A Partnership Twenty Years in the Making

Some stories take decades before you realize what God was doing.

Twenty Years Earlier

I still remember the crushing feeling of disappointment when we learned that Lincoln Hall had been sold. This was not just any building. It was Lincoln Hall. There was so much history in those walls, and I could not believe it was going to be demolished. As a Resident Assistant, I would be displaced to what we jokingly considered enemy territory: Stearns Hall.

I was not thrilled about the move. Little did I know that what felt like a frustrating disruption was one of the Lord's acts of providence.

In Stearns, there was a guy from Louisiana who kept a barber's chair in his room. It was Nicholas LeBlanc.

We had known each other before moving into Stearns Hall, but it was during those final years at Dallas Theological Seminary, living in the same dorm, that our friendship really began to grow.

Even then, Nicholas stood out to me. He possessed a quiet confidence that came from knowing exactly what God had called him to do. Long before graduation, he sensed the Lord was calling him back to Central, Louisiana—not to inherit a church, but to plant one.

His vision was to establish a church committed to the faithful preaching of God's Word, intentional discipleship, and making mature followers of Jesus Christ.

By God's grace, the Lord established Central Bible Church through Nicholas and a faithful group of believers who shared that vision. Today, Central Bible Church is marked by faithful exposition of Scripture, intentional discipleship, and a deep commitment to helping believers know, love, and faithfully live out God's Word.

I admire Nicholas, and I am grateful for the ministry the Lord has entrusted to him. He is one of the finest expository preachers I know—careful with the text, clear in his exposition, and deeply committed to helping people understand and faithfully apply God's Word.

Friendship Becomes Partnership

Over the years, the Lord continued to preserve our friendship, including the privilege of officiating the wedding of Nicholas and Sophia in December 2011.

That enduring friendship is one of the reasons Nicholas was among my first phone calls after I accepted the opportunity to return home to Reno and serve with FCA.

My hope was simply to seek wisdom from a trusted friend. After all, Jesus Himself said, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown..." (Mark 6:4, NASB 1995). Nicholas had already experienced both the blessings and challenges of returning home to minister.

I was not calling to ask for support.

Then the conversation turned.

"Well, this is a support call too."

It had crossed my mind to ask whether Nicholas and Sophia might personally support our ministry, but that was not the purpose of the call. As we continued talking, the conversation naturally expanded to the possibility of Central Bible Church partnering with FCA Northern Nevada.

Over the months that followed, those conversations continued. They were thoughtful, encouraging, and prayerful.

Today, it is a tremendous privilege to say that Central Bible Church became the first church to partner with me as I serve with Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Northern Nevada.

Geography does not limit Gospel partnership. The body of Christ joyfully participates together across states, regions, and thousands of miles.

Participation and Partnership in Joy

I had the privilege of traveling to Louisiana to spend time with the church family, celebrate Central Bible Church's eighteenth anniversary, preach God's Word, and share the vision for FCA Northern Nevada.

The passage I preached was Philippians 1:1–11.

As I reflected on the weekend afterward, I realized how beautifully Paul's words describe what the Lord had been building through our friendship for more than twenty years.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now."
Philippians 1:3–5 (NASB 1995)

Paul's joy was rooted in active participation in the Gospel. The Philippians were not distant observers of his ministry. They prayed, gave, encouraged, and labored alongside him for the advance of Christ's name.

That is the kind of partnership we are celebrating with Central Bible Church.

More than twenty years after meeting at Dallas Theological Seminary, Nicholas and I have both returned home—he to faithfully shepherd Central Bible Church in Central, Louisiana, and I to serve coaches and athletes in Northern Nevada.

What once felt like an unwanted move across campus became the beginning of a friendship that God would later use to strengthen His work more than 2,000 miles away.

When Lincoln Hall was sold, I never imagined that moving into Stearns Hall would become part of God's plan to establish a friendship that would one day connect a church in Louisiana with a ministry serving coaches and athletes in Northern Nevada.

I am deeply grateful for Nicholas, Sophia, the elders, and the entire Central Bible Church family. Their partnership is a reminder that the Lord is continually building His Kingdom through faithful churches and ordinary people who simply seek to follow Him wherever He leads.