Pastor's Letter of Support
The following is a letter of recommendation and support from Mike's church, 1st Baptist of Patchogue....
April 20, 2009
Dear Fellow Laborer,
I am writing this letter of recommendation to commend Mike Stockwell to you. Mike is a member-in-good-standing of our church, the First Baptist Church of Patchogue, NY. We are an independent Baptist Church on the south shore of Long Island.
Mike was converted about 14 years ago and lived an all-too typical Christian life for 10 of those years. Mike went through the phases of attending/not attending that are too common among our churches today. But the last three years God really got a hold on Mike. Mike decided he had wasted enough unfocused time and now wanted to spend the rest of his life truly focused on serving God. What better focus is there than spreading the Gospel of Christ?
Mike has spent the last year and a half faithfully street witnessing and open-air preaching. Other than when sick or out of town, Mike has been daily at the train stations, bus station, and other public gathering spots to hand out tracts and open-air preach. Rain or freezing weather has not affected Mike’s decision to be out there.
Mike has attended the Ambassadors School of the Way of the Master. This is an evangelism training school started by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. (www.WayoftheMaster.com). Because of Mike’s dedicated faithfulness and encouragement, a group of 8-10 others from our church started regularly joining Mike. We have also been able to network with other churches that have individuals with that same heart for evangelism.
Last Fall Mike sold his longtime landscaping business to do evangelism more fulltime. He has proven his dedication over this time. God has placed it on his heart to do nationally what he has been doing locally. Mike does not have a wife, children, or a mortgage but feels a great “Debt” to preach the Gospel. We as a church have sent Mike out with prayer, support, and our blessing. On Sunday, April 19, 2009 we had our Missions Committee and Deacons pray over Mike in our main worship service. We will continue to be in touch with Mike so as to support him and keep him accountable.
We hope that you would welcome Mike. He has not come to you to get something but to give help in evangelizing however possible. I, not Mike, ask that you might give him a home cooked meal, a bed for the night, a warm shower. May God bless your openness and kindness.
Should you want more background on Mike, you could visit a website created for this ministry: www.crosscountryevangelism.com. You must enter this in your top web browser; not the search engine web browser. Should you want more information about our church, including our Statement of Faith, you could visit www.fbcpatchogue.com or you could contact me at the e-mail or phone number listed below.
May God bless you and bless you through our brother, Mike.
Sincerely,
Pastor Stephen Willoughby
Sr. Pastor
First Baptist Church of Patchogue
482 No. Ocean Avenue
Patchogue, NY 11772
(631)289-0230
www.fbcpatchogue.com
fbcp@verizon.net
