Cumberland Road

Rhonda McGowan’s Faith Journey

My Faith journey begins when my uncle Steve invited me to go to church with him and Vickie.  I can not remember when this was but I went with them.  The church and people treated me very kind however, I did not feel it was for me.  A few Sundays later I decided to start visiting Mt. Calvary Missionary Church in Crossroads TN.  I went for some time sitting in the very back row with Ms. Waters, Linda and Gordon Miller.   Once Sunday I was moved by the Lord to get Saved.  I held onto that church pew like it was a life preserver, not realizing at that time that the Lord Jesus was my life preserver. I don’t remember stepping out into the ile or even the walk to the alter but I got there by the grace of God.  When I got to the front of the church Rev. Johnny Jones ask me if I knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I said no and he said do you want to and I said yes.  He prayed with me and I received Jesus into my heart and Life.  This was the single most amazing day in my life.   I was baptized the following Wed. night.
 Life and Ministry 

The Lord blessed me with two amazing people who raised me and made me the woman I am today.  They were J.C. Miller (papa) and Erma Jean Miller (granny).  They took time to take me and Jimmy in and raise us when they should have been getting ready to retire.  They were two of the most influential people in my life then and now. A few years after I was saved my papa had a light stroke and my grandmother was not in good health during this time I quit going to church.   I said it was to help them but in truth I was upset with them being sick.  Over the year’s granny got worse and ended up being bedridden an this hit me pretty hard.   There were many health issues during these years, however, I did return to church Red Hill.  My grandfather had another bad stroke and developed stage 4 lung cancer and passed way in 2004.  My granny’s health deuterated and she passed away form complications of copd.  This was a very trying time for me but I held on to Jesus and He got me through the loss of Granny and Papa.

After I was saved the Lord began to work on me and change my life one day at a time.   The thing He wanted to work on the most was my relationship with my mom.   We had been estranged for over fifteen years.   God was asking me to forgive my mom and I was not ready to do that.   So I said ok and wrote her a letter telling her I forgave her.  In this letter I told her I forgave her but not to call me, write me or come see me.   So I had not forgiven her and was just trying to do what I thought would work but of course it did not.   God continued to work on me and deal with my hatred and unforgiveness until I finally gave in and let Him lead.  Mom and I reconnected, and it took time but we build a relationship that I am so thankful for.   God also helped me to get closer with my dad and build our relationship for the better. 

The next faith step was my marriage to Rev. Kriss McGowan.   We began dating just after thanksgiving 2007.  As our relationship developed, he ask me to go to church with him at this time I was attending Red Hill Community Church.   He was a candidate for the ministry and was serving at Cedar Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church and South Pittsburg Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  At the time he ask me I knew he was preaching at two churches and also visited Ebenezer Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  However, I did not realize the energy it took to go to three services a day.  I was really tired and needed five-hour energy to make it through for a while.   Kriss proposed to me on the way across Suck Creek Mountain and ask me a question that question was are you ready for the ride.  I said yes and we now serve God together every day.  I continue to enjoy the ride with the Lord and Kriss.   We have been serving together for twelve years now and I look forward to each new chapter in our ride together.  

I was called into the ministry while going to the Program of alternat studies as a visitor with Kriss.   I sat in every class with him his last year of preparation.   He said you should do the homework I said no I am not going to be a preacher.  He said ok whatever you say.  He knows me to well.    I should have listened because the next year I started the PAS program after being accepted as a candidate for ministry in the Tennessee-Georgia Presbytery.   I then returned to college at Miller-Motte to get my associates degree I graduated and was ready to begin the next step and the was PAS.  .It took me three years to get through the classes and prepare for ordination.  

I was ordained as a minister of Word and Sacrament on February 2,2013 at the South Pittburg Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  It was snowing and laying so we were not sure if people would or could come.  But they did the committee that was set up make it even Ms. Pat Vernell came through the snow.  I have both family and church family surrounding me during this wonderful day.  My CPC Family made this day special by being there in so many ways for me  Marlynn Blevins,  played the piano,  Kathy McGowan sang ,Jane Lattimore  for reading the Word of the Lord, Mark Rackly for bringing our message, Kriss McGowan for conducting the service and giving me my,  Philip Layne for asking the questions Lamar Jackson for Prayer , Jane Latimore, George Holland, Deloris Rogers, and Sarah Way for helping with communion and everyone for coming and participating in glorious time..

While I was going through PAS. I began a weekly Bible Study along with the help of Lola Carter at the Bridge Nursing home which I call the Sunshine Gang.  I absolutely love working with the elderly.  They have so much to give and share with us.  One of these days we will look up and we will be the elderly person that can share.  I also participate in a yearly revival at Silverdale now Corcentric prison.  Glen Turner ask me to help a few years back and I absolutely love reaching out to the prisoners.  Yes, they have made mistakes some more costly than others but every person deserves to know who Jesus Christ is and have the opportunity to accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  I also served as Volunteer Chaplain at Bledsoe Prison.  I entered data and canceled  for over a year learning a lot from both Chaplains and inmates.  The other ministry that I have is Ladies of the Valley in which Marty Layne helped get started.  We usually meet once a month but have not met lately due to Covet 19.  But we get together have a devotion and reach out to our communities,  we have helped kids with camp,  the homeless with goodie bags,  Christmas and food for families and kids in need and we give Christmas Cards to three different nursing homes and two prisons each year.    The next big step God took me through was The Pikeville Cumberland Presbyterial New Church Development that was started by The Tennessee-Georgia Presbytery to reach out to the Pikeville, TN community.  Tim Rapson was the original plant started unfortunately time became ill and passed away.  This is when Phillip Layne ask me to consider becoming the Church planter.  I was hesitant but I did become the planter.  This is a journey with God and the committee that was heading it up.  We finally planted the church in Pikeville with the help of the members and TJ Malinoski.   Who gave insight helped develop an action plan.  We began meeting on Saturday evening and have transitioned into Sunday morning and Wed night. The church is blessed with members who work for the Lord.  We have had gains and losses during our plant but the Lord has made us  a Church.  

Part 6 Personal Info 

I have been happily married to Kriss McGowan for twelve years now. He keeps me going every day During our marriage we have grown together helped and strengthened each other.  The loss of three parents has helped us understand grief and loss in many ways.  The Lord leads our journey and has given us the opportunity to share Him with the world. We are still enjoying the ride.  We have two little ones we are now raising Alex and Alyssa which bring so much joy and hard work into our lives.  I cannot imagine our lives without them now.  We have four fur babies Boosee, Lucy, Rylie and Rufus and that is a lot of fur for one family, but they are all ours. 

Part 6 Milestones 

1.    Marriage

2.    Got my associates degree

3.    Completed PAS

4.    Got Ordained

5.    Started my Bachelors still working on this one.

6.    Helped start a new Church

7.    Raising two amazing rambunctious kids.

Now lets see where the Lord Leads. 

Music is provided by Punk Rock Opera, I Wanna to be a Machine.  
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