WHY BAPTIST

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Forest R. Steenfott’s Qualifications for Doing Ministry

Here are some of my qualifications for doing ministry.

I was born April, 1931, and saved in 1947, dedicated my life to Christ as Lord of my life, attended 5 years in a Bible

College and received a Bachelor Art in Bible and a Bachelor Theology, degrees.

I then, candidated for a Church to be their Pastor. I was called to Colonial Baptist Church, Sacramento, California. I was

then ordained to the Gospel ministry in 1957. I am now 76 years old.

I entered the Bible College in 1950. I have continued from that time to the present in the study of the Word of God. I am in the Bible daily and have read and studied it for 56 years. I do a lot of outside reading of other Bible scholars. I write out and quote Bible text passages in my studies and articles.

I also did Home Bible Studies with some of my friends: I had prepared my own studies with the help of many other Bible scholars. These were the Scriptures I used to study and teach.

BIBLE STUDIES

1. The Epistle of First John
2. The Epistle of Second John
3. The Epistle of Third John
4. The Epistle of Second Peter
5. Revelation One, Two, Three and Matthew 13

The Rapture and Second Coming of Christ; Revelation 4, 5 and 19

The Epistle of Ephesians (Taught Ephesians in a Sunday school class.

Forest Bible Studies and Writings

I learned how to study the Word of God in my Bible College days. I have gone deeply into my own Bible studies over the last few years. I have read and studied many Bible scholars. I have written on many Bible subjects and issues.

I have been involved in other churches as deacon and chairman one time. I served some time on the missions committee, Senior High counselor, and Sunday school superintendent of the Junior High. I was on the board of directors for the Santa Clara County Jail Chaplain ministry. I had preached in regular church services and held Wednesday evening prayer services. I was used to recover a failing church. The church is alive and well in East San Jose today. I also had preached many times at a local Rescue Mission./p>

There were three major activities, which the church asked me to be responsible for. The church I was in was “The Baptist General Conference.” This was the old Swedish Baptist denomination. The National organization was going to have their national conference in San Jose, California. I was asked to put together this conference. I brought people around me that had different abilities and expertise in their area of interest for putting together the convention. I had to arrange for the main auditorium, conference rooms, and booths for displays, Piano and organ, nursery for young children, etc. I worked with the City of San Jose, Hotels, and food services. It all came together and ran very smoothly.

The second area was in my own church, which was in The Baptist General Conference. I was the deacon chairman at the time. The pastor wanted to have a week of evangelistic meetings. He had the evangelist and the music man. I develop and brought together the working committees. One of these committees was a prayer committee. We had house prayer meetings. The meetings for the week went well with many saved.

The third active was the time I was on the Mission’s committee. I learned quickly that the mission’s committee was being run by the trustee board. It was in respect of our use of money. The trustees were a board. The Missions was a committee. While I was a Deacon Board member, the pastor had me set up another special meetings. I found out quickly I could not speed a dime without the trustee’s permission, and they did not have the time to make arrangements for the meetings. Can you believe that the trustee board was running the church not the Deacons.

I began to advocate the updating of the church’s constitution. I could push this idea being on the deacon board. The idea went over very good. A committee was formed. I was on the committee naturally. This is what I was pushing for, a Deacon Board, Trustee Board and Mission Board. Each chairman of the Boards are on and responsible to the Deacon Board. All Board actions and reports are made to the Deacon Board. The committee and the church approved the new constitution. This brought about a better flow and working out of responsibilities.

Ministry of Forest Steenfott’s Own Family Relationships

Shall we consider my own family, first my wife, Grace of 48 years? Yes, I pledged my vows that I would love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, for better for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer; and forsaking all others, keep thee unto her, so long as ye both shall live. Grace and I did everything together. Yes, I laundered clothes, helped with the dishes, vacuumed floors, went shopping for groceries together, and we even shopped for clothes together including her bras and dresses.

My beloved wife became very ill in 1996. Then for eight months, I bathed, clothed, and fed her. I had to take her to the toilet and clean her. She was awake most of the night. She couldn’t get in or out of bed. All of this became a twenty-four hour job. I carefully and faithfully watched over her in a nursing home for four years. Do you believe that is being a faithful husband? Grace went to be with the Lord Jesus on December 13, 2001.

Grace and I had four children, three boys and one girl. We did have trouble with the boys in their late teens with drugs. All of the children received Christ as Savior in their early years. Grace and I prayed earnestly for the boys, and God answered by bringing them back to Himself. Diane was always clean. All of our children have children of their own. The grandchildren are coming to Christ as their savior.

Administrator. in the Corporate World of Business until the Plant closing 1980

I became employed in 1959 with Simplex Time Recorder Company. This was in their printing plant in San Jose, California. The factory made time equipment, fire alarms, security systems, and printed time cards on the East Coast. Their San Jose Printing plant only printed time cards for the Western part of the United States. I was made Plant manager in 1952. I had about ten people working for me. My leadership was based in team management. My immediate supervisor was at the factory on the East Coast. I had very little employee turn over. We produced a sizable profit over the twenty plus years I worked in the company. I was able to do all the jobs in the plant. I invented a gauge that could set the blades of the paper cutter to exact sizes, and do it in much less time than before. I was able to hire a one arm man for shipping by changing the controls of our forklift. I even rebuilt one of our printing presses by taking it to a machine shop.

The Plant was closed down by some poor advice given to top management in 1980. This was at the time that the computer was coming to age. The company figured that the time card business was going to die because of the computer age. The funny part about this notion was that the company is printing more time cards today than in 1980 at the closing of the San Jose Printing Plant.

Forest Steenfott Resume From Simplex Time Recorder Co.

Contact Forest R. Steenfott at the following:

email: frsteenfott@whybaptist.com

FOREST R. STEENFOTT OBJECTIVE A management position utilizing acquired skills in operational activities involving production, warehousing and distribution as well as plant facility and equipment maintenance.

SUMMARY Capable manager with over 20 years experience in printing production, warehousing, distribution and administration.

EXPERIENCE

SIMPLEX TIME RECORDER CO. General Manager, Western Printing Plant. 1959-80 Managed and directed all operational activities related to production, warehousing and distribution as well as facility and equipment maintenance of a specialty printing plant serving 23 branch sales and service offices in the 13 Western States producing annual sales of over $1MM. Additional specific responsibilities including the following: * Management of $640K annual operational budget; * Order processing; * Coordination of purchase of capital equipment and plant facilities; * Direct responsibility for purchase of raw material; * Administrative managerial reporting fundtions; * Personnel manager for hiring.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. Created and established raw material and finished goods inventory control system to ensure operational efficiency while reducing capital investment by 25%.
2. Implemented new distribution program improving delivery times by 50% while reducing freight damage and loss by 80%.
3. Established cost analysis program which identified production time Profitability and resulted in corporate pricing policy changes to recover loss positions on on specific products.
4. Developed and introduced new product lines which resulted in incremental sales increase of 12%.
5. Managed productivity increase of 65.4% during 18 years responsibility while maintaining cost increase at national rates or below.
6. Eliminated staff turnover problems by introducing a team-base participation.
7. Implemented competitive bidding policy for purchase of raw materials which produced a 10% decrease in cost.
8. Coordinated site and contractor for the purchase and construction of a 10,000 square foot office and production facility valued at $500K.
9. Developed and implemented a job rate pay scale which improved employee morale and ability to attract and retain good employees.
10. Invented highly accurate measurement guage which reduced down time by 100% and increase quality of finished goods.
11. Successfully warded off union attempt to organize employees.
12. Developed and installed modification to equipment to allow operation by handicapped individuals.
13. First administrative roll was to establish a 15-minuet break in the morning and one in the afternoon.

PERSONAL Married, four children Hobbies: Landscaping

EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in Bible, Western Baptist Bible College, Salem, Oregon Bachelor of Theology, Western Baptist Bible College, Salem, Oregon.

I have the mental capacity of taking a project, laying out the rules to perform the project to completion. I had to make several trips back to the main office to coordinate the closing of the printing plant. I met in a room of folks with different interest in the company. They looked at me and ask, “What do we do?” I said, “No problem, give me thirty minuets, and I will have the whole program for you.”

A funny thing happened after another trip I made to the headquarters. I wanted to say goodbye to elderly Superintendent of the factory. He had been fired by the new young owner of the company. He had some very choice unspeakable words for me. He could not understand that the company put a knife in my back, and I was helping them close down the San Jose Plant. I work for God not the new young owner of the company. The Simplex Company had more respect and confidence in the leadership of Forest Steenfott than what the church has ever had in Forest Steenfott.

Administrator in Custodial and Maintenances for Valley Christian Schools

I started with the school in the Junior High as a custodian in 1984. I found that I had to do some maintenance, too. I was doing such good work and enjoying it that I was put in charge of the High School. The Junior High was put with the High School. There was a separation between the two schools. I bring this up for what I did for the printing company is the same thing I did for the school. The school was leasing the properties they were on. The schools had to move from time to time. The administrators had to have a meeting on what to do. I got into these meetings without being invited. They did not know of my talents. I would lay out the whole moving arrangement. The move was always successful. The Valley Christian Schools had more respect and confidence in the leadership of Forest Steenfott than what the church has ever had in Forest Steenfott. You tell me WHY??????

Respect From Valley Christian Schools

“There is a man on campus that has kept Valley Christian School running smoothly for 5 years. Within his responsibilities he maintained the care of the portables at Campbell. Above that he did anything and everything that needed to be done. He did landscaping, set up sound and light equipment for chapel and drama. He made custom cabinetry for the classrooms and he was an electrical genius when it came to solving “unsolvable” electrical problems. No matter what the job description, or what he was in the middle of doing, this man was always prepared to help someone at a moments notice, it seems nothing slowed this man down, not even a seriously injured foot, in fact, everyone had a hard time keeping up with him. With a willing heart and plenty of ambition to work for the Lord he continues to be appreciated by many. One of the things he is admired for is the way he handles each problem thoroughly, disregarding the hectic pressure of a demanding situation. Mr. Steenfott, it’s HAT’S off to you for being such a valuable asset to Valley, and we pray for your soon return.”—Kristen McKee, Student

“Mr. Steenfott is a Godly man who really enjoys electrical work and taking on a task that requires a challenge. I have seen him work things out when there wasn’t a tool or material designed to meet the need.” and “Mr. Steenfott loves being a part of God’s work. Many times he has expressed to me his joy in being a part of Valley Christian Schools. He has given extra hours, money and heart to VCHS. As he told me, ‘This work is like my church, so I will give my time and resources to it,’”—Mr. Graham, Principal

I believe God had taken just an ordinary individual that had no hidden talents, and used him to accomplish many extraordinary things for the glory of God. There was one flaw that I had. I had problems in taking written tests.—Forest

Forest Steenfott—Conclusion to My Bible Teaching:

I pretty well know my way around in God’s Word. I love God’s Word. I have memorize much of the Bible. I believe I have the gift from the Holy Spirit to study and teach the Bible.

I had previously taught, “The Will of God—The Same for Each Believer,” “The Sovereignty of God—The Lordship of Jesus Christ,” and “Intercessory Prayer.” These studies were before I started with “Forest Testimony and Witness.”

(1) If I was a false teacher, the ministers in my Bible study group would take me apart:

(2) If I was a bad teacher my family and friends would speak to me about it:

(3) I have been teaching on a regular basis for about 10 years:

I believe that I am full (Control By) and obeying the Holy Spirit of God. I must obey and follow the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, NOT MEN! That means the men I admire, too.

God, the Holy Spirit has given me a few good friends that believe what I am doing is good, and support me. There are many others, but here are two.

I had given John Marler some of my Bible teaching for his examination. I had mention that church ministers refuses to even consider me as a worker.

Forest R. Steenfott

John R. Marler President MarFam Computer Solutions:

Forest

I am sorry that I failed to take the time to study your document. I can sense the frustration you must be feeling due to the "organization" keeping you at arm's length and not allowing a venue of your gifts as instilled in you by the Holy Spirit. I, too, experienced this.

There is a growing neutering of the "organization" in America and the western world. Since President Johnson signed into law the denial of any non-profit to be able to express political views, the church has turned into an "ear tickler" and now the major thrust of any "organization" is (1) pay the bills and (2) maintain our tax-exempt status. as I read the Bible, the purpose of the preaching is to be a savor of life to those who know Jesus and the stench of death to those who oppose Jesus. The pastor is to equip the saints for the purposes of the ministry, yet no pastor that I have spoken to in recent history has visited his congregation in the work place to determine what he needs to do to equip them. The preaching does not lead us to evaluate our life before the throne of God, we are shown dramatic plays of how God works and illustrations now exceed the use of Scripture.

I have been led to have a Bible study that uses the Bible Only. We are going to show the CULTEXPLOSION of 3/4/03 to help our members understand that there IS another Jesus, another Gospel being preached. Other than that we expositorily open the "lamp" and only the lamp for guidance of our feet. God presumed that our feet needed it - that we would be moving and doing his will and following His commandment to carry the Gospel to everyone.

Somehow the word layman came into existence and allowed churches to divide the thinking into laity and ministry, indicating that ministry is done in the "organization" and denying the existence of the "ORGANISM" of the Body of Christ. No command or instruction by Jesus (or the Apostles) was ever delivered to ANYONE other than a businessman or woman. It was not the desire of God to have a paid staff that could assume the role of being closer to God that the layperson.

Your exposition was excellent, Forrest. The only problem is that it quotes the Bible in context, and most churches do not (1) think a layman and instruct a "minister" on the Bible or (2) doesn't care if the Bible backs up your statements and no layman can understand as well as the paid staff does. The Nicolatian heresy is the platform that most churches live by, not reject as Jesus does.

I can only encourage you and your Bible Study. Keep in mind that Jesus changed the world with 12 men, maybe, through the exercise of your gifts, you will equip the saints as we are commanded and they will be better because of it and they will be the Christian vessel Jesus is in such dire need of.

John

I wrote a letter to a good friend, Bob Hellam, His Answer:

I was very depressed at the time. My letter to him is too personal to share. Just recently, I helped pastor Bob in a very important decision he had to make. He may possibly become a pastor of a church. Praise the Lord.—Forest

Dear Forest, September 27, 2003

I am so proud to be your friend. God put us together because He knew that we needed each other's friendship. I am so glad to hear that your "postal ministry" is bearing fruit. You know, I have rarely met anyone who is as dedicated to the Lord's service as you are, and one of the signs of that is your very alive and active conscience.

But I very much doubt that the Lord will ever say that you are an unfaithful servant. Far from it! It is easy to become discouraged. I thought I was going to be a senior pastor someday, but now I see that the Lord has given me a wonderful ministry to the middle-school students, and I am fulfilled in that. I think it is the same with you. You may not have the ministry that you expected, but you have one, just the same.

You have ministered to me over the years we have known each other. I have also seen you touch the hearts of those young classmates of ours at Western Seminary, the members of my small group, people in my church, etc. You have the heart and the instincts of a pastor, and God uses you in ways that you are probably not even aware of.

Thank you for trusting me with your thoughts, and rest assured that I will respect your confidentiality.

Our emotions are real, but I always see that joy that Paul talks about in Philippians as a kind of pilot light that is always on, regardless of the temperature around it.

God bless you, my friend! Bob

Old age is a time when strength faileth. There is then a sensible decay of bodily strength. Pastor Joseph Lathrop

As we come into the world, so we depart, impotent, feeble and helpless. From our infancy we gradually acquire strength, until we arrive to our full maturity. We then for a few years continue stationary, without sensible change. After a little while we begin to feel, and are constrained to confess an alteration in our state. Our limbs lose their former activity; our customary labor becomes wearisome; pains invade our frame; our sleep, often interrupted, refreshes us less than heretofore; our food is less gustful; our sight is bedimmed, and our ears are dull of hearing; "they that look out at the windows are darkened, and the daughters of music are low;" the pleasures of reading and conversation abate; our ancient companions have generally withdrawn to another world, and the few who are left are, like us, shut up, that they cannot go forth…Hence social visits are more unfrequent and less entertaining; and our condition grows more and more solitary and disconsolate. With our bodily, our mental strength usually declines. The faculty which first appears to fail is the memory. And its failure we first observe in the difficulty of recollecting little things, such as names and numbers. We then perceive it in our inability to retain things which are recent…What we early heard or read, abides with us; but later information is soon forgotten. Hence, in conversation, aged people often repeat the same questions, and relate the same stories; for they soon lose the recollection of what has passed And hence perhaps, in part, is the impertinent garrulity, of which old age is accused… You see, then my young friends, the importance of laying up a good store of useful knowledge in early life. What you acquire now, you may retain: Later acquisitions will be small and uncertain. Like riches, they will make them wings and fly away. In the decline of life you must chiefly depend on the old stock; and happy, if you shall have then a rich store to feed upon.

When memory fails, other faculties soon follow. The attention is with more difficulty fixed, and more easily diverted: the intellect is less acute in its discernment, and the judgment more fallible in its decisions.

The judgment is the last faculty which the pride of age is willing to give up…Our forgetfulness we cannot but feel, and others cannot but observe. But we choose to think our judgment remains solid and clear. We are never apt to distrust our own opinions; for it is the nature of opinion to be satisfied with itself. It is certain, however, that judgment must fail in some proportion to the failure of attention and recollection. We form a just judgment by viewing and comparing the evidences and circumstances, which relate to the case in question. If then any material evidence, or circumstance escapes our notice, or slips from our memory, the judgment formed is uncertain, because we have but a partial view of the case. In all matters, where a right judgment depends on comparing several things, the failure of memory endangers the rectitude of the decision.

When we perceive a decline of bodily and mental strength, fear and anxiety usually increase. Difficulties once trifling now swell to a terrifying magnitude, because we have not power to encounter them. Want stares upon us with frightful aspect, because we have not capacity to provide against it…The kind and patient attention of our friends we distrust, because we know not how long we may be a burden to them, and we have nothing in our hands to remunerate them, except that property, which they already anticipate as their own. "The grasshopper now becomes a burden' we rise up at the voice of the bird; we are afraid of that which is high, and fear is in the way."

This state of infirmity and anxiety, painful in itself, is rendered more so by the recollection of what we once were, and by the anticipation of what we soon shall be.

We contrast our present with our former condition…Once we were men; now we feel ourselves to be but babes. Once we possessed active powers; now we are become impotent. Once we sustained our children and ministered to them with pleasure; now we are sustained by them; and we are sure, our once experienced pleasure is not reciprocated. Once we were of some importance in society; now we are sunk into insignificance. Once our advice was sought and regarded; now we are passed by with neglect, and younger men take our place: even the management of our own substance has fallen into the hands of others, and they perhaps scarcely think us worthy of being consulted. And if we are, now and then, consulted, perhaps our jealousy whispers, that it is done merely to flatter our aged vanity and keep us in good humor.

Such a contrast Job experienced, and he found it no small aggravation of his adversity. Looking back to former days, he says, "When I went out of the gates through the city, the young men saw me, and hid themselves; the aged arose and stood up. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me, because I delivered the poor and fatherless, and the blessing of those, who were ready to perish, came upon me. -But now they who are younger than I have me in derision. They abhor me and flee from me. They mar my path, and set forward my calamity."

And not only the remembrance of what is past, but the forethought of what is to come, aggravates the calamity of the aged man.

In earlier life hope stood by him to comfort him in all his troubles. If he was disappointed in his business, he hoped to succeed better in a future essay. If he met with misfortune, he hoped by and by to retrieve it. If he lost his health, he hoped by time and medicine to regain it. If he suffered pain, he hoped it would be short. Whatever calamity he felt, he looked forward to better days…But now hope has quitted its station and retired from his company. "His days are spent without hope." The joys of life are fled, never to return. He anticipates the increase of infirmities and pains from month to month, and the probable even of total decrepitude and confinement, and the entire loss of his feeble remains of sensibility and intellect.

Well might Solomon call this an evil day.

In the probable expectation of such a day, there is no solid comfort, but in the hope of enjoying the presence of God. Therefore, as we observed”

Forest Steenfott Testimony of Growing Old:

I was born in a small town of California, April 1, 1931. I just celebrated my seventy-six birthday April 1, 2007. I have discovered over just the last few years a distinct change in my working and mental abilities. Pastor Joseph Lathrop words it so apply in his statement above, “This state of infirmity and anxiety, painful in itself, is rendered more so by the recollection of what we once were, and by the anticipation of what we soon shall be.

I Place Myself and Calling By God in 1 Corinthians 1: 16 through 31:

I give God all the glory for allowing me to be in His ministry. I hate to do this for it may appear I am boasting of my accomplishments. I give God all the glory, if He works out His will in my life to affect others in their Christian life, that is great. I want to be hidden behind the cross of Jesus.

Starting with, “26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”— 31 that, as it is written, “?He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.?”