In memorial of Pastor David Rutherford

I grew up in a nondenominational church back in Fresno, CA called Cross City Christian Church (back then it was called Northside). I owe a lot to this church. My passion for the scriptures, my baptismal grace, my love for the Lord. This church really instilled in me the seeds of a Christian life. Unfortunately, our head pastor, Dave Rutherford has reposed in the Lord. I am very saddened to see him go. I am writing this as both a personal processing of his death and as a reflection on how his ministry has affected my life.

Pastor Dave was head pastor of Cross City for over 30 years. He grew the church from a few hundred congregants to thousands. He preached day in and day out repentance and God’s grace. He baptized thousands. I am writing this as a reminder, that as many young men are leaving their congregations they grew up in to come to fuller understandings of the Gospel through the Catholic faith, do not disparage where you came from. I know in my life, through Pastor Dave’s ministry, he, through the best understanding and means that he could, shared the love of Christ to me. Through his ministry I was saved. He may not have understood that the Eucharist is the center of our faith, or that Baptism is the entrance to salvation, or that the Apostolic Succession through God’s unfailing Word is where God has promised to be present as He was in the Temple of the Old Covenant, but despite all of this, God saved me through this man. I pray that God receives him into His presence and I pray that God has told Pastor Dave, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

I would like to remind the young men who are disparaging their pastors of their youth of the words of St Paul,

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thess 5:12-13).

Pastor Dave may have been blinded to certain critical truths of the gospel, but nonetheless God put him over me to administer to me the saving knowledge of the Gospel. I remind those ecclesialists who say that God does not work through means other than his visible church the words of Christ.

“And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part” (Mark 9:38-40).

Pastor Dave, you worked a miracle in me by the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you for all of your striving towards the Gospel, working out your salvation with fear and trembling, and I pray that the Lord has received you and has mercy upon both you and I for our vast sins that have separated us from the love of God, but through His Son has reconciled us to Himself.  I pray we meet in heaven.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. – Romans 15:13

Pastor Dave’s Magnum Opus

P.S. I don’t know why but Pastor Dave always taught that Baptism actually gave the Spirit and that the Body and Blood of Christ was present in Communion. These two things set a beautiful foundation for my future faith development and I thank him for that.