VITAL Conversations with Pastor Todd & Melissa Asbury

Vital Conversations: Lessons Learned from the Margins.

Name: Todd Asbury

Spouse: Melissa Asbury

Kids/Grandkids: Blake (24), Christian (21), Noah (19), Sadie (16)

Church: Adoration Church of God, Bristol, VA

How long have you pastored this church? 21 years

Other churches you have served?

Abb’s Valley Church of God, Abb’s Valley, VA;
Covenant Church of God, Charlottesville, VA

1. How has God confirmed His calling on your life?

In 1998, after hearing the Lord’s calling in my life, I prayed for confirmation to be sure that it was really the Lord speaking to me or not. I had been doing ministry in different capacities of teaching, children’s ministry, young adults, sound, singing, drama and some preaching at Abb’s Valley, but the Lord was calling me further “to plant and water and He would give the increase.”

A couple of months later, at a VA Church of God campmeeting, Dr. Dennis McGuire preached and at the end of the message as we were standing, he said “there is someone here with a calling on your life and God just wants you to say ‘Yes’.” As soon as he said that it was as if I hit a brick wall, my heart started pounding, and I was the only person in the world. It was me and God at that moment. I remember saying “I can’t say yes.” Then Dr. McGuire said “This is the confirmation you have been praying for.” When he said those words, it was as if I melted in the presence of the Lord and I surrendered to the call of God.

I will never forget that day as the Lord confirmed His calling to me. I knew this was the confirmation I had been praying for.

2. How has God proven His faithfulness in your ministry?

Wow, how many times He has proven His faithfulness to me!

At a pivotal time in my life about 2 years ago I was contemplating early retirement from my position at a bank that I had worked for nearly 20 years in executive leadership. It was a difficult decision as this was the means of providing financially for my family and I enjoyed what I was doing. But it was time to make a change from bi-vocational to full time ministry.

As I was making this decision a song on the radio was playing called “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” As I listened to the song, I would well up with tears. I heard the song several times on the radio during the weekend.

The evening that I went to the Board of Directors at the bank, I was emotional as I told them that I felt called to go into full time ministry and I would be leaving the bank. It was a difficult decision and conversation for me, but they understood and accepted my decision. I wondered if I was doing the right thing.

After I left the meeting, I was traveling home and I turned on the radio and while I was driving home the first song played and it did not connect with me, but right before I got home, guess what played on the radio? “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.”

When I got home, I received a phone call from a ministry leader asking for prayer because his pregnant wife had a scare and had to go to the ER. His mother called a little later. She also told me about the need, but then she proceeded to tell me that she had something else she needed to tell me. She added that the Lord spoke to her a few months before about me, but she knew it wasn’t time to say anything. But the Sunday preceding this conversation, she felt the urge again. She was going to call me early that morning but she didn’t want to bother me at work and she was going to put the call off until the next day. But that same evening as I had just left the board meeting and was now home, she said I have to tell you what the Lord said. She said “Full time ministry, God is wanting you to go into full time ministry. You are the man that God has for our church for such a time as this.” I called my wife over to me and I put it on speaker phone. Again tears rolled down our faces as the Lord was showing His faithfulness to us as this major decision was being made.

After this evening, God did take care of us. He blessed me with continued pay for 2 years along with benefits from the bank. I just took my last pay from the bank, and I know that the Lord will be faithful to meet our needs and to provide for us in this season of ministry. I was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2024, full time ministry looks a lot different than I ever imagined, but God has been faithful to help me through this time. He is healing my body and the doctors have been amazed. Financial blessings have come our way. Favor on copays on very expensive medication has been received.

He has never failed me yet, and I know “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” Oh yes, the baby was fine and she is a beautiful healthy little girl. God is faithful to us all!

3. Why do you enjoy pastoring your local congregation?

I enjoy pastoring the people at Adoration Church because they are our spiritual family. They are the family of God that the Lord has placed in me a heart to love and care for them.

I remember when we first came to the church in January 2004. Brother David Hagee called me to go there to be the pastor. It was my first pastoral role, and I remember telling him I would do it on an interim basis until they found someone permanent. We fasted and prayed for the Lord’s direction for our lives. During the month of January, we started having discussions with people and getting to know them. We were building relationships.

I remember about the 3rd week of January, we were driving on the interstate and I had an overwhelming feeling come over me with the thought that I have to take care of these people. I never had this before, but I know that God placed a pastor’s heart in me that day and from thereon I wanted to be their pastor.

A unanimous vote was received by the congregation and on the first Sunday of February I was officially appointed as the pastor.

That love has not left me. A lot of the original people who were at the church are not there now. Some have made their journey to heaven. Some have moved out of the area. Some have been called to another church. But God has continued to bring people to the church. Some people have come and gone through the years. But the love for ALL of them has been and continues to be there.

At times it has been very challenging and not that fun. But we have pressed on with God’s love being the motivation and 21 years later we are still here, loving and enjoying being the pastor of this wonderful group of people, our spiritual family.

4. Why is your local congregation vital to your community?

The church was organized in November 1978. It was birthed in prayer. There have been several pastors through the years who have faithfully led the congregation to minister to the community to get us to today. Intercessory prayer for the community has been a top priority. Only heaven can measure the results.

Our church started a food ministry a few years ago to help those who are in need. Also, we minister to the homeless people in the community providing them with some basic essentials and prayer. We partner with other ministries in the area such as Faith in Action, TriCities Recovery, Sullivan County jail ministry, and The Table. Each of these help with needs in the community that we cannot do by ourselves, but through partnerships we help the community. We livestream our services and for many we are their church. Several I have never met, but to them we are vital for their spiritual needs. I am also involved in various boards in the community to help with needs and represent the church in that way, too.

Someone somewhere someway is being ministered to. We hear testimonies. We see baptisms. We witness people being fed. We see people experiencing the love of Jesus. We know that prayers are being answered and we are a part of it. To someone we are vital.

5. What is one valuable lesson you’ve learned from a misstep or mistake in handling a situation?

Don’t get ahead of God. I had a vision to add on to the church a building, and I thought I needed to act pretty quickly. I jumped ahead of God. There were some fiberglass building materials that were available and we purchased them thinking that they could possibly be used. They could not. We purchased a quonset hut to build, but that was not the right thing either. We got plans to enclose a picnic shelter, but that was not God’s plan. Patience and waiting on God was a lesson that I learned and still learning. God was gracious to me though. All of the items we purchased, we were able to sell. The last person that bought the materials, bought it all and cleaned up the property where they were laying. Praise the Lord! We purchased a house next door.

Eventually God’s timing came years later and we ended up building a building beyond my expectations. A 12,000 sq foot addition, with a new sanctuary, cafeteria, connection area for entrance and fellowship, a place for the food ministry, and more. God showed us favor by providing special deals and connections that we could not have gotten otherwise. I have learned more to wait on God and not get ahead of Him. His timing is perfect. But I have also learned that even when we misstep, He is gracious to help us through that too.

6. Have you had to think “outside the box” to accomplish a task or mission in the church and what was it?

Yes. Being bi-vocational through the years with a lot of responsibilities at church, work and family, it is impossible to do it all alone. You have to build a team of people around you to help with the responsibilities. I have two ministers that are my Aaron and Hur that help with music, administrative tasks, pastoral care, and other things as well. We give them a housing allowance to help with their needs as they are both bi-vocational also. They both have been at the church over 10 years and are well known and loved by the congregation.

In recent months they have had to take on additional responsibilities after my diagnosis of leukemia last September. They have preached and served in several capacities during my period of healing. I am so glad that this was already established and they were prepared to step in at such a critical time for me and for the church.

You cannot do things alone. As we pastor smaller congregations, it is vital that we use the resources available to us as effectively as possible, including the people. Choose faithful people to help you with ministry. It is essential for church health, personal health and growth. If you don’t have those people yet. Pray and develop some people with potential who are faithful to come along your side. That is what we did and the Lord provided and continues to provide.

The out of box thinking will create a bigger box for ministry and increase capacity and influence to be effective in whatever the Lord is calling us to do. Those God-given ideas are bigger than ours and they work if we will trust Him and move forward in them.

7. What are some of the future ministry goals for your church?

We are always trying to make progress as a church to make a difference in someone’s life.

One goal we have is to establish a benevolence/ missions team to help with identifying and making appropriations to worthy causes.

Another goal is to expand the food distribution ministry by possibly building a separate building specifically for this.

We also are adding to our facilities by adding an outside basketball court/ area for fellowship to setup a portable stage, outdoor movies, etc. for family ministries and community outreach.

We are also looking at doing some further development of the interior of the building by closing off some space for the sanctuary and rooms. Landscaping and paving the parking lot are also goals, too.

Further development of small group ministry and discipleship for all ages is a goal.

Lastly, evaluating administrative policies, procedures, software to further develop for growth and effectiveness.

These are just a few of the goals that we have to continue to make progress for effective ministry to the needs of the congregation and beyond.