Rick Wolter's Story, Anglican Church of the Word

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Rick Wolter's Story

This testimonial was written by Rick Wolter (pictured below)

I had just graduated the 9^th grade and had made the all state football and baseball teams as a freshman. I was looking forward to the next year. My parents told my siblings and I that the family was moving from Savannah, Georgia to New Orleans, but I was being sent to Allen Military Academy in Texas.

I had free tuition because I played football and baseball. Upon my arrival at the school, I was put in a line with all the first year cadets, given pants, shirts, socks, underwear and a complete uniform. We then had to pick a church.

The church names were listed on a board and you had to tell them what denomination you were - I had been raised Methodist. The times of the services were listed, Baptist – 2 hrs; Jewish – 2 hrs, Methodist 1½ hrs, Episcopalian – 45 minutes. That’s me…I couldn’t even say it, or spell it, but that was me! Now looking back this was not a coincidence. God put me there, that’s why I am here.

In 1977, just before Christmas, I was let go from a job where I thought I was irreplaceable. I was crushed!! Because of union reason, and being over skilled, which is hard to believe, I could not get a job. I went into business for myself and the work was going really slow.

My wife, Nance, told me to go to the Episcopal Church, where we took our four girls when they were young.

I was met at the church door and the greeting made me feel right at home. When I got home from church I showed my wife the church bulletin - she called me a dummy, and said I attended the wrong church.

The next Sunday was the Newcomers’ class, and I signed up for it. I had read Bible verses here and there at church when I was a kid, but I believed there was no way anyone could be swallowed by a whale and lived to tell about it. When the teacher talked about the Bible, it was easy to understand for the first time. She was explaining that the Bible was not written by man but by the breath of God. Therefore, if one thing in the book was true, it was all true.

I was saved at the first Newcomers’ Retreat.

Since I was out of work (God’s plan) I started reading the Bible and completed it in three weeks. I didn’t understand it all, but I read it, and believed every word.

Later on business picked up and I started putting 10% of my profit on all my service calls (I was in the plumbing business) in an envelope in my truck and put it in the collection plate each Sunday. My company picked up and grew to 30 employees. My wife thought the church was after my money, and fought me every time I went to church. This was not a coincidence; God put me there, that’s why I am here.

The first Men's Retreat I attended, I went before the cross on the property and prayed that Nance would be saved. The week, after I came back from the retreat, one of my daughters gave me the first book of the “Left Behind Series”. When I finished the book, I gave it to my wife to read. When she was done, she told me that she was coming to church with me, saying that she wanted to go wherever I went. Now when I do something, she says, “what would Jesus do?” God put me at the cross to get Nance there.

I had an MRI, and it showed the two bottom vertebras compressed and bulging out. I was told I needed weeks of therapy and that they wanted to get started right away. I put a hold on everything as a Men’s Retreat was coming and I was planning on attending. Upon my return, I would start therapy.

On the last day of the retreat, our priest, Fr. Bill, a visiting priest, and another member were praying and laying their hands on all who asked - I thought they were all crazy. They talked me into coming up, and prayed for me. I felt a little better but I thought it was psychosomatic. When I went to the therapist the next day, she felt my back, and said I needed to see my surgeon right away. A new x-rayed it showed that my back was perfect. This was a miracle, and I needed to tell people about it but I was not sure how. God put me there, that’s why I am here now.

Later on, I changed my profession, and had to travel. While I was out of town, I went to a dentist. He noticed a spot on my tongue which turned out to be a “suspicious” cancerous lesion. My church, was praying for me. I came home for the surgery. The doctors put me to sleep, took a small piece from my tongue, and verified it while I was still under sedation. When I awoke, Nance and Fr. Bill were standing there. They said the doctor came in and he told them there was no cancer, and he never should have operated on me. I told the doctor it was the power of prayer. Thank you Lord! God put me there, that is why I am here.

If we all look back to where God has put us and what I we went thru to get to ACOW (Anglican Church of the Word, I think God put us there so we could all be here. I have a deep feeling there are great and exciting things in the future for ACOW, all with God’s help!!

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