Interview Assignment

 

Twenty-one year old Welton Pleasant, III gives his first sermon

 

By Doris Molo

 

 It is exhilarating to be involved in the “first” of something.   The first day of spring, baby’s first steps, your first car; it is just inherently uplifting.   I had the

opportunity to hear a young preacher’s first sermon.  Welton Pleasant III is 21 years old. I am impressed with how God is using this young man.  I sat down with him to talk about his promising ministry.

 

I am not sure if I should address you as Rev. Pleasant, Minister Pleasant or just Welton. So before I go any further, how should I address you?

 

You can call me Welton.  I am fine with that.

 

On November 1, 2016, you preached your first sermon at Christ Second Baptist Church in Long Beach, Ca.  I know your dad, Rev. Welton Pleasant II, is a renowned preacher/teacher; as an up-and-coming preacher, how might your ministry differ from your father’s style.

 

It will differ in a lot of ways due to the fact that I don’t want to be anyone else in the pulpit but myself.  I have been watching my dad for 21 years and he is an outstanding preacher.  One of the first things he told me going into preaching was “Don’t try to be like anyone else”. 

 

Tell me about your first sermon and why you chose the scripture you did and what message did you want to really get across?

 

 I preached from the gospel of John chapter five verses one through nine. I titled it “How bad do you want it?”   I wanted to get across that sometimes it matters how bad we really want something. Sometimes Christians go through things and the only reason our situations don’t change is because our will is not in place. That’s why Jesus asked the man, “…who had an infirmity thirty and eight years”,   “Do you want to get well”?   He wasn't asking to mess with the sick man; He was asking to see “How bad do you really want it?” A lot of us say we want our situation to change, but don’t do anything to move in a direction of change, because our desire and want to change is not in place

 

 What have you been learning about God in the past year?  In your quiet time, what has He revealed to you?

 

I have learned that the Lord has a sense of humor. He will put you through things to prepare you and when you come out your storm, you realize why you went through it in the first place. Then you look back at what you went through, and you laugh because you see why He brought you through. He has revealed to me my purpose and that is preaching.  He told me I won't be happy till I answer His call. Ever since I answered Him with “Yes”, I have been overwhelmed with Joy.

 

Who are your favorite authors and books of the bible and why?

 

 Paul is my favorite because of what he was before he became a follower of Christ. Paul is a prime example of how God can turn around anyone and use them so the Lord can have all the glory. I love all four of the gospels because without the gospels, how would we understand sin? The gospel starts the New Testament by revealing who Jesus is.   

 

 What do you see as the greatest need of the Church today?

 

The greatest need for the church today is service. I feel like a lot of us are so caught up in “being served” we forget who we are “to serve”. Jesus came to serve and not to be served. I think the church of today needs to understand what serving really means. Jesus was a carpenter, so when we get high and mighty and feel like its all about us, that’s how our ministries get messed up; that’s how relationships get messed up. We have to remember who we are serving. It’s not about titles, when we make it about that, we get away from His purpose. 

 

Paul said to Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”  (1 Timothy 4:16) 

What does this scripture mean to you?

 

This means that as a minister, I must be careful with my demeanor and the quality of the text I may teach from. The Lord holds preachers and pastors accountable at the highest. Being a minister is nothing to play with.

 

How will you stay grounded and humble?   

 

I will stay humble by not buying into the “entertainment of preaching”. As a preacher there comes a certain amount of status; but I want to make sure God gets the glory through me. I don’t want Him not to get the glory because He has been too good to me for me not to stay humble. He gets the glory for everything I go through, the good and the bad.  I refuse to lose myself by becoming arrogant or boastful. I know the gifts the Lord has given me; He can take it away in a heart beat so it is important for me to remain humble. All I want to do is to do well and give my all to the Lord.

 

As a closing comment from the interviewer, all I can say is: Amen.