The “Character” of Leadership Resides Within
Unscripted By Keith Edmonds
Ink Spot Contributor
“What you have heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us…”–2 Timothy 1:13
This brief excerpt passionately describes Anthony Payton, CEO and Pastor of Come As You Are Community Church. Pastor Payton has worked faithfully to share his heart of ministry, and the gospel of Jesus Christ to his congregation, and those that come into his path on a daily basis here in our city of Fort Wayne.
I was fortunate enough to steal a few moments of his time, and break bread as he enlightened me on what started his vision for ministry, where he wants to lead his church, and what the phrase “Marry Well” means.
Edmonds: Pastor, thank you for taking the time to visit with me today!
Payton: “It’s my pleasure to be asked to do this, and I’m delighted to do so.”
Edmonds: So, let's jump right in. What brought you to Fort Wayne and led you into the ministry of building CAYACC?
Payton: I had an encounter with the Lord through a “Gideon” in Mississippi. He spent three years disciplining (today it’s called mentoring) me and pouring into me tremendously. I felt like at that time I needed to get back into school, mindful that I’d dropped out of high school and had gotten into trouble a few times. My mom lived here in Fort Wayne, so my mentor (Buck was his name) gave me a one-way bus ticket to come back. I started attending Fort Wayne Bible College and then joined True Love Missionary Baptist Church. Now after 40 years here in this place, I feel like a Hoosier and the rest is history.
Edmonds: So, if I may use a familiar phrase, “Many are called but few are chosen,” how did you know that this was your calling and when did you sense it for your life?
Payton: I started attending True Love Baptist Church under Pastor Jessie White and started teaching Sunday School and the morning bible class for him and it just continued to grow. I began to feel like my calling was ministry in the pulpit, but I told God I don’t want to have anything to do with that, I’ll do whatever you want me to do but not preaching! It’s when I was sitting in a restaurant filled with young people eating fish with a friend that things started to become clearer to me. The owner/proprietor was hitting on several young girls, and I was appalled. I said to myself “how could he be doing such a thing when he should be helping young people?” I said, “I’m getting out of here right now.” It was then that I was convicted in my thoughts and where the spirit said to me “How can you be appalled by what he’s doing when I called you to preach and you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing either.” The very next day I went to church and spoke with Pastor White about it. His response was “I’ve been wondering why it’s taken you so long, young man” and that was it!”
Edmonds: Tell me how you went about defining what your mission statement would be and how this has propelled you moving forward with CAYACC?
Payton: To me it began before I became a pastor. I read a book by Lori Beth Jones and it changed my life in terms of defining what I felt that God was calling me to do. I developed a personal mission statement long before I developed a church mission statement: “I exist to recognize, inspire, and promote the purposes of God in individual and collective lives.” That became the filter of what I said yes and no to moving forward in ministry. Over the years we’ve tweaked our mission statement a bit, but the core of CAYACC remains the same: Loving HIM by serving YOU.”
Edmonds: Pastor, having a support system is particularly important to anyone that is trying to accomplish goals that they’ve set for themselves. Can you share with me how important that this has been for you in ministry?
Payton: When I first got into ministry, and I told my wife that I would only be making $25.00 a week, do you know what her response was? She said, “Tony you’ve never shared anything with me in regards to serving God that didn’t come true. So if he told you to do this then let’s do it!” I was leaving a job with great benefits, we had two kids, and she still believed enough in me to allow me to pursue my passion. For 26 years she’s stood by me in ministry, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without her.