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First of all, a pastor wears many, many, many hats. First, there's the preaching of the Gospel, which is number one; there's the counseling aspect, which entails premarital, marriage, financial, psychological, emotional and other counseling services; and I visit the sick, the elderly and those who are incarcerated. Basically, you're on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week—doing funerals, weddings, baptismal services, baby dedications, organizing the administration work in terms of the way I want it to work, reaching out and attending different functions, conducting meetings along with meeting the needs of the people as I fulfill the will of God, which is the reason I do all those things. And I've only covered about 10 percent of what this job entails.

The busiest times of the year come before any major holidays like Christmas, New Year's, Easter, and Hallelujah Night, which we have in lieu of Halloween. And I'm also busy whenever I'm called to put on some big event at the church or to attend something special. So, I'm basically busy throughout the year.

Well, I used to work at the post office in an executive position; therefore, my hours were not '9-to-5' when I worked there, either. I was on call 24/7 in that position as well, so that job kind of prepared me for my position in the church, in terms of being on call and being inconvenienced at times in order to be at the beck and call of those that need me. So, there are a lot of similarities. In terms of responsibilities, it's also similar in terms of the number of individuals that I'm responsible for, along with my involvement in their development and progress. So, my job as an executive prepared me in a lot of ways for taking on the role as pastor.

Most of my time throughout the week is spent in the office or at meetings, planning sessions, studying and praying. So there's no one particular area where I'm located. But, when I'm in my office, I get my assignments and calls and things of that nature, and I try to plan my strategy for the week. Most of the time, I attend functions and meetings.

It's challenging, yet rewarding when you see people grow and develop. Probably in the first initial contacts with people, I wonder whether I'm going to be effective, will I be able to affect change in a person's life or am I going to be able to bring about the desired result that a person is looking for in his or her life. The challenging part is figuring out if I can really meet and perform the obligations that God has required for us, and at the same time fulfill the needs of the individual and be able to see them achieve their dreams, goals and aspirations. So, it's a very humbling position, because sometimes there are "temporary setbacks." If a person doesn't have a genuine calling to this profession, they'll probably give it up, especially if they're not always given credit for their work. I have to work knowing that I am influential and that I can be the catalyst that makes things happen.

The dress code has somewhat changed, but it depends upon whether you're a liberal or conservative in your philosophy. When I first started this ministry it was very formal—tie, shirts, suit. And many pastors still wear that garb, and they feel like they're not dressed if they're not in a suit or tie. However, the trend seems to be more of a casual, business nature and that has become acceptable. In the more liberal churches, the dress is casual and even the ministerial staff is more casual when they're preaching. But, some people do still hold on to that tenant that you're not dressed until you are wearing a suit and tie.

In high school, I really did not want this path. I was called to ministry in high school, but from there I decided that I didn't want the responsibility of the discipline required for this position, nor the sacrifices that one makes for this position, so I started working at the post office. I also needed to help out my family financially. So, I ended up doing a lot of part-time preaching, which was probably a mistake on my part. So, I admire those who knew they were going to go into ministry and then went forward with the formalized training at theological seminaries, where they received the background training and learned Hebrew and Greek and those kinds of things.

The preparation for my calling came from tutoring from individuals that were influential in my life, from my father, who was a pastor; another mentor who taught me a lot; and by observing other leaders and how they functioned. I also became the Youth Pastor at a church. All those things helped me, along with the associate's degree I got from East Los Angeles College. I think all of that put together helped prepare myself for my assignment as a pastor. Overall, it involved a lot of reading, studying and researching.

I stayed local, but there was one defining moment in my life that God orchestrated. I had been raised in the projects, so all I knew was my surroundings. But, a young man name Paul Green, who was the leader of the youth department within a network of churches in Southern California, put together a bus trip to Washington, D.C. to Youth Congress. Youth Congress consists of a weeklong stay at a hotel where young Christian people gather to learn more about the Lord and fellowship with each other. That was my first time staying in a hotel, and I saw that there was another way of life, and that people weren't all living in poverty. And that exposure gave me the keen insight that with the help of God, I would not be poor and I wouldn't limit myself, and by the grace of God and with help from God, I would help other people get out of poverty. So I reach out to young people and those people who are less fortunate in life, because I recognize that you can achieve anything if someone helps you.

From the age of 17, I knew I was called to be a pastor, but I ran from it. From there, I became a youth pastor at a church for about 10 years, where I fulfilled some of the obligations I figured I was supposed to be doing. One day in 1987, I was driving my truck, and an inspirational voice said to me that it was time to open up a church. And I said if this is you God, then you will give me a plan because I had no idea what to do. As I continued to drive and meditate, the Lord unfolded a plan. He said to write a list of individuals I know and invite them to a meeting at my house; then write out a plan and create an organizational structure of what I want to do; and then present it to them. I sent out about 17 invitations; 12 people showed up, and all 12 people committed.

I retired from the post office in 1992, and I've known that I was supposed to be a full-time pastor since then. With that in mind, there are other ventures I may have, but being a pastor is number one. For the future, I want to continue being a pastor and helping people.

Typically I wake up around 5:00 a.m., pray, study the Word, eat breakfast and then start my day. I usually end my day around 11:00 or 11:30 p.m.

Recently, I had a meeting to attend in the morning with a local School District. From that meeting, I had to attend a worker's meeting in Los Angeles. While on my way to that meeting, I received a call to go to the hospital to visit a congregation member, so I went to the hospital and made that call with some other members of the church. Then I went to the worker's meeting. I came home around 4:00 p.m., had dinner, and then went back to the worker's meeting. I didn't get home until around 11:00 p.m. I said a prayer and then went to sleep.

Once again, I wake up around 5:00 a.m. and do my normal routine. I meditate on the sermon and think about any last minute changes. Then, around 7:45 a.m., I leave home and get to church for the 8:00 a.m. service. When service ends around 9:00 a.m., I head over to my office and check emails and voicemails. Then, I go back inside the church to preach at the 10:30 a.m. service. We usually finish about 12:30 or 1:00 p.m. After that, I'm pretty tired. I go to dinner with my family and friends, and around 5:30 p.m. I go home and rest. If I don't have anything to do on Sunday evening, I just relax around the house with family.

One of the main reasons people shouldn't focus on the salary is because there's not a lot of income. Although, recently some mega churches have received a lot of income, the average pastor ministers to about 75 people on Sunday morning. With 75 members, there's won't be a lot of income. When I first started this ministry in 1987, I ministered for two years without any income at all. The ministry focused on paying the bills and putting money in the savings account to build up the building fund and acquire facilities. From then on, the church was able to give me some kind of stipend. And in the fifth year, the church began to take care of me. Since I was working at the post office, money wasn't much of a problem. But, a lot of churches today, especially those founded by a pastor, will earn little money the first three to five years. Most of the income then goes to pay the staff and musicians, who are very critical to the ministry. If you're blessed to have a lot of people and some prosperous individuals who tithe a lot, then you are blessed. But, most churches aren't in that position, especially churches in low socioeconomic areas.

Theological school is very important and I highly recommend it. It gives you a deeper understanding of your faith, and you can get specialized training, that makes it easier to focus on doing more active ministry. Economically, I couldn't afford to go college, so I had to travel the road I did. But, if anyone is really serious about ministry, they should study formal theology. But above all that, you really have to know that you are called to profession, because it is so challenging. You need to know that you were called to this so you will continue in spite of the obstacles. There are a lot of oppositions, setbacks and heartache, and you'll see a lot of sorrow and situations that are all confidential. You may be disappointed in people and the decisions they make, so you need to know you're called to it.

I don't travel as much as I thought I would, but it depends on the ministry. I travel probably once a month. If you're called to be an evangelist, you'll be on the road more often and if you're called to be a pastor, you won't travel as much. If people seek the information and knowledge that you possess they will want you to come and preach, so it depends on what you want to do and your calling.

As a pastor, it's very challenging to balance work with family life. A lot of times, I was so busy looking at the needs of everyone else that I forgot to look at the needs of my own children. As a consequence, they suffered. So, if one is not careful, there can be a tendency to neglect your own family due to the demands of this job. So, what I did is declare Mondays off; no one is supposed to call me, and if they need anything they must call one of the elders. Monday is my day for my wife and family. I recommend that to most pastors, because you give to so many people that sometimes you neglect your own family. So, you need to put aside time to minister to your family and yourself.

Initially, when starting a ministry you can't take the time off. Now I have the time to take vacations. And one of the elders even came to me and recommended that I take time off every quarter because of the taxing nature of this job and the weight of it all. There comes a point when you need to relax.

Some of the frustrating moments come from witnessing human behavior and what one human being can do to another human being. In one church, there are a lot of human emotions present and it's frustrating when I preach a sermon and I think people are listening, but then they come back and ask a question about the same thing I preached about in my sermon. And then you think, "What did I do wrong?" Whenever there's a break-up or divorce, or a member goes to jail or gets hooked on drugs, you feel responsible for it. Those things are taken personally. The key is to not take it personally, but it still weighs on you. Sometimes the lack of funds is frustratin,g especially with the current economic situation. The satisfying moments happen when you see people progressing and accomplishing their dreams, or when you pray for a person and the Lord delivers, or you hear the testimonies of how people have been blessed by the ministry of the Gospel. Those testimonies help uplift you tremendously and keep you going.

Our church has a unique position in 2008 where I believe the Lord is going to do some things to catapult us into our destiny. The churches' name refers to being the center of faith, where people will achieve their lifelong ambitions spiritually, economically, socially and educationally. That's the holistic approach to the development of people that I foresee for members to attain. As far as the church in general, I see it positioning itself to really make an impact on the world. As long as people can get rid of their personal selves and greed, and instead reach out to people, the church will really be able to help people. The government has recognized that it is faith-based organizations that are really helping people. The government's structure is so bureaucratic that very few dollars actually get to the people that need the help. But, faith-based organizations have so little money, yet deliver so much more to the people. We do more to feed the hungry, provide housing and so forth. Now, the government has become aware of that, and they're saying "Let's take that money we've been giving to the city, and give it to the faith-based organizations so the money can get to the people."

I've sacrificed family, time and money. Personally, you sacrifice your individual desires, the places you want to go and the things you want to do. But, at the same time, it's delayed gratification—you put off what you can enjoy today until tomorrow, and then you'll be able to enjoy it for the rest of your life. Jesus says that no man has given up houses or land or anything in this lifetime and not benefited from it.

People must make sure it's their calling, of course, but they must also weigh whether or not they have the tenacity to follow through. You don't want to start and then stop because there is too much at stake. People are dependent on you. It's like getting on a plane; you depend on that pilot and you don't expect the pilot to desert you during the flight. There may be challenges between the departure and the arrival of the plane, but at the same time we have to know that the pilot is able to overcome these challenges and get us safely to our destination. And heaven is the destination that we want people to reach. Whatever the obstacles or troubles may be, we can't just throw up our hands and quit. We have to forge on through the challenges, just like a pilot forges through a storm.

I'm contemplating that question right now. I'll probably stop retire as a pastor in my 70s, but I won't stop ministering. I don't think you can ever stop ministering. That gives me a few more years to pastor and then develop a young person to take it over and carry and fulfill the word of God.

I really wish I knew what I know now about money and had a keen insight into investments and handling money when I was younger. I think that would have catapulted me way ahead of where I am now, but I didn't have anyone to train me. Particularly, African-Americans in my generation were basically just trying to make a living. There was no discretionary income—you paid the bills and you lived and if there was any left over maybe you went to a restaurant for a meal. I also would have pursued more on the educational side, because that catapults you into another arena as well.

My experiences have taught me that people don't learn from their experiences. People make the same mistakes no matter where they are, and they keep doing the same things over and over again. Jesus said that there will be wars and rumors of wars now and until the end. World War I was supposed to be a war to end all wars; World War II was supposed to be a war to end all wars. So, people just don't learn from their experiences. And another thing I've learned is that each generation must know God for themselves, and I think God allows certain things to happen so that each generation will have that experience of getting to know him.