Olford affirms, challenges FBC Boaz

The members of First Baptist Church, Boaz, were recently affirmed and challenged by world-renowned preacher Stephen Olford.
   
Olford, founder of Olford Ministries International, and former pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, New York City, urged members to make Jesus King in their lives.
   
Using Matthew 21:1–11, which tells of Jesus riding the untamed colt into Jerusalem and fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, Olford drew a parallel between the colt and Christians today.
   
Even though one is a Christian, Jesus may still not be King of his/her life, Olford said, telling how he became a Christian in his childhood but did not turn complete control of his life over to Jesus until he was in his 20s.
   
“He can break the power of sin, but He has to be King [in your life],” Olford said.
   
While at First, Boaz, Olford also led an installment ceremony affirming Pastor Roger Willmore’s leadership of the church.
   
“‘Leadership under Lordship’ is the title of the ceremony,” Olford said. “It’s a challenge to the church to respect leadership, but also to Roger to accept his leadership.”
   
He explained that pastors should be leaders of their churches “as a servant in terms of love” for the church. “The perfect combination is servant leadership,” he said.
   
The ceremony, which is an institution of English churches, is usually held at the beginning of a pastor’s ministry.
   
Olford, who received his education in England, said it is important for churches to remember the position of the pastor. 
   
“We’ve lost authority in churches today; we’ve become so democratic, there is no leadership,” Olford said. “Without leadership, the church collapses.”
   
Willmore said although it has been several months since he began as pastor of First, Boaz, it was important to him for Olford to hold the ceremony.
   
“It causes us (the church and pastor) to think more about the relationship between us,” Willmore said. “It is a time of the pastor and people considering what we’re [in the church] for.” Olford has led installment ceremonies for all of Willmore’s pastorates.
   
Willmore said he met Olford during a conference in Birmingham, where Olford was preaching.
Willmore later worked on the staff at Olford Ministries International.
   
Olford has been considered by many to be one of the foremost expository preachers in the world.
In the book “A Passion for Preaching,” Billy Graham said that “Olford is the greatest combination of pastor, teacher and evangelist I have known,” and he is “the man who has most influenced my ministry.”