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FROM THE BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF PRIMITIVE OR OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST MINISTERS BY DAVID MONTGOMERY AND MARK GREEN:
ELDER DAVID PYLES
I was born in Memphis, Tennessee on 08/06/58 to Sonny and Sarah Rushing Pyles. My parents were residents of Texas at the time and remain there to this day. Both were Primitive Baptists from primarily Primitive Baptist families. My Father was ordained an elder in 1963. A person could not have hoped for a better mother and father than mine. I have also been blessed with a sister, Lynn Pyles Bruce, and a brother, Daniel.
I first began to have an appreciation for grace and my great need of it in the year prior to my baptism. Though I had been under the best of sovereign grace teaching, my mentality was basically that of an Arminian, believing that deliverance from hell to heaven would depend upon my works. Upon being enabled by the Lord to see my utter failure, and being particularly disillusioned by the fact that I had become condemned after so few years of life, I became convinced that Divine mercy was the only path of hope. It was from that pointforward that I took the doctrines of grace to heart. In the years of my youth, I was greatly advantaged by the fact that my Father was a highly traveled elder among the Primitive Baptists. I had the opportunity to meet thousands of Primitive Baptists and was blessed with many mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters in the Kingdom. I have often wished that all Primitive Baptist children could have the same opportunity, and that all could receive the special care and attention with which I was so richly blessed. The unfortunate defections of our youth to other orders would be largely eliminated if such were to become the case.
From my teenage years, I was occasionally asked to speak for short intervals at Medlan Chapel, my first home church in Graham, Texas. I left home to attend college in Lubbock, Texas in 1976. The churches of that area asked me to speak with even greater frequency. I left Lubbock for Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1981 to pursue a doctor's degree in economics. In but a few months after arriving there, churches of Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas were asking me to fill the pulpit almost every Sunday. I was troubled with this development because I had no aspirations to preach, but my conscience would not permit me to refuse the requests. Also, I was exhorted by the encouraging remarks of those who claimed to be taught and inspired by my efforts.
During all of this time, the primary question on my mind was whether I was doing what the Lord would have me to do. Unless I am deceived, I believe He has given me peace of mind regarding this. While I will never feel worthy of the office of a minister, I have an increasing thankfulness that the Lord has placed me in this role.
I am indebted to numerous ministers who were very helpful to me in the early days of my ministry. I will not name them all for fear of overlooking some; however, I will name three who were especially close. These were Elder Sonny Pyles, my Father, Elder Ray Piles, my Great Uncle, and Elder Cal Kennedy. I am also very indebted to my departed friend, Deacon Tom Whaley.
I was ordained in September of 1984 at Medlan Chapel, but was still living in Stillwater, Oklahoma at the time. I continued there for almost six more years, the last four of which were spent as a professor of economics at the university there.
I left Stillwater and my secular profession in 1990 for Jackson, Mississippi to pastor the Jackson Church where I have continued ever since. My experience in Mississippi has been blessed beyond all expectation. One of these great blessings has been marriage to Karen Lois Rushing of Statesboro, Georgia. Karen was a member of Bethlehem Church of Statesboro when I met her, but she has since moved her membership here to Jackson. We have been blessed with two children, John and Allison. The brothers and sisters here are some of the kindest
people I have ever met. Their charity and zeal have been the Divine instrument of blessing not only my life but also the welfare of the churches in this area. I could name many outstanding individuals but will refrain because expedience does not permit. It is our hope and prayer that the Lord will perfect the many regards in which we are yet deficient, so that we may entertain the hope of being found in His diligent service upon His glorious return. |
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