I just heard that Billy Joe Daugherty, the founding Pastor at Victory Christian Center died this morning.
I never went to his church, but listened to his commercial mini-sermons on local television for years. He was amazing. I loved the way he could take simple messages and tie them to each of our lives. At first, I was annoyed by him interrupting my morning preaching at me, sometimes evn turning the television off when he came on. I just am stubborn about faith and want to do it myself, and have to argue with other people's interpretation of everything, including religion.
Then I started hearing his words, While I still didn't agree or even understand all his messages, I became a fan of the way he said it. His tone, his flow, his endings were all poetic in ways that weren't fought by me anymore. While we had completely different opinions, I appreciated, even looked forward to his tv spots.
I wish that whatever faith finds our heart and mind, that we would want to embrace it and be able to explain it as he did. He was a credit to everything he believed in.
Billy Joe Daugherty will be missed.
Many lives have been changed and will be changed because of this gentle soul.
RIP, Billy Joe.