerals and wedding, taped at studio radio programs. Most all of my sermons are cataloged, numbered and put in subjects. At the rear of the church in King City, I had a catalog where people could indicate a tape of a particular sermon. During a 40 day fast in January 1997 I read through the Century Version of the Bible It took 17 ½ hours. I have been asked: “How long does it take to read certain parts of the Bible.) Of course, that varies, but for me, the Gospel of John can be read in about 1 hour 15 minutes.; Hebrews, 30 minutes, 1 Peter 10 minutes, etc. etc. Point being God’s Word is of great value and we need to take time to “listen/read” from Him. Keeping a record of the time during one year showed l3 ½ hours. Then, one day I had the idea to just preach the longest sermon of my life. .. . . . 12 hours non stop. So from the pulpit “preaching the Word” without stopping or breaks. Monday, November 15, 1982. (All was read except Romans, 1,2 Cor. James, 2 Peter and the Rev. At the Community Church Fellowship, King City, throughout the years my records shows that I had sermons based on EVERY CHAPTER in the Bible. I either had a text or alluded to it. Bottom line: “…whatever the Lord says to me that will I speak.” (1 Kings 22:14)….and forever and ever: Worship establishes the presence of God.”
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