Reverend Walker turns away from accounting to embrace calling to preach
Reverend Phil Walker, the pastor of Ridgecrest Baptist Church for almost 30 years, is from a small town in Mississippi. Raised as a Baptist, Reverend Walker never felt quite committed to religion, until God called him to become a pastor.
He grew up in Independence, an unincorporated town in Tate County located 11 miles east of Coldwater on Highway 305.
Reverend Walker was graduated from Independence High School in 1970, and received an associate’s degree in business from Northwest Community College.
It was during his freshman year at Northwest he felt the calling to be a pastor.
“As a young man, my freshman year of college at the community college, I sensed a strong spiritual calling. But, just felt like I would make a better accountant than I would a preacher… Had it all mapped out.
“I thought, ‘I can’t be like that — wear a tie, be strict, always dressed up and proper. That’s just never been me.”
It was the summer after his freshman year Reverend Walker finally found peace with his calling.
“I struggled my freshman year, and (after that) I went to a youth revival in my church. It was at that youth revival that it was almost an irresistible call. So, the summer after my freshman year, I surrendered to the call.”
At the youth revival, Reverend Walker said the speaker was a relatable young man who discussed his calling to Christianity.
“Of course, it was a young man speaking, and he talked about the dramatic conversion he had had to become a Christian, not (just) a preacher. He just talked about how he had run from the Lord, and how much peace he had once he finally quit running. And I had no peace. I was a believer, but I was not a committed believer.”
But after some inner debate, Reverend Walker realized it was better to give into the call and have peace rather than struggle.
After that summer, he completed the degree and then continued to Mississippi College, where he was graduated with a bachelor’s in biblical studies.
He also has a master’s in biblical studies from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate of philosophy from Columbia Pacific University.
Reverend Walker began his religious career as a youth pastor.
“Again, I just didn’t see myself as a pastor… But my first pastorate was in Thompson Baptist Church (in
Smithdale). From Thompson, I went to Leakesville First Baptist Church. That’s between Hattiesburg and Mobile.
Then I went to First Baptist Church in Summit. And then I’ve been here for 27.5 years.”
What drew Reverend Walker to Ridgecrest Baptist Church was their uniqueness.
“I wanted to come to a nontraditional church. It was meeting in a gym… They were willing to try some new things that the younger generation (would be drawn to), you know, some changes in worship — changes not in the message but in the way that you reach people.”
Reverend Walker felt the church was small and open to leadership, and the church had been searching for a pastor for two years at the time.
“I felt like if I could go into a situation like that, they would be willing to follow, even if I seemed a little crazy.”
In his work, Reverend Walker tries to be biblical instead of traditional.
“That’s a big thing with me… A lot of times we’re traditional, we don’t even think about what the Bible says when we’re doing stuff. It’s just something that’s been passed down. That’s any organization, but especially with churches.”
Reverend Walker’s favorite thing about being a pastor is preaching and creating relationships.
“Usually, you know, your favorite part is what you feel most comfortable doing… But my favorite part of pastoring is the preaching, but it’s also relationships with people in your church. It’s hard to separate those two. They kind of intertwine, even… You’re not a good preacher if you don’t have the relationships, you know, if you don’t earn the right to speak into somebody’s life.”
After preaching for 40 years, Reverend Walker said he doesn’t even really get nervous anymore.
“Something would be wrong if you still didn’t have a few butterflies. Do I get nervous? Not really, but I have a few butterflies, wanting to make sure I’ve prepared properly and am saying the right thing. It’s a big responsibility to say you’re speaking for the Lord, so you always have that anticipation of, ‘Did I do enough study?’ ”
For the reverend, however, those relationships that he cherishes come with challenges and struggles.
“The hardest part is when an extreme tragedy strikes a family, especially if it involves either a teenager or a child. Whether it’s illness or death or whatever… When there’s no rational reason for something… Things that just don’t make any sense. Those are the toughest, especially when it involves young people.”
But through those hardships, Reverend Walker finds comfort in his time at Ridgecrest Baptist, where he’s created lasting relationships for almost 30 years.
“I’m a blessed man to have been able to stay in the same church for this long and to be able to stay a part of peoples’ lives that long to see the Lord to a lot of changing in all of our lives.”
Reverend Walker and his wife, Jodi, have two daughters: Brittany (and Ramsey) Bell and Lori (and Craig) Kinsley. They also have five grandchildren.
