Alfred Roundtree - If You Want To Make God Laugh, You Tell God Your Plans
Exploring faith journeys and inspiring ministries that embody the good news of God, This is The Cumberland Road. I'm your host, TJ Malinoski. In this episode on The Cumberland Road, I'm in conversation with Reverend Alfred Roundtree. Alfred is the minister at Walton Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, and he also works with individuals with intellectual disabilities. Alfred shares with me a transformative journey from the life of gangs, drugs, and alcoholism to becoming a Christian and later a minister. We talk about how walking away from a former life left him with moments of loneliness and isolation and how he gained a new family and new relationships with God and others. In it all, Alfred says, if you wanna make God laugh, you tell God your plans. Enjoy my conversation with Reverend Alfred Roundtree on the Cumberland Road.
T.J.:Alfred Roundtree, thank you for joining me on the podcast. Let's start with, we were talking before before we started recording. You were working earlier today. Tell me more about where you work at in in that field.
Alfred:Okay. Well, first of all, I would like to say thank you, TJ, for allowing me to be a part of the podcast. It is my pleasure to be here and, and just tell you a little bit about my background as far as what I do for a living. I work with individuals with intellectual disabilities, and, it's so rewarding because we help them to live a life as normal as possible. You know, we don't do a lot of, you know, hand holding and and, you know, as far as, you know, doing everything for them.
Alfred:But we encourage them to do things for themselves and and make them feel like they're independent, and they can be a part of today's society. And so it's very, very rewarding, and I love what I do.
T.J.:Alfred, do you work with individuals with intellectual delay, both men and women and various ages? Do you work for an agency? Do you work for a center, or is it a home?
Alfred:Okay.
T.J.:I've peppered you with a lot of questions there.
Alfred:Oh, that's fine. That's fine. I, I actually work, for a agency, but, we go into their homes, and we, help them with different tasks, encourage them with different tasks as far as, like, washing dishes or or helping them or what we call support them, because our company is called support solutions. And what we do, we support the, intellectual, those with intellectual disabilities on living a normal life. And so we just, we don't necessarily do things for them unless we have to.
Alfred:You know, you know, of course, if something could cause some kind of harm, we will step in and do something, you know, do it for them. But for the most part, we encourage them to do it for themselves or assist them along the way, in doing such tasks. I mean, something as washing clothes, doing, the laundry, folding laundry. And those things are so rewarding to them and, you know, for them to just do these things. And and they're very, very appreciative.
Alfred:Very appreciative. And so it's so rewarding to me to be a part of that. And, and and we have, like in the Dyer County area, we have, like, 7 homes that we go into, And, and we just make sure that they're safe and, make sure they are supported.
T.J.:Alfred, keeping with, the individual's privacy, do you work in just one home, or do you work in multiple homes just depending on the day of the week?
Alfred:I work in various homes. It just depends on the day of the week. I say in a week, I probably work in 3, maybe 3 to 4 homes. And it's most of the time, it's as, well, not most of the time, but sometimes there is a exception because sometimes we're short of staff, and we may have to have a they may call me into a different house. So, you know, pretty much.
T.J.:Well, Alfred, I appreciate what you do. I used to work in the with the, intellectual disability community. And for caregivers or the support staff, There may be other terms, but those were terms that were used back when I worked in that field. Really, really are able to help folks with intellectual disabilities live a fullest life as possible.
Alfred:So I
T.J.:appreciate what you do and what others do. And I realize it can be a job, but Yes. Really, you end up making friends with with the people that you are are caring for.
Alfred:And so
T.J.:you get to become part of their lives and part of the and and it's a ministry as well.
Alfred:Absolutely. I I agree. I go I was telling matter of fact, I was telling one of the staff that I relieved today. I was telling her, I said, this is the first job that I ever had that I look forward to come to work. I said, after every other job, I was gradually getting up and, oh, man.
Alfred:I take oh, I hate to get up. But this job, I look forward to it because, you know, like you said, I I I go to see my buddies. You know? And and and they become so I become so fond of them, and they become fond of me. And so when they see me, we give fist bumps and, you know, and, you know, just enjoy enjoy each other.
Alfred:And so it's like you said, it's more more than a job. It's like a ministry.
T.J.:Yeah.
Alfred:And, I just love serving in that capacity.
T.J.:Well, you get to develop relationships with, you know, 1 or more persons in the home. Alfred, what what is the most rewarding aspect about working in this field and with this community?
Alfred:Well, I guess just to be able to be able to be a service, be able to serve, give my time, and, and just to be pretty much just to be a a service to them. And because not only are they a service to I'm a service to them. They are a service to me because I learned a lot from you guys. And and, you know, I learned a lot about patience. I learned a lot about this, routine.
Alfred:They're very adamant about routine. And, and so I I pick up a lot of stuff in them also.
T.J.:Yeah. Well, Alfred, this is not your only calling and vocation. You are also a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. So talk about that for a minute and the church that you serve and and, how long you've been ordained.
Alfred:Okay. Oh, well, I am, the proud pastor of Walton Grove Christian Presbyterian Church in America. I've been pastoring there for 11 years now. Have, it's been a wonderful journey, and, I never thought that I would be pastoring because I live in Dyersburg, Tennessee. Our church is in Henry, Tennessee.
Alfred:And so I never thought I will be traveling so far for that many years. I didn't see that one coming, but but they say, you know, I like to tell people, you wanna make God laugh, you tell me your plan. And so and so that was one of the things that I you know, hey. He took me back. I'm like, woah.
Alfred:Okay. Lord, at the time, the car that I had was oh, man. It was let's let's say, I was winging it. But I drove it. I was actually, you know, with my fingers crossed, hope not make it to the church.
Alfred:But I asked the lord. I said, lord, if you allow me to, when they asked me to become their pastor. And, I asked the lord. I said, lord, this is it. You know?
Alfred:They want me to come their pastor, but the car that I'm driving right now, I said, I know it's not gonna make it every Sunday. I said, but I know if you allow it to make it every Sunday, I will I will, I would do it. And I went home that night, and I prayed. And, pretty much throughout that week, prayed, and and the lord just gave me something in my spirit and told me, you know, this is it. Accept this vocation.
Alfred:This is you know? And I, called them and told them that I accept the call. And, and rest is history. I've been there 11 years.
T.J.:11 years with a different car. Right?
Alfred:With a with a different car. Yeah. With a different car. Yeah. Yes.
Alfred:Lord, he he is, he really, he really, you know, I'm just amazed. And just thinking about it right now, I'm thinking about me driving down the road with tires that were I mean, could bust anytime. And now looking today and what I'm driving today, what the Lord has blessed me with, and I just thank God for it. You know? So, I'm just humbled and and just thank God every day.
T.J.:Alfred, what, what recent encounter have you had that just really was so meaningful to you, just drew you that much closer to to God in your in your personal relationship and also as a minister?
Alfred:Oh, wow. I will say I will say just to see see people who are who come from the same background that I came from and seeing them totally a total transformation and knowing it can be nobody but god. And they just make just does something to my heart. And and when I see the transformation that I see, you know, the way they walk and and the way they I mean, the everything changed about them, and you know it could be nobody but god. And it just I'm I'm just marveled by it.
Alfred:You know, I'm I'm like, lord, you are amazing. You are amazing because and that's why I tell people, if he can do it for me, I know he can do it for you. And, and he can actually change your whole, frame of this, your whole paradigm of what you thought life is or or you thought life was. And, and that's what he did for me. So that's one of the the most, you know, I I guess, thing that really gripped me as a minister and as a, as a Christian, just to see in people transformed by the holy spirit.
T.J.:Well, let's talk about, a little deeper about your own faith journey.
Alfred:Okay.
T.J.:Were you raised in the church? Did or did you develop a relationship with God later in life? What What? What's your journey?
Alfred:My journey? Oh, man. How long do we have? But my journey my, didn't come from a religious background. My mother, she she knew of God.
Alfred:You know? And she, you know, hear it through the great mind, you know, different things about God, but she didn't really have a relationship as a my dad, same way. Didn't really have a relationship. But my grandparents, they had a deep relationship, with and, with the lord, and, they were avid Christians. They they they went to church on Sundays.
Alfred:They prayed every, 2, 3 times a day. You know? And as a kid, seeing that was weird. You know? I'm like, why is she doing it now?
Alfred:I need. You know? You know? But, you know, it was weird because I I wasn't used to that. But, my grandmother, she was a very, very she was very influential in my knowing god.
Alfred:And and she would actually teach us my brother and I, she would teach us the lord's prayer. She was, every morning, she would if we spend the night over there, we know that you know, we'll spend the weekend with my grandparents. We know we're gonna wake up in the morning, smell bacon, cooking, and he's cooking, and you hear her sing gospel songs in the kitchen. You know? And and we sit at the table, and before anybody ate, everyone said said, you know, grace.
Alfred:You know? And, and it was just something different. Now when I went home, it was a whole different environment. You know? We didn't we didn't really say prayer.
Alfred:We didn't, you know, you didn't it was just totally different night and day. But, as time went on, I I wind up growing up and getting around the wrong crowds. And, at the age of 8 well, at the age of 17, I, I was still 17 yeah. 17a half. I, had my first child.
Alfred:He was, I I guess I was about 18. Correct? Yeah. But, anyway, I started to run with gangs. I started to run with, got into alcoholism, got into selling drugs, got into, just all kind of things that I saw out there because I I saw what was going on out there in the street, but I didn't have no one to pull me back and say, hey.
Alfred:Hey. Hey. This is not the route to go. You know, my mother, bless her heart, she she did her best with, you know, when when her and my father, they divorced. She did her best to raise us, and, also, she had, epilepsy.
Alfred:And that was real hard on her, which that, you know, me being the oldest out of 5 boys, I had to stay home from school, and take care of her and, make sure, you know, when she have episodes or whatnot. But but I I grew up in that in that environment, and that environment would, you know, mold me into that person that I thought I was. You know? That's what I was destined to be. And at that time, I didn't think I was gonna live to see it 21 years ago, how fast life was going, and it was going so fast.
Alfred:I was going so fast, and, and I I just didn't see it. So I wind up going to jail. Thank god. Just jail. Not prison.
Alfred:Jail. I went to jail, and it was a eye opener for me. And, and I start to meet some interesting people. And they was jail ministry, gym ministry. And they will come in, and they would, share the word with us.
Alfred:And I just came just immersed in the word, and I'm like, oh, man. This is good. You know? And, we would have our little bible study in our cell, and then and, you know, and we had one guy. He would he was saying some oh, he was a man.
Alfred:He could sing, and we were saying, man. It was like you know, it wasn't jail anymore. You know? I was like, free, but it's there. You know?
Alfred:And so it was it was just a light form. And I'm like, oh, man. But I've been I've been missing this the whole time. And, you know, and, you know, when I got out of jail, I said, hey. I'm going straight and narrow.
Alfred:I'm living for the Lord. This is it. And, of course, the old buddies come back around, you know, going back into the old neighborhood and wind up. I go I went back out there in the streets again. I went back out doing the same thing I was doing.
Alfred:Fast forward a little bit a little bit later, say a few years later, I started a record company, and I I got a friend of mine to become the co CEO. And we had, hip hop artists signed to our group. And we would travel and go places all the time. We, in a in a drunken stupor, you know, just everywhere, we just you know, as they say, living like a rock star. That's basically what well, we were we were living that life.
Alfred:You know? And so, afterwards, you know, it was something that pricked my heart. And I said, something is not right. I just wasn't fulfilled. I just you know, the things that used to fulfill me, the things that used to I thought gave me satisfaction to give me satisfaction more.
Alfred:And, I met my girlfriend at the time was my girlfriend back 20 some years ago. She's my wife now. And, and I met I met her at a club. Never thought in a million years that we will wind up together and children. But I met her at a club, and she said, hey.
Alfred:You know, we've met prior, through mutual friends. And, we saw each other at the club again. It was like, hey. Hey. You know?
Alfred:We need to catch up. You know? And so she wind up calling me at home the next day, which that morning, I'm almost I had a hangover, and I'm like, oh, man. Uh-uh, do you remember me? Yeah.
Alfred:I remember you. But, anyway, long story short, we started dating, and we started dating. Like I said, I was still out here in the street. I was still trying to do music, and, I met her mother. Oh, what a sweetheart.
Alfred:And she loved the Lord. Oh my goodness. And I tell you, I, I introduced myself to her. And the first time she seen me, her mother told her, she said, there's something different about him. Say, he's not like the other boy you bring around here.
Alfred:And
T.J.:That could mean more than one thing.
Alfred:Absolutely. It's like, I hope it's that good or bad. Right. And so she's like she said, I'll bet. That's good.
Alfred:That's good. Mom my mom thinks a lot of you. And, she invited me over for dinner, and I dinner with them. And, and she had, you know, oh, man, homemade pecan pie. Oh my goodness.
Alfred:And and that from that point on, she started making me pecan pies because that's what I I like pecan pies. But, what she didn't know, my lifestyle outside of outside of, you know, the house. So so I would come over there in which she didn't allow no one to spend the night over there. You know? No men at all.
Alfred:You know? And so one night, I couldn't make it home because I which her mother didn't know. So, I I've been drinking. And her mother said, she asked her mother, could I spend the night? And her mother said, well, he can sleep on the couch, and you go to your bedroom.
Alfred:And he sleep there. So that's what we did. And so the next morning the next morning was Saturday I mean, Sunday. So she asked me, hey. Ask your friend, do you wanna go to church with me?
Alfred:Y'all go to church with me. And I'm just getting over. You know? I hang over. I'm like, oh, man.
Alfred:I'm just like, I don't wanna go to church. Then she said, okay. Well, maybe next time. So the next weekend, I came over. She let me spend the night again.
Alfred:The next Sunday, she asked me to go to church. I said, no. I'm fine. No. Thank you for asking.
Alfred:And so my my, girlfriend, she was like, hey. You wanna get on mom's side? You didn't need to quit turning her down. You actually go to church. You need to go to church with her at least once.
Alfred:So, you know, so that you can get some brownie points. Okay? I'm like, oh, So the next Sunday well, the next Saturday, I came over. She said, it's been like that next Saturday. And, and I said, miss Vicky, I said, I I wanna put a church with you today.
Alfred:She said, oh, that's good. That's good. And so we got in the car, and I'm like, oh, man. I can't wait till this get over with. Oh, I said, well, oh, you know, I'm taking one for the team.
Alfred:You know? So I said, okay. So I went to church, and and I walked up in this church, and I saw the people, and they were praising God. They were stomping their feet, and I'm like, wow. You can just feel the electric, the ambiance of praise in the place.
Alfred:You know? It was just like, ah. And I sat there, and I'm like, with my arms folded. My mother-in-law, she clapping and clapping and clapping. I had just had my arm folded.
Alfred:I'm sitting there, and then a man got up. He stood at the pulpit, and he began to preach. Oh my goodness. I've never heard anything like it. Tears water up in my eyes, And I'm like, oh, this this guy, he he he's just so charismatic.
Alfred:And his name was Roscoe Miles junior, Reverend Miles from Close Chapel. They were having a 5th Sunday rally, and it was at, New Hopewell at the time. And he preached. Oh, man. It went all over me.
Alfred:I I was not the same. I left from that church, and I told my mother-in-law. I said, I want to go back next Sunday. So I went back. The next Sunday, it was a different preacher.
Alfred:And I said, where where did the other preacher go preach last Sunday? It's all oh, no. That was that was 5th Sunday. She said, you know, we get a preacher every you know, they do rotation, and they preach. You know?
Alfred:And I said, so where are we where are we? She said, I'm at my home church. This is, this is, Fairview. I said, oh, okay. Okay.
Alfred:So I, was introduced to the pastor, and, he was such a nice guy. And and we just jail. We we just jail. And I start going. Start going.
Alfred:Every Sunday, he said, I would like to make you Sunday school teacher. Would you like that? I'm like, yes, sir. And all the time, I was growing. I was maturing, and I was teaching the children, but then the old me was still lurking.
Alfred:So I had to do something because now there's a fight. There's a tug. And so I told my partner that I was doing music with. I said I can't do it anymore. He said, what?
Alfred:What are you doing? Man, we got this. Man, we got oh, I can't do it anymore. I can't. I said, there's something in my heart that's pulling me to the lord, and and I'm giving my heart to the lord.
Alfred:And he said, man, you just don't know what you're missing. I said, no. I think you know what you're missing. And, and from that time on, I gave everything up. I gave the music up.
Alfred:I gave oh, man. You know, people that said they were my friends. I I felt lonely and isolated for a long period of time because everyone that I hung with, everyone that I was affiliated with, they shunned me. Most of them did. They shunned me and say, you know, like but, in the process, God was bringing new people in my life.
Alfred:God brought, oh, man, so many great people in my life. I just oh, man. And at that time, we was at bible study. And, pastor said, you know what? I've been watching you.
Alfred:You see, you've been here every Sunday. We we serve. You you help out around the church. And he said, I would like to make you one of my deacons. He said, how about that?
Alfred:I said, that sounds good to me. I said, well, deacon's fine. I said, you know, whatever you need me to do. And so I went home that night, and there was a yearning. I can't describe it today, but it was something inside of me who was saying there is more.
Alfred:There's more for you to do. And I keep shaking it, and I'm like, no. This ain't this ain't what I'm thinking. No. This can't be.
Alfred:And he just constantly just was drilling in me every day, And I'm like, lord, is you calling me to do something that I'm thinking you're calling me to do? And he never gave me an answer, and it's just a yearning just kept going on in my soul. Like, something was missing. Like, I I just felt the urge or sense of urgency to to to the tale of the world about this god that saved me, that changed me, that that turned my life around. And I'm like, wow.
Alfred:You know? And I said, lord, are you calling me to preach? I said, no. It can't be. It can't be.
Alfred:So, long story short, I wind up going to church, on Wednesday night, Wednesday night. And so I just had the nerve. I said after pastor get through teaching with tonight, I'm I'm just gonna go up and tell him what's been going on. And so after service, I I called him to the back of pastor's study, and he asked me, is there is anything is everything okay? I said, oh, yeah.
Alfred:Everything okay? I said, I got a problem. He said, what's the problem? I took a deep breath, and I let the wind out. I said, pastor, I think the lord is calling me to preach.
Alfred:And he looked at me and smiled. And he says, son, he said, I'm a tell you what my pastor told me. He said, if the lord call you to preach, he said, you'll know it. He said, like, the nose on your face, you'll know it. And I'm like, okay.
Alfred:That's a good answer, I guess. So and so I left that day. TJ, when I left, there was just something I mean, it was something different. I I just I couldn't describe it. But, anyway, I went on that Saturday.
Alfred:I was working for this, asphalt company at the time, and I was the supervisor. And so I had to go in on Saturday. And at the time, I was living in Dyersburg, and this, place was in Halls Halls, Tennessee. And so it wasn't maybe a 20, 25 minute drive. So I'm getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning.
Alfred:I got up and do my normal, got my keys, and I got in the car. And while I'm riding, a gospel song came on. They really put me in worship mode. And I cried all the way to it it felt like I was resisting. Like, I I I was trying not to cry, but it was just something that kept tugging at me and tugging.
Alfred:And I just cried. I just cried all the way to the gate. And when I got to the gate, believe it or not, TJ, this is where it happened. I stood at the gate, and I fell on my knees, and I prostrated myself on the ground. If somebody would have seen me, if I thought I was crazy, And I told the lord I surrender.
Alfred:I said, I surrender. I said, whatever you want me to do, father, I surrender. And I just cried. I I know I stayed and cried about 10 minutes. And and and before and and at when I got up, I had rocks on my face and everything.
Alfred:You know? I was dusting myself off, and I just felt I felt a release. I felt a sense of peace. I felt so good. I don't know.
Alfred:It was like a weight was lifted off of me. And, now the hard part is telling my family. And so I, opened the gate up, went to work the next day. I'm with it at night. I told my fiance.
Alfred:I said, I have disaccepted my calling. She said, what are you talking about? I said, I accepted my calling. The lord has called me to preach. She said, are you serious?
Alfred:I said, absolutely. I called my mother. Mom, hey. Mom, the lord has called me to preach. Really?
Alfred:How do you know? I know. You know? And so that next that next Sunday, it was it was some kind of program going on. But the next Sunday, after service, and the pastor opened up the church, opened up the doors of the church, the invitation to discipleship.
Alfred:And I stood up, and I was told the congregation. I said, I just can't run anymore. I'm so tired. I'm exhausted, spiritually. I said because I've been trying to run from something that god has deposited inside of me.
Alfred:And I said I'm tired. And I said I accept my call today, and the church went bananas. Everybody it wouldn't have dried in the church. My pastor hugged me. He cried.
Alfred:We all cried. And that right there was the beginning of my faith journey far as far as, you know, coming to Christ and going into the ministry.
T.J.:Alfred, that is amazing. I didn't know all those pieces to to your faith journey. Yeah. Which was harder, to tell your family and the ones that you were closest to that you were accepting the call in the ministry, Or do you think it was harder to tell your friends and your coworker that you'd been hanging out with and some of the choices you made as a younger Alfred And in pulling away from that, what which do you think was harder?
Alfred:I think the the first one I mean, the one where I have to tell my friends that I I couldn't do the things that they were doing anymore.
T.J.:Mhmm. I
Alfred:and God is calling me on another journey, and these are guys that I call my brothers. These are guys that were, you know, my you know, been around me for most of my life. Mhmm. And I'm telling them I have to detach myself from that lifestyle. It was hard.
Alfred:It was hard. It was hard. It was, I really depended on on my faith at that time. Really hard because at that time, I felt lonely. Mhmm.
Alfred:I felt isolated, you know, because I really you know, I was being validated by the things that were, external and the things, like, the people I was around and and the things that I wasn't able to accomplish. But when I found out when I started to really look internally and know that god is he's with me. I'm not alone. You know? You know, to hold on to my faith that god is going to he's gonna bring people in your life.
Alfred:You know, that's going to, that's gonna change you and build you and and deposit things in you that's gonna make you better. And so, it took me a while to grasp it. You know, I'm not gonna say I grasped it right then, but it it it it was a journey. It was a journey just constantly. You know?
Alfred:And right today, I have people some of the guys that I hung with at that time. You know, the first thing they asked me, are you still preaching? Are you still free? You know, like, it's it's a job. I mean, of course, it's a job, but it it you know, like, it's something that was turned on and turned off.
Alfred:You know? Right. Right. And
T.J.:Or an invitation. So
Alfred:is you know?
T.J.:An invitation to come back could be.
Alfred:Exactly. Exactly. You know? And I'm like, oh, no. You know?
Alfred:I'm still preaching. And so I think that that was it right there.
T.J.:I, I think I think I think of a lot of, you know, young men and young women who, you know, are seeking god, seeking a relationship with god, may not even be able to articulate it, and and that's totally fine in those early moments of that relationship.
Alfred:Yes.
T.J.:But to let go of the familiar of your friends Yes. Of of what you know, even if you know that it's wrong. Yes. And to to really you know, they use that word leap, to leap in faith. Yeah.
T.J.:That's a hard thing to do, and especially especially alone. I think that's where we come in. Yeah. You know, as disciples of Christ to come in and help bridge those gaps. But, Alfred That's right.
T.J.:If you were to bump into the younger Alfred, knowing what you know now and knowing where you are now, what would you tell young young Alfred? And would he be able to hear it?
Alfred:I think I would tell the young Alfred, there's greatness in you. There's greatness in you. God has already deposited something so great. You are so great. And now it's it's time for you to walk in your greatness because you were made from the image of god.
Alfred:That's powerful. And to know that you are someone who is beautifully and wonderfully made, and there are some great things that god has for you if you are willing to accept it. And, and I believe I mean, I believe that the old me would definitely would definitely take, take note of it if you will, you know, and said, oh, that'll work for me. He may get a point there. You know?
Alfred:But, you know, I've you know? So I don't know if you you will fully listen, but I but I know he would definitely take note. You know? I'm like, oh, okay. K.
T.J.:I wonder about that myself for me. If I bumped into a younger TJ, would we ever get over the hump of how time has ravaged me and I'm bald? Could we get beyond that to get to those kernels of wisdom? You know? Or would that be an would that be an obstacle for a younger TJ?
T.J.:What happened to your hair? You look so old.
Alfred:Oh, man. And my my, my younger self would say, what happened? Man, what did you do? Because back then, I was I was probably a £150 slimmer back then. And so I'm like, woah.
Alfred:Oh, man. Yeah. What happened?
T.J.:Yeah. I'd have to convince the younger TJ to get just close your eyes. Don't look at me. I want you to hear what I have to say.
Alfred:I just want you thank you. I just want you to hear it. Don't look. Yeah.
T.J.:Alfred, in the interesting time that we live in today, where do you see God working? Where do you see God's presence?
Alfred:Oh, wow. Wow. That's a good question. I think we I think I see in the time we're living now, I think I see god's presence. And, it used to be I I would've saved the church per se, but now in the times you were living now, we all have to pivot.
Alfred:And and a lot of churches are closing or have closed. And and I will I will see god moving in the, technology realm, if you will. And I see the presence of god being being conveyed to so many people, via Zoom, via, you know, via different social platforms that are out here now that were almost, ostracized, if you will, if you are told someone, hey. You know, put it on Zoom. Put you know?
Alfred:No. I'm not gonna put it on Zoom. I don't want Zoom. You know? But this pandemic made us pivot.
Alfred:Mhmm. It made us get get out of our comfort zone and and and find, creative ways to get the word, still get the word out there to the people, you know, even not in a brick and mortar, building. So I I think god's presence is is is being, you know, is being used through social media and and through, these different, telecommunication, you know, objects because it has been I've seen so many pastors now who have gone to, Facebook live and, Zoom. And, oh, man. I use Zoom almost for everything now.
Alfred:And so so it's just I mean, things are changing. Yeah. You know, in the world we live in now and now it's easier to, you know, I still believe there's nothing like being in the presence of other people and, being in a, you know, being able to to physically say hello and Right. You know? But in the same at the same token, using this technology is is awesome.
Alfred:And I hear someone, someone say, well, technology is of the devil. You know, I hear what here one older lady say, look. I said, well, I said, I won't say it's of the devil. I said, it all depends on how you use it. Mhmm.
Alfred:I said, if you use it for evil, it yeah. Okay. It can come off as evil, but if you're using it for good, it can often do it. So, and I was telling her about Zoom and these different things. We're spreading the gospel all across the world, all across the nation.
Alfred:I mean, when we could just, we only are able to spread the gospel just in our local congregation. Now we can spread abroad. You know?
T.J.:Right. It is a useful tool. Well, speaking Yes. Speaking of the church, you and I met in New Hopewell Presbytery, and I have membership in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in in America. And I wanna talk about the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America because you've been a member of it longer than I have.
T.J.:I wanted to ask, what hopes, what dreams do you have for the denomination now but also in the future?
Alfred:Oh, man. That is a great question. Wow. I will have to say it. I would like to say, the dreams I will see, I would love to see more unity.
Alfred:I would love to see us as a as a denomination, not only be more be more, in unison with one another, but to also, be willing to, go out and have more outreach ministries and things of that nature, you know, where we can bring people into the Covenant Presbyterian Church in America, which, now this is just my my thoughts and my, opinion. However, I believe that there are different generations. And in the denomination, these the generations are dying out, and there's no one there to replace or pass the mantle to Mhmm. You know, in our denominations. And it's sad.
Alfred:You know? When we see it, you know, when so many people are are dying, we have no young people that can come and take the mantle and move and and move it, you know, into where god will have them to move. And so that that sort of I ain't gonna say I I will say that it's disheartening because, I don't wanna see the church just dissolve. But if we're not moving, if we're stagnant, it's eventually you know, you know, it it it's eventually gonna dissolve. And so I I I just see that, my dreams and and hopes for the coming Presbyterian Church that we will get more vigor, get get more, zealous, and and just, you know, really get fired up, you know, get fired up and and bring us bring more of the young generation.
Alfred:Look at it to the x generation and and and what they call the z generation, and bring them into the church. And and not so much as being a, you know, having some type of gimmick, but have grace. Grace to bring you know, show them the lord's grace and and and just, let them know that, you know, it's room. It's room for you at the cross. You know?
Alfred:And and then why I believe that we move in that direction. If we move, start to, not settle for old, you know, and we settle. You know? I preached a sermon one time that said, don't put a open sign on the brick. No.
Alfred:It was, yeah. Don't put a open sign on the door if the bakery is closed. And what that means I mean, don't, you know, don't advertise something that that is not there. You know? And you got a bakery, and and you cooking, and and the stove hadn't been on in a year.
Alfred:Mhmm. But you got a open side and we're supposed to walk in, and they were like, where's the bread? Mhmm. There's there's no bread. There's no bread in the wild.
Alfred:You know? So, you know, I I I just see more bigger. And and we and we come and be more united. And, and just, you know, and not only that, not only becoming a Presbyterian Church in America, but also, you know, the CP church. You know, we we have, you know, reach out, touch.
Alfred:We you know, it it gets so I don't know. It it gets so, I don't wanna use the right term. Where we we just feel like that we have to stay in this box. You know, we can't get out of the box, and and there is so much more out there.
T.J.:Yeah.
Alfred:But we but we just stay confined to the box. And, and I said that because, I believe that if we would step out of the box, there will be more relationships, more resources, more so many other things that will will benefit, the kingdom of god and also, you know, the, New Hope World Press, Terry.
T.J.:Yeah. We can't be who we're fully called to be without one another.
Alfred:Absolutely. Absolutely.
T.J.:I mean that broadly and I mean that specifically between our two churches. We have this opportunity to to live fully and do ministry fully, and we can only do that at our best when we're 1. And that one day that one day will come, and hopefully real soon.
Alfred:Oh, yes.
T.J.:Not soon enough for me. I'm pretty impatient, but someday soon.
Alfred:It's coming.
T.J.:Alfred, how can we continue to follow you on your faith journey? What's a good way to find you?
Alfred:Well, a good way to find me, you can go on Instagram, at roundtree.alford, or you can go to our, Facebook page, our church Facebook page, which is Walton Grove CPCA, and, you will find us find me there find us there. And, also, that's pretty much it. Well, on Thursday night, here in the community, I have, we have Tuesday night well, Thursday night community bible study that we put on, me, and 2 other pastors in our community. We just set up. We call it real talk, and we will get on, Facebook live and bring up topics that, you know, just we talk about books, but talk about them from a spiritual perspective or a Christian perspective.
Alfred:And, and it's been amazing. We've been having a great turnout. You know, it's nothing formal. It's just we're we're just talking and discussing. And the Facebook the Facebook friends, they're commenting, and and and at the end, we will ask them, if you have anything that you would like for us to to, speak on or topic.
Alfred:You put it in the chat, and we'll, you know, we'll make make sure that we'll put it in our, you know, that, very soon, we'll go to that topic. So it's been amazing. It's been it really has.
T.J.:Oh, wow. I like that. Boy, it sounds like it could be on the edge of controversy.
Alfred:Yeah. Yeah.
T.J.:But, tell me again if folks wanted to to pop in and visit and participate. It's called Real Talk, and and where can they find it?
Alfred:It's called Real Talk. It's, it will be on my page.
T.J.:Okay.
Alfred:Alfred Roundtree, and I will be sharing it from, one of the other pastors, pages. So it will be, probably well, it will be shared to my page, and you'll see it from there.
T.J.:Okay. Alright. That sounds great. Alfred, thank you for opening up your your life with me and sharing it and and your faith journey and transformation. You talk about transformation.
T.J.:You have quite a witness there, Alfred. And you've been a good friend to me. I and a big supporter of me, and I I deeply appreciate it. I really do.
Alfred:Oh, likewise, TJ.
T.J.:And thank you for listening to today's podcast. Grab a friend and travel with me on the next journey down Cumberland Road.
