Pastor Tony Jeffrey
When I first drove down Robson Ranch Road (then called Crawford Road) in 1981, it was a narrow, country, dirt road. I was on my way to pick up what I was very much hoping would be my new girlfriend, Kathy Cole, who lived on a ranch that is now The Ridge, directly across the road from the RR main gate. Well, the good news is that date has turned into 42 wonderful years of marriage and three amazing adult children. We also had the privilege of living in the RR community for seven years. Therefore, Kathy and I count it as a blessing for me to be called to serve as the Pastor of Fellowship At The Ranch Church (FATR).
I grew up in Minnesota where, as Garrison Keillor says, “The women are strong, the men are good looking, and all children are above average!” I attended a large, Gothic-style denominational church where the services were as cold as the weather. I was taught a lot about God, but I did not know Him in a personal way. If someone had asked me, “Tony, if you were to die and God were to ask you why He should allow you to spend eternity in heaven with Him, I would have said, I am a good person and very religious.” It never crossed my mind that if we could get to heaven because of our good works, then why did Jesus have to die? My entire life changed in 1971 when at a summer program in Colorado called The Summit, I heard the gospel for the first time. I was a sinner who needed a Savior, Jesus loved me so much that He came to earth and was cursed, mocked, beaten, tortured, and crucified on my behalf. The punishment I deserved, He willingly took on Himself. He now offered me the free gift of salvation if I would receive it by putting my faith and trust in Him to be my Savior. I made that life-changing decision, and it is the reason, some 54 years later, I can be the pastor at FATR.
As retirees, most of us realize we are on the last lap (although we hope it is a long one), and we are amazed at how quickly our lives have gone. Let me ask you, how would you answer these two questions: When you die, why should God allow you to spend eternity with Him, and do you have full assurance in your heart that when you reach the end of your race, you will spend eternity with Jesus? The answers to these questions have eternal consequences! I hope you will consider visiting FATR. We are a church that loves Jesus, the Bible, and one another. We would love to welcome you and help you answer these two critical questions.