I
had the privilege of getting to know Dave Rowley
while he still pastored in Illinois.
Initially,
there had been a group of Christians who wanted to
form into a church, and Dave Rowley, who had
graduated from Bible school, was called to pastor
it.
That
was at a storefront, by 6 corners, in NW Chicago.
Soon,
a church in Des Plaines, just north of O'Hare
airport, closed, and offered Dave Rowley and his
church, their building, and they moved there.
I
was attending another church, but while street
preaching, came in contact with the street preachers
from Dave Rowley's church.
As a
good pastor, he wanted to know if the guy that his
people were street preaching with, was a heretic, or
not, so he came the next time.
He
immediately introduced himself, and asked me for my
testimony - I was impressed with that.
The
evening services at both his church, and my church
started at 6 pm.
But
when our services were over, I would drive to his
church, because they always would still be singing,
and he hadn't even started preaching yet.
That
way, I was able to have heard Dave Rowley preaching
and teaching.
He
left to pastor another church, and his brother Phil
was the interim, until the church called a new
pastor.
Shortly
after that, my wife and I joined that church, and
three of my in-law families followed us to that
church, from the church that we had been at.
Some
years later, for a camp meeting, the pastor invited
Dave to come back to the church to lead the singing
for the camp meeting.
Which
was really good, and many of the members that had
been there while he was pastor, were so happy to see
him again.
Way
back, a long time ago, I was given a printed copy of
that paper of his, on the blessed hope, I think from
Dave, directly.