Preachers Kid Entry #3

Reverend Daniel Wingate – Pastor of Covenant Community Church

My happiest memory is having my wife bring our son home from the hospital.  I felt like God was blessing me for my faithfulness.

My saddest memory is when Bob Wilson passed away.  He was my friend and mentor when I was coming up in the ministry.  His was an unnecessary death caused by a rebellious kid out joyriding one night.

I really don’t want people to know I’m a control freak, especially when it comes to my family.  I’ve never hit my wife yet I know I border on being verbally abusive at times and sometimes almost physically abusive to my son.  If they would just do what they are supposed to do in God’s eyes I wouldn’t have to be this way with them.  I know at times I am very judgemental, jumping to conclusions.  I have to protect the ministry.    I pray about this flaw in my character all the time.

The best part of my personality is my likeability.  I’m easy going, friendly and people seem to really like me.  I’m the genuine article when it comes to my faith and people know this.  This is very important in my line of work.

I’m extremely good at speaking.  What most people don’t know is that I’m good at fixing cars and not to bad at doing fix-me-up things around the house.  Since the house is owned by the church it is their job to keep things fixed for me and I don’t want to step on their toes.

If my best friend had to describe me, that would be my wife.  She would probably describe me as a 40 year old with a trim and fit build.  After all my body is God’s temple.  I’m about 5’10” tall with wavy brown hair and hazel eyes.  My skins is real white since I don’t get out in the sun.  Not even here in Florida.  I have too many things to do for God to be frivolous and play in the sun.

Something that really bugs me is telling my son to do something more than once.  It also bugs me when his mom sticks up for him when I correct him.  It is so bad it is almost as if she is babying him.

I couldn’t really describe our house.  I don’t spend much time there.  I do spend a lot of time in my office at the church.  I am a very organized person.  I have my own office furniture that was passed down from my grandfather, who was a preacher.  My desk is made of mahogany.  I have my pictures of my family on the upper right hand side of my desk.  In the other corner I have a try for business I need to take care of regarding church finances, etc.  I have a note pad to the left of my family pictures to write down prayer requests and the phone sits to the left of it.  In the center of my desk Is my notepad, Bible and reference books for working on my sermons.  All office supplies are kept neatly in my desk.  Behind my desk is a bookcase full of books I loan out, read or give away.  To the left of my desk is a seating area with a couch and four easy chairs for discussions or counseling sessions.    My office is very neat, organized and efficient.

When I look in a mirror I see a man of God.  I’m ordinary in every way but called to do his bidding, whatever it may be and whatever the costs.

The most embarrassing thing that happened to me was when a member of my church came to tell me he had heard that my son and a couple of his friends had stolen a pack of cigarettes from the local convenience store and got caught smoking them.  His friends said he had nothing to do with the theft and he wasn’t smoking.  Like I told him he was guilty by association.  He yelled back that Jesus was always in the presence of sinners did that make him guilty by association?  I was so embarrassed that my church member had to see this.  He knew right away I didn’t have control of my family.  How could I expect them to trust me with the church if I couldn’t handle my own family?

I love my family and want them to be happy.  I could not describe the perfect house.  It doesn’t matter if my family and I live in a shack down here on earth.  All that matters is that I am doing what God wants and he is building me a mansion in heaven.  That is why I don’t have a pet.  We don’t need one.  When we get to heaven we can play with the animals up there.

The only talent I would want is the ability to lead everyone to Christ.

The one thing I really want is for my family and I to go to heaven.  I’d give up everything I have including my family if that is what it took.  I want to be like Job in my faithfulness no matter what it costs.