Grace and peace, church family!
It is an honor and privilege to serve you in this new role as an elder at Faith Bible Fellowship of York. I look back and consider all that the Lord has done for me and through me for His glory, up until this point. I’m thankful to be used as I continue on this journey. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA (Philly), I never imagined leaving and residing in a place that I had initially never heard of (York, PA). I made so many plans prior, but God ordered my steps.
As a child, I grew up in a Bible-believing, two-parent household with my three siblings. This is where the Lord would begin to plant seeds about Jesus. Unfortunately, I would rebel and live for myself, chasing after everything that led to destruction. At the age of 18, the sin and destruction that I so much enjoyed were no longer enjoyable, as the Lord had begun tugging on my heart and would ultimately save me from my sin through the hearing and understanding of the gospel. Through surrendering, the Lord would begin to put fellow believers in my life to fellowship with, disciple me, hold me accountable, and encourage me on how to live a life pleasing to Jesus.
At age 19, I would begin to go out with brothers in the faith to pray for and evangelize strangers/lost souls on trains and street corners. The Lord would also use me to speak boldly and share music in spiritually dark places, all to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus snatched me out of the darkness, saved me, and sent me back to now shine His light to those dead in trespasses and sin, as I once was.
While doing ministry, I would sometimes visit friends at a local Bible college. On a visit just to hang out and help my friends in ministry in the York area, I met my wife, Brittney. We would later become friends. I moved closer (with a roommate), and ultimately she and I got married. The Lord has now blessed us with four amazing children!
Over the years the Lord has allowed me to serve in various ways in ministry, from serving at my local church to local and traveling ministry engagements to simply leading a men’s Bible study in my basement. This is all just a glimpse of what the Lord has done for and through me. I’m often reminded of Acts 4:13: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” It encourages me how God uses “common men” like myself for His service. As my journey continues, may Christ be glorified as I look to lovingly serve His people at Faith BFC for His kingdom’s sake. I look forward to connecting and building lasting, godly relationships with you all. Please pray for me as I pray for you.
God bless,
Joshua Vann, Elder