Mark Chaney

My wife and I were living a very comfortable life in our hometown of Monroe, NC, when I clearly heard the call of God to go into ministry. I had graduated from ASU in 1986 with a business administration degree and a concentration in information systems. I was working as a programmer/analyst for a major grocery store and was making more money than I’d ever made in my life. One evening at church, two missionaries from Japan shared their testimony. That very night I heard the call from God to go into the ministry, but I chose to ignore that call. Over the next few years, I saw the Lord align things so that I would finally accept God’s will for my life.

Out of My Comfort Zone

Though I was comfortable as a programmer and analyst, I felt a desire to pursue a different job. After updating some software one day, I went to the break room and saw a newspaper on the table. I believe the Lord drew my eyes to an advertisement for a computer teacher with Union County Schools, and I called and scheduled an interview. Upon meeting with the principal, he told me they had pretty much decided on another person for the position, but added, “Something told me that I needed to talk to you…I don’t know why but I feel like the Lord’s telling me to hire you.” Mitzi had stayed home that night with our sick daughter, so when I got home, I told her that we needed to talk. Through my tears I shared about the calling I had felt seven years earlier when the missionaries from Japan spoke. Mitzi began to cry as well and revealed to me that she had felt that very same calling! We were amazed and humbled to realize that God had spoken to both of us that very night, yet we had never spoken to one another about it. Instead, we grew comfortable in our lives and pushed God aside.

Pursuing His Purpose

I went to my pastor the next day and asked what I should do in order to pursue my calling to full-time ministry. He told me I needed to go to seminary. I knew I couldn’t quit my job with a family to support, but I was determined to find a way. A few days later, he received an advertisement from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary about an extension class meeting in Charlotte. I knew this was my answered prayer. I could attend these classes in the evening and work during the day. I called about enrolling, and the receptionist told me to “show up on the first night of class with the money.” I did just that and began studying in earnest. While I attended evening classes, I continued to work for the accounting firm during the day. Sometime later, the chairman of deacons for my church called to ask if I would consider being their part-time youth pastor. After praying about it, we chose to trust God and I resigned my full-time job to serve as the youth pastor for $8,000 a year. This job allowed me to take a full load of classes and, with a great deal of perseverance, I graduated with a Masters of Divinity with Languages three years later.

God Disturbed My Comfort by Mark Chaney, Watauga County

During my time with the school system, I taught computer literacy classes to students and staff. I coached football, baseball, and wrestling, which I loved. I also taught youth Sunday school at my church, and I believed I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was comfortable. My wife and I started our family. We were blessed with a son, Christian, and a daughter, Rebekah. Life was good.

One day, out of the blue, God disturbed my comfort. A call came from the board of education that, due to teaching certification requirements that I had not met, I must either fulfill those requirements or resign. I had to leave teaching. I was lost and had no idea what I would do. Shortly thereafter, I was hired by a local accounting firm to do programming for them, but I soon felt God disrupt that comfort.

Being Obedient to the Call of God

A short time later, a new pastor was called to our church. On his first Sunday night, Pastor Don Whitener shared his testimony about how he had struggled with answering his call to the ministry. He said God said to him, “When will you be obedient to my call?” After he closed, I went down to the altar and told him about the call of God on my life, and that I felt like God was saying to me, “It’s now or never.”

God Is Faithful in Provision

During this time, Mitzi operated a home daycare to help support our family. Our meager income forced us to cut corners every way we could, but we continued to see the Lord’s provision.

One day Mitzi had to take Rebekah to the doctor for an ear infection, which resulted in a $100 bill. We knew we couldn’t pay the bill, but, when she got home, Mitzi found an envelope in the mailbox with an anonymous note that read, “God bless you” along with a money order for $125. God provided!

Over the years God provided time and again and we never lacked anything we needed. We were obedient to tithe on every cent we received. One year our giving was so out of proportion to our income that we were actually audited by the IRS. When the auditor saw our giving receipt from our church, she saw everything was okay and had nothing more to say. God continues to be faithful in His provision.

Blessings in Obedience

One day I called a former landlord in Boone, Mark McGuire, to ask about a dog for a friend. I told him I was now in youth ministry and he mentioned that his church, First Baptist Church of Boone, was looking for a youth pastor, He asked if I was interested in the position, but I told him I was not. We were comfortable. We were living and serving in our hometown with both sets of parents close by, and we couldn’t imagine taking the grandchildren away from them.

He asked me to pray about it. I told him I would, but forgot about it as soon as we got off the phone.

A few weeks later Mark called back to tell me that God wouldn’t give him peace and that he had to call me back. It was at that moment that I read the words in Genesis 12:1: “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you…’” I went on to read of the blessings God promised to Abram if he was obedient.

I looked around my perfect church office, my comfortable position, but I knew God was calling me to Boone. I chose to be obedient and accepted the position as the Associate and Youth Pastor of First Baptist Church. On my first day in the office, I was told that the senior pastor had resigned. God began to change my heart and prepare me to be a senior pastor.

During this time, a brother in ministry and I would meet regularly to pray together. I would ask him to pray that God would provide a church where I could pastor, and his request was that the Lord would send a senior pastor to his church. Little did we know that God had put us together for a divine reason.

Ben Cox was the interim pastor of Howard’s Creek and believed that I would be a good fit for them. After much prayer, I met with We use some out-of-the-ordinary methods to reach people. One example is that one of our Sunday School classes meets at Higher Grounds Coffee Shop on Sunday mornings. People wander in to listen to the discussion. The message of the gospel will never change; the truth of the Word is nonnegotiable, but the method of sharing that truth has to change to reach people today.

My desire for comfort almost caused me to miss the great blessings God had for me: Serving His people. I’m so glad He disturbed my comfort and brought me to Boone. Hey, I’m beginning to feel comfortable – better watch that.