 Tony
Sutton is known by many of us as simply 'pastor Tony', as he
is pastor of New Center Baptist Church on Old Newport
Highway in Sevierville, TN. We met pastor Tony via the
Free Spirits Gospel Singers as New Center Baptist Church is
their home church. Who could of known that a pastor in
a little country church would be led to write such an
awesome song named: "It's Not Because...?" Well, I
know Jesus knew he would write it, as that is who inspired
him to write it.
Pastor Tony is, in my
humble opinion, as good an example of a CHRISTian as I have
ever met. He LOVES his wife, LOVES his congregation,
LOVES his music...and ADORES HIS SAVIOR. 'It's not
because...' is a gospel love song. Its a love song
describing Jesus' Love towards you and I, sent from
Jesus via pastor Tony: to you and I, and it literally
touches your heart and soul, and pastor Tony sings this love
song as good as any love song you will ever
hear.
I know this website is
about Smoky Mountain Gospel, and we all expect it to be
about gospel music, but brothers and sisters, I feel I must
also share another thing with you involving pastor
Tony. I have been to literally hundreds of church
houses in and near Sevier County laying out a church website
database, and attended many services during that project, as
well as in my entire lifetime, but let me share with you one
thing: I have never felt the presence of CHRIST stronger
than at New Center Baptist Church, hearing Tony Sutton
preach. My unlearned explanation? Jesus is in some way,
shape or form readying and or preparing pastor Tony and his
flock (and I hope to tell you pastor Tony prays and watches
over his 'flock' as would a shepherd with a fold of sheep in
known 'wolf territory') for a mighty move of God, the
congregation not only includes what I labeled their pastor
'a stand-out follower of CHRIST', but wait till you meet his
flock...his 'flock', which I would estimate as of December
of 2004 might be 50-100 brothers and sisters in size. I met
two other preachers there besides Tony, that I'd have to
label liken to Tony: 'stand-out followers of CHRIST',
anointed...and I mean ANOINTED preachers, along with the
finest adult Sunday school teacher I have EVER experienced,
and on and on...yup, the Lord IS doing a mighty work there,
attend a service at New Center Baptist Church and EXPECT to
be immersed and thickly covered by the presence of our
Savior. I am not a member there, and there are many
congregations I've visited where I felt a strong sense of
the Lord's presence, but this place is different somehow,
whenever I am around pastor Tony, well, the best I can
describe it, is that he becomes my pastor, you walk amongst
the congregation and you become a part of the
congregation, you don't just 'feel' at home...you ARE
HOME??? It's
almost as one was witnessing a book of Bible 'history' being
written there...and that the congregation was an elite group
of say Navy Seals and pastor Tony, the elite five-star
general assigned to train and ready them for a mission...far
exceeding any mission attempted to date...OK, I apologize
for rambling on trying to tell you just WHAT our Lord is
doing at New Center, and I realize I can not describe it,
attend a service and see for yourself. |
