November - December 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel
Darrell Estep BSA Board Member
The Lord blessed me greatly by allowing me to be born
into a Sabbath keeping home on Thanksgiving day,
1939. My mother's family had accepted the Sabbath when
she was a teenager. My father's family has honored the
Sabbath and made it the focal point of their lives for
more generations than I know of. Family lore tells us
that though the Oklahoma land rush commenced on a
Sabbath, the Estep's waited until Sunday to go. As a
result, the Lord provided them with good land to
homestead.
My father, Art Estep, founded and pastored the Church of
God, 7th Day in Port Orchard, Washington. Our children
all grew up in this church and we still attend today. I
have never wavered in my resolve to observe this Sabbath
that was passed down to me as a very special gift.
For many years after my Dad died I shared pulpit duties
at our local congregation, even though I have never felt
a call to the ministry. I see my role as more of an
administrator and parliamentarian. I have also been
called upon to speak at camp meeting in Meridian, Idaho
and at several congregations around the US and Canada.
It has been a special blessing to me to speak boldly
about the seventh day Sabbath and see the acceptance of
it by those with whom I share it. After I did a seven
week series on The Sabbath from the pulpit, things
seemed to change in the congregation. I believe that
keeping the seventh day Sabbath is key to accepting the
LORD as the Creator of the universe. Establishing the
seventh day Sabbath was the LORD's first statute. He
rested the seventh day and made it Holy. He never ever
took Sabbath away or reduced its significance to
mankind.
When the LORD sent to our congregation a Messianic Jew
(who was raised orthodox) to be our pastor, nobody was
more pleased than I. We had no idea what the LORD had in
store for us as a congregation. For me this was a
fulfillment of what the Church of God had taught since
my youth-Jews and Gentiles worshiping together. Our
congregation outgrew our church building in two
years. We now meet in the local Nazarene Church on
Sabbath mornings. The service is Messianic in style and
includes Jewish liturgy. Well studied people from all
congregational backgrounds fellowship with us. We are
finding that there are blocks of scripture that we have
not studied extensively. This we are now doing by
following an annual Torah Study schedule.
I married Helen Ellis when I was 20, after becoming
acquainted with her at the Meridian, Idaho camp meeting
in 1958. She, too, is from a Sabbath keeping home. When
she was born, the Ellis family attended the Eugene,
Oregon church pastored by Herbert W. Armstrong. Her
parents, Claude and Velma Ellis, were musicians for
Mr. Armstrong's original radio ministry. Mr. Ellis, also
a minister, and Mr. Armstrong parted company in the
early 1940's, and in 1944 the Ellis family moved to
California. Mr. Ellis also had radio ministries in
Eugene, Or., Yuba City, California and in Lodi,
California.
Keeping the Sabbath and serving the LORD has been center
to Helen's and my household. We raised five
children. When they were teenagers and we had six cars
coming and going every direction to school, jobs,
errands, church, etc.. Friday night was looked forward
to, as house rules dictated that everyone was to be home
for dinner. We went to church as a family. Today all
five are married to wonderful spouses that love the LORD
and all their households are doing their best to serve
HIM as they interpret scripture. We have thirteen
grandchildren ranging in age from one to 13, six of whom
have been baptized. We love to be together as a
family. Life does not get any better than to have your
loved ones close by and enjoy the love they have for
each other.
I am now retired from a professional career. After two
years of college I went to work at the Boeing Company as
a draftsman. I worked in the new business offices of the
Aero-Space division, supporting the best engineers and
managers in the industry. Later I worked for a vice
president and was selected to teach in a company
sponsored drafting training program at the community
college from which I had graduated. This six
month job lasted for nearly three years.
In 1970 I was laid off, along with 70,000 other
folks. At this point we had four children aged four to
ten. We decided that I would return to college to
complete two more degrees. With these in hand, I was
hired back at the college as an administrator, 32 years
of age, with five children. For the next three years my
task was to set up a comprehensive community college
curriculum in one of the State's adult male prisons. I
then moved to the campus to head the Division of
Business and Engineering Related Occupations, also
acting as Assistant to the Dean of Instruction.
In 1985 I requested to be assigned to the classroom and
taught a comprehensive computer aided design curriculum
with up to 100 students. The last two years 100% of my
graduates went to work earning good salaries at some
very prestigious firms. The LORD sent me the very best
students. We shared our love for HIM, if they brought it
up. I prayed with them when their brothers and friends
were in Desert Storm. I cried with them when they had
their personal tragedies. Some of them walked more
boldly in their faith as a result. I retired at age 58
with the title "professor." My speciality is engineering
drawing and computer aided design, in both two
dimensional and solids modelling.
Helen and I just purchased 13 acres of fenced pasture
that grows grass up to my shoulders, has a year around
stream that puts out a steady flow of water and has an
area for a pond. Our goal is to establish a home where
we can serve the LORD in a special way.
In my spare time, I draw plans for homes and
churches. One of the companies I draw for produces
prefab homes using a patented construction system. This
company just shipped four homes to China and one to
Vermont. Currently I am working on some plans for
Mexico. And there is a rumor that Venezuela is on the
next task list.
Helen and I attended our first ever Feast of Tabernacles
this Fall. Last November we visited Israel and will we
never be the same. When I walked out of the plane and
placed my foot on HIS promised land, I wept. We are
committed to aid in the return of HIS people to the
PROMISED LAND and, along with our church, support
several organizations who are bringing Jews out of
Russia and other countries and returning them to Israel.
Although I have been a member of the Church of God, 7th
Day all my life, I consider myself a member of the True
Church of God, as outlined in the New Testament. Members
of other seventh day fellowships are considered brothers
and sisters in the Lord.
TSS
November - December 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel
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