FOCUS ON SOUTH FLORIDA.
AND GOOD SUNDAY MORNING
EVERYONE.
I'M RICK.
WELCOME TO FOCUS ON SOUTH
FLORIDA.
I'M IN THIS WEEK FOR RUDABEH
SHAHBAZI WHO IS OFF.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL HALF HOUR FOR
YOU THIS WEEK.
IT IS A CELEBRATION OF THE
DIVERSITY OF FAITH IN OUR
COMMUNITY IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
WE FOCUS FIRST ON A MAN WHO HAS
MINISTERED TO THOUSANDS HERE IN
OUR PART OF THE COUNTRY AND ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
LARRY THOMPSON IS THE LONGEST
SERVING SENIOR PASTOR IN THE
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN FORT
LAUDERDALE.
HE BEGAN HIS FINAL SERMON WITH
A LOOK BACK.
IT WAS ALMOST 22 YEARS AGO
WE STARTED AROUND THE FIRST OF
AUGUST.
AND, IT WAS 22 YEARS AGO THAT I
HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WALKING
ONTO THIS PLATFORM FOR THE
FIRST TIME AND TO BE ABLE TO
SHARE GOD'S WORD AND WHAT A JOY
IT WAS.
IT WAS A MEMORABLE COUPLE OF
HOURS THAT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
THE FAITHFUL AT FIRST BAPTIST.
AND FOR PASTOR THOMPSON WHO
AMONG OTHER ACCOLADES RECEIVED
A SPECIAL HONOR FROM FORT
LAUDERDALE MAYOR.
THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE
IS GRATEFUL TO PASTOR THOMPSON
FOR HIS DECADES OF SERVICE,
DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY AND
COMMITMENT IN MAKING A
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF
EVERYONE.
WE IN THE CITY COMMISSIONERS DO
HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 13, 2016
AS PASTOR LARRY THOMPSON DAY IN
THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
WELCOME NOW TO FOCUS, PASTOR
LARRY THOMPSON.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
NICE TO SEE YOU.
WHAT A NICE HONOR THAT WAS.
IT WAS A GREAT DAY.
WE WERE HONORED AND IT IS GREAT
TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
HOW IS YOUR RETIREMENT
GOING?.
IT HIT THE GROUND RUNNING I
TELL YOU.
IT IS VERY STRANGE CLEANING OUT
AN OFFICE AFTER 22 YEARS, BUT I
WILL FOCUS NOW ON MENTORING
OTHER YOUNG PASTORS SO I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT STAGE
OF LIFE AS WELL.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
SINCE YOU MENTIONED CLEANING
OUT YOUR OFFICE, DID YOU FIND
ANYTHING WHILE YOU WERE
CLEANING OUT THAT MAYBE YOU
HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IN A FEW
YEARS THAT BROUGHT BACK
MEMORIES?
ABSOLUTELY.
I STACKED ALL OF THE BOXES WITH
GREAT MEMORIES UP IN A CORNER
SO WE WOULDN'T PUT THEM IN
STORAGE.
CYNTHIA CAME AND SAID ALL OF IT
IS GOING TO STORAGE BECAUSE
THERE ARE TOO MANY MEMORIES SO
I WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
GO THROUGH THEM AGAIN CERTAINLY
IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
BUT GREAT MEMORIES THERE.
BEFORE WE LOOK FORWARD AT
YOUR CURRENT MINISTRY, LET'S
TAKE A LOOK BACK AND DESCRIBE
THE DECISION THAT YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY MADE WHEN YOU DECIDED TO
COME TO FIRST BAPTIST.
YOU MOVED YOUR FAMILY TO SOUTH
FLORIDA.
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE AND DO YOU
REMEMBER WHAT THE FIRST COUPLE
OF YEARS WERE LIKE FOR YOU?
ABSOLUTELY.
WE WERE IN MOBILE, ALABAMA AT
DOLPHIN WAY BAPTIST CHURCH WHEN
THE CHURCH INVITED US TO COME
AS THE SENIOR PASTOR.
IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR
US AT THAT TIME BECAUSE OUR
OLDEST DAUGHTER WAS A SENIOR IN
HIGH SCHOOL.
JUST GOING TO BE SENIOR AND OUR
YOUNGEST WAS JUST GOING INTO
HIGH SCHOOL.
SO IT WAS DIFFICULT SAYING IS
THIS REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO?
BUT WE DID, WE MADE THAT
DECISION.
AND, IT WAS A PHENOMENAL
OPPORTUNITY OVER THE PAST 22
YEARS.
IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO
SEE HOW THE CHURCH HAS GROWN
WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WAS IT AN IMMEDIATE FIT?
DID YOU FEEL AT HOME AS SOON AS
YOU GOT HERE OR DID IT TAKE A
LITTLE T TIME?
I DID.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL TIME.
IT WAS GREAT.
AND THEY WERE VERY WELCOMING
AND WE HAD A GOOD BEGINNING.
YOUR LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AT FIRST BAPTIST IS VERY
IMPRESSIVE.
I READ ALL ABOUT IT.
THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANTS.
YOU HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL BOOKS.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST
PASTORS TO USE THE INTERNET IN
THE EARLY DAYS OF THE INTERNET
TO BRING YOUR MESSAGE TO A
WIDER AUDIENCE ALL OVER THE
WORLD.
YOU HAVE UNDERCOVER PASTOR THAT
SOUNDED A LITTLE LIKE THAT SHOW
WHERE THE BOSSES GET DRESSED UP
AND SEE WHAT THE WORKERS ARE
REALLY DOING.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF WHEN
YOU TAKE A LOOK BACK?
I WOULD SAY THAT I'M JUST
VERY THANKFUL FOR HOW THE
CHURCH HAS RESPONDED.
WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, IT WAS
AFTER HURRICANE ANDREW.
WE HAD NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE
STREET FROM THE BAHAMAS.
NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS FROM
ARGENTINA.
I TOLD CYNTHIA THIS IS LIKE
LIVING ON THE MISSION FIELD
HERE.
THIS IS WONDERFUL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SOME DAY SEE
OUR CHURCH TO REFLECT THE
DEMOCRATICS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
DEMOGRAPHICS.
WE PUT TOGETHER A COMMITTEE
CALLED SIGNATURE 2,000 WITH THE
PURPOSE TO BE A MULTICULTURAL
FELLOWSHIP BY THE YEAR 2000.
AND I SAID WE WON'T GO START A
ROMANIAN CHURCH OR A SPANISH
CHURCH.
BUT THEY WILL HAVE AN EAR PIECE
TRANSLATING.
WE ARE VERY BLESSED.
MEMBERS FROM MORE THAN 70
DIFFERENT NATIONS NOW.
THAT IS AMAZING.
WHEN WE LIST THE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, I THINK YOUR
LONGEVITY HAS TO BE LISTED
AMONG THEM.
BECAUSE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS
THAT A LOT OF TIMES WITH
CHURCHES, A PASTOR WILL COME
IN, AND MOVE ONTO ANOTHER
COMMUNITY OR ANOTHER
CONGREGATION WHERE YOU HAVE
LASTED ALL OF THESE YEARS AND
ALL OF THIS TIME.
YOU HAVE TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES.
AND LAST MONTH, A FEW DAYS
BEFORE LEADING YOUR FINAL
SUNDAY SERVICE AT FIRST
BAPTIST, YOU WERE SURPRISED
WITH A TRIBUTE FROM A SMALL
GROUP OF MEN.
THIS IS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE
HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE AT CBS4 WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO
BE GIVEN PERMISSION TO ATTEND.
ONE OF THE MEN WAS A CHURCH
WORKER WHO SPOKE FOR THE TABLE
AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
AND, YOU HAD SOME THINGS TO SAY
AS WELL.
LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.
WE ALL WANTED TO COME
TOGETHER TONIGHT FOR THE COMMON
PURPOSE OF HONORING LARRY AND
WE COULD HAVE HAD HUNDREDS HERE
TONIGHT.
BUT WE WANTED TO KEEP IT SMALL.
THESE ARE THE GUYS I HAVE
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH
THE LAST 22 YEARS AND EACH ONE
OF THEM HAS A DIFFERENT STORY.
HOW I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF JUST
MEETING THEM AND BEING A PART
OF THEIR LIVES.
REALLY, MY LIFE HAS BEEN MORE
BLESSED BEING WITH THEM THAN I
HAVE EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BLESS THOSE GUYS.
THEY MUST FEEL SO SPECIAL
WHEN YOU HEAR FROM YOUR
CONGREGATION.
PEOPLE YOU HAVE MINISTERED TO
KNOW THE IMPACT YOU HAD ON
THEM.
I'M JUST THANKFUL I HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE FRIENDS WITH
THEM.
ONE OF THE GREATEST
OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE IN
MINISTRY IS THE BUILDING OF
RELATIONSHIPS.
THAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND
THOSE GUYS REPRESENT SOME GREAT
RELATIONSHIPS.
YOU HAVE BEGUN A NEW
MINISTRY CALLED FAITH FOUNDRY.
YOU ARE MENTORING TRIPS TO
ISRAEL.
WE HAVE SOME PICTURES OF TRIPS
YOU HAVE TAKEN.
SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE FIVE TO
SIX YOUNG MEN PRESENTLY PASTORS
IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THEIR
PASTORING AND TO BE ABLE TO
INVEST IN THEM NINE MONTHS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE ONE OF
THE HIGHEST DROPOUT RATES OF
ANY PROFESSION TODAY.
THREE OUT OF EVERY TEN PASTORS
FINISH.
WHY IS THAT?
I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF
REASONS.
IT IS DIFFICULT.
THERE IS A CHURCH IN
TRANSITION.
AND SOMETIMES, PERHAPS, THE
PASTOR DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH
ENCOURAGEMENT OR KNOWLEDGE OF
WHAT TO DO AND DIFFICULT
SITUATIONS.
AND SO, WE DECIDED IN THE FAITH
FOUNDRY THAT WE WOULD TAKE A
FEW MONTHS TO TEACH THEM SOME
PRINCIPLES ON LEADERSHIP.
AND THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WE HAD
THREE SITES, WE DO A HISTORICAL
STUDY.
FOR THE GRADUATION, OUR
MINISTRY THEN TAKES THEM TO
ISRAEL AND THEY ACTUALLY GET TO
TEACH WHERE THEY HAVE
RESEARCHED.
SO I KNOW FROM MY OWN
PERSPECTIVE BEING IN MINISTRY,
ONE OF THE GREATER THINGS THAT
EVER HAPPENED WAS GOING TO
ISRAEL SEVERAL TIMES AND THE
LAND OF THE BIBLE.
AS A JOURNALIST, I HAD A
CHANCE TO WORK IN THE MIDDLE
EAST.
VERY MEANINGFUL FOR ME.
PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.
AS A PASTOR, WHAT IS IT LIKE
FOR YOU?
IT IS AMAZING.
IT LITERALLY IS LIKE I TELL THE
YOUNG GUYS.
THE BIBLE LITERALLY BECOMES
ALIVE.
YOU START READING ABOUT PLACES.
THE SEA OF GALLILEE.
I PICK TO PAINT A PICTURE WHEN
I'M SPEAKING SO IT IS EASY WHEN
YOUR MIND IS SEEING IT AND YOU
ARE ABLE TO RELATE THE STORIES
FROM THOUSAND OF YEARS AGO.
THIS HALF HOUR IS ABOUT
SHOWING OFF THE DIVERSITY OF
FAITH HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR
RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE YEARS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE
ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA, I WE DON'T
HAVE THE HOSTILITY OR THE
HESITATION I HAVE SEEN IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES WHEN IT COMES TO
SHARING OUR FAITH.
ACROSS THE BOUNDARIES OF
RELIGION.
ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING
OPPORTUNITIES I HAD WAS ON THE
TENTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11.
WE HAD THE HEAD OF THE ISLAMIC
INSTITUTE OF MIAMI AND SEVERAL
OF US WERE ON THE PANEL.
BEING ABLE TO JUST SHARE OUR
HEARTS AND SHARE WHAT WE ALL
WENT THROUGH AT THAT TIME AND
SHARE HOW WE HELP ONE ANOTHER,
IT IS A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT.
AND, WE HOSTED LEAH RABINE WHEN
SHE WAS HERE.
THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER.
YEAH.
AND WE ALLOW ONE OF THE TEMPLES
TO USE OUR WORSHIP CENTER FOR
HIGH HOLY DAYS.
WE BELIEVE THAT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
THAT IS WHAT SOUTH FLORIDA IS
ALL ABOUT.
WE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
CONTINUE THAT.
PASTOR LARRY THOMPSON, WHAT
A PLEASURE IT IS TO MEET YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
RETIREMENT.
I WISH YOUR FAMILY THE VERY
BEST.
THANK YOU.
COMING UP NEXT, THE MISSION
AND THE VISION OF THE ISLAMIC
SCHOOL OF MIAMI.
WE WILL FOCUS ON HOW THE MUSLIM
COMMUNITY HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA
IS WORKING AND LIVING ALONGSIDE
FELLOW AMERICANS IN THESE
CHANGING AND DIFFICULT TIMES.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.