I went to work at a food pantry that was run by our pastor out of another church. Picking up groceries in the van, hauling boxes, bags and cartons, and sorting through produce became one of our usual occupations. I had begun reading and studying the Bible intently and it had become my whole life. The way the pantry was run was like nothing I had ever seen before. The people standing in line outside waiting for groceries would be brought (about 80 at a time) into a room we used in the Sunday School building and we would have a worship service for with them for about 20 to 30 minutes. It was a regular service, just like you'd find in any church, except this was a food pantry on Saturday mornings. There would be a time of announcements (usually we went around the area and posted jobs we found for people to check into), a prayer time, and a message. Those folks would then go get their groceries and we'd bring in the next 80. One day, the pastor asked me if I would like to share the preaching duties with him. He would do one service and I would do the next (due to the number of people who came there for groceries, we would sometimes do three, four or even five services each Saturday). I was ecstatic! What a privilege! I'd been a Christian only about six weeks and already had a preaching assignment. I couldn't believe my luck. "Of course I'll do it", I told him. And right from the start, I could tell that this was where I belonged, preaching the Gospel. This went on from Sept. 1987 until March of 1988, when I got the surprise of my life. * *

March 6th, 1988, started out as a normal Sunday. Of course that meant running around looking for socks, hair brushes, kids clothes, etc. You know, the normal routine when trying to get the family up and off to church. The van arrived, like usual; we all ran, half-dressed, to catch it, like usual; we laughed, talked, joked, sang, etc., just like we always did. You know, the normal trip to church. Upon arrival, everything went as usual. Sunday School classes were presented as usual; the worship service, song service, prayer service, etc., all went like usual. But when it came time for the morning message, the pastor announced that he needed to make a special announcement first. He then called the church officers to the pulpit. This included my wife, who was church clerk. I was getting concerned by this time, as this announcement must have some major significance. No one else seemed concerned. In fact, some seemed to view this announcement with amusement, as they were smiling and some even snickering under their breath. Could it be that I'm the only one who doesn't know what's going on here? The pastor took his place behind the pulpit with all the church officers at his back. "Robert Rindfuss", he intoned. "Would you come forward and stand before me please?" ME?!? WhadidIdo? Slowly I stood and walked down the center aisle to stand at the foot of the pulpit. He then stepped from behind the pulpit and stood beside me. With a slight mist visible in his eyes he made the following statement. "Robert Rindfuss, having watched you closely for the past several months, and having had several opportunities to hear you deliver God's word to us, we, the congregation of Cottage Grove Baptist Church, have hereby agreed that you have given evidence that God has called you into the Gospel Ministry and have hereby unanimously voted to license you into the ministry of Jesus Christ." He then handed me a ministerial license and shook my hand while everyone else applauded. I don't remember much of it because I was in total shock. I've only been a Christian a little over 6 months and suddenly I'm a licensed minister!?! But...But...But...! I've got no training, no knowledge, no diplomas or degrees or nothing! Don't I have to go to seminary or something? I'm not ready for this. I'm not a... I don't have a... I can't... I was totally dumbfounded. No wonder these guys had seemed so 'odd' before. They were all in on this together. And I was the only one who knew nothing about it. I just couldn't believe they had done this and I suspected nothing. (Boy, am I dense or what?) I couldn't believe that I was a licensed minister, either. Never in all my life had I expected such an honor. It didn't take long for reality to set in and for me to realize the implications of what had just happened. I had just received a major career change. I could now legally marry people. I had been called into full-time service for the Lord. I was now a recognized preacher. Praise God, I couldn't believe it. Was I worthy of it? Could I do it? Was I the right man for this? Why did I have this feeling that things would never be the same again?

And from that point on, things never were the same. I had many people ask me how I could be a minister without any training (a point which bothered me as well), so I prayed about it and received the following as an answer.

I came to understand that I had received my training the same way the Apostle Paul had received his, from the Holy Spirit of God that resides in me. It was that Spirit that had been guiding me and the situations around me to bring me to usefulness in God's kingdom. And He continued to guide and lead me to higher and higher goals. * *

Due to lack of funds and a dwindling congregation, Cottage Grove church was forced to close in December of 1988. I continued on in the ministry, working and ministering wherever and whenever I could. My wife, sons and I joined a new church and I served in every way I could. I ran a successful bus ministry, sometimes hauling 30 or more people to church in our little 17 passenger van/converted-school-bus that we bought from the local school district for $600.00. I continued my ministry at food pantries and would sometimes load up the van/bus with groceries and take them to low income apartment complexes and give it away free of charge. It gave me a great way to meet people and spread the Gospel at the same time. I continued on working, teaching and preaching in every way I could and, the whole time, I was learning, absorbing and maturing. This process continued for several years until the Lord decided I was ready for the next big step.

One day in November of 1990, my mentor called me and asked if I could help him out and fill in for him at a church where he was supposed to guest preach. He had overbooked himself and was supposed to be at two places at the same time. Of course I agreed, seeing as I love to preach more than I love to eat (and, man, do I love to eat). The church was only 3 blocks away from where Cottage Grove church had been. I had heard of it but had never visited there. I went and preached as agreed and met a group of lovely, solid, strong Christians who really love the Lord and are strong in their faith. I liked them and I guess they must have liked me because about a month later they called me and asked if I would guest preach again. I again agreed and went back that Sunday. After the service was over, the music minister approached me and asked to speak to me in private. We stepped into the church office and he asked me a question that, again, changed my life. His question was, would I be willing to pastor their church? It turned out that they had been without a regular pastor for almost 10 years. They had had a series of interim pastors but none they had felt lead to call to regular service. Until me. Again I was totally shocked at the way God had worked, but now I was getting use to how He does things. I accepted their invitation and started preaching there on a regular basis the next Sunday. Thanks to God's guidance and the leadership of the Holy Spirit, I brought the messages and provided a vision for this little, inner-city church. The church membership began to grow and soon we had built the congregation up to triple it's original size. We had a dedicated music minister, a youth minister who was really on fire for kids, my wife, who was ministering to the women in the church and running a telephone ministry (24 hours a day sometimes) and myself. In March of 1991, the church convened an ordaining council for the purpose of ordaining me as pastor. I was never so nervous in my life! I had seen a couple of ordination ceremonies but had never taken part in one. And now I was the object of one. My hands shook the entire time up until the Inquisitor pronounced me "faultless" before the council. Then the tension 'ran' out of me (sort of like wax runs out of a melting candle). I knew, from that point on, that I didn't want any other occupation.

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