The first annual Festival of Young Preachers is a collaborative effort of many people: planning, praying, hosting, singing, greeting, preaching, traveling, even financing. Among this network of hard-working people are two whose participation in the festival has recently taken second place to other events: namely, weddings.
Debbie Moody is the Coordinator for Advertising and Exhibits. In that capacity she is orchestrating from her home and office in Lexington the participation of approximately 25 exhibitors. (We don’t know exactly because within the last 24 hours we have received calls from Yale Divinity School, Campbellsville University, and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, all wanting to exhibit at the festival.)
But as it turns out, five days before the festival opens, Ms. Moody will exchange vows and rings with her beloved, Bill Sapp, also of Lexington. I, as her brother and family minister, as well as chief festival planner, will perform the ceremony, and with great delight!
Then exactly seven days after the Festival of Young Preachers Lee Huckleberry is to be married. Mr. Huckleberry is Senior Consultant to the Academy of Preachers and has a wide array of responsibilities for the festival. He is also pastor of Howard Park Christian Church in Clarksville, Indiana.
But he also will find it hard to concentrate on the preaching because a week later he is to be married, to Angela Bailey. I will be the best man at that wedding.
Yes, the festival is a remarkable and historic event, and yes, thousands of people will gather to hear these young preachers from all over the country; but no, for any one of them the festival is not as important as their own wedding. So we celebrate with Debbie and Lee and trust that their obligations to the festival will not interfere with the good times that necessarily accompany a wedding
God bless you both!!