Shortly after I started pastoring at Jefferson Baptist Church in 1976, I prayed with Lloyd Smith, and he recommitted his life to Jesus Christ. His wife, Pat, had been attending JBC from the start, but Lloyd didn’t come with her. I was asked to speak at a Valentine banquet put on by the church in Salem that started JBC, and Lloyd was there with Pat. I told some fishing, hunting, and farming stories at the banquet, and the next Sunday Lloyd was with Pat at JBC. Only a couple of weeks later, we talked about following Jesus and prayed together. He and I became good friends quickly and hunted and fished a lot together. Not long after that, he became an Elder at Jefferson Baptist Church and became the main guy I talked to about problems in life and ministry. He was a very wise man, and he always gave me good counsel and was a major partner with me as we led JBC over the years. I remember reading a book about the pressures of pastoring around 1990, and the author said that very few pastors had many good friends they could talk to about the pressures and problems they were going through. I remember thinking to myself, “That isn’t my problem; I have some great friends.” This last Sunday marked my 50th year as a pastor, and Lloyd’s friendship and wise, godly counsel are among the reasons I endured over the years. Lloyd died today of a heart attack. He is with Jesus, and I am sure that the first words he heard were, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” We had lunch together regularly at the Mexican restaurant in Jefferson. The last time, a couple of weeks ago, he was telling me about heart issues he was having, and I thought then that he wasn’t going to be around much longer. I’m certainly going to miss his friendship, his wise words, and the encouragement he gave me, but I am rejoicing in the fact that I don’t know many people who finished as well as Lloyd did. I am anxious to see him again.