This is my wife Lori & I at our church Valentines Day Party 2005. 

In a small town called Ringgold, Georgia there is a place called Camp Canaan. This is a place away from the cares of the world. Twice a year peopel from all over East Tennessee & Georgia go for a week at a time. It is hosted by one of the Greatest Men of God Living today, James Langston. He is true blue, The camp though very simple in mans eyes is so extravegant to those who see it through the eyes of faith. One dorm room for the ladies, One for the men, a Fellowship hall and of course The Tabernacle. The Tabernacle, my what good times have been had under it. It is there the God meets with His people in a mighty way, Usually there are at least twenty preachers each week, and many singers cross the stage. I'm telling you about this because of the tabernacle's floor. You guessed it Saw Dust! Shavings is a more correct term, but by the end of the week the shaving look like saw dust. Hot, bug infested, and sometimes soaking wet, but people always come back year after year to to spend some time away from thier jobs, and the world and to find a renewed sense of worship. Without fail evry year that I have been for the week, as I go back to my Home church, it just seems like God is more real. It's not a compound, it's not a cult, its a place for the people of God to go and have good food, fellowship, fun, and get closer to God. I've seen preachers preach in the shavings with sweat and tears running down their cheeks, shirts soaked, ties drenched, and voices stripped, but they keep on keepin' on. Folk get "Drunk" on the Holy Ghost and some shout, some sing, some cry, some laugh, some have to run, but it all comes back under the old Tabernacle and they all Glorify God and His Son Jesus Christ. The times are in June and July a week long event, no fee's or charges, just a love offering every night. the love of God is real in that place, maybe you can come and enjoy God's blessings.

In the past month I have preached 7-9 times. I have been at my home church, a few other churches, one that is considering me as Pastor, and a youth detention center in Sevier County. I have to say that it is the most fun I've had in some time. I think back at some of the preachers of Yesteryear and the battles they fought getting from one place to another and thank I God for a fine car, A/C and good Love offerings. There've been times I've complained about running so much, but at the same time I always pray that God would continue to open doors, and bless my ministry. So as I reflect on those old Sawdust Trail Preachers, I say to myself and anyone else who will listen, "I would love to be one of those Preachers that wear everything out, body, voice, and Bible"

Since 1993, I have preached in Sefner, Tampa, Davenport, Homasassa Springs, Chiefland, Palatka, San Mateo, Lawty, and maybe a few other places in Florida, I've been in Dawsonville, Dalonaga, & Ringgold, Georgia. In Tennessee I've been in Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Morristown, Knoxville, & Seymour. I've preached three times in view of a call, two of those churches have called a Pastor, and one church is still considering me prayerfully. I have said before that a year ago I really felt in myself that I would be in evangelism, but I didn't have clear leadership from God on that. When the first call to come to a church without a Pastor, i was scared and didn't feel like God would have me Pastor, but as the servie when by I really felt God was opening the door, after that God has taken my wife and I through some things that I am sure were meant to prepare me for the Pastorate. I am still learning some things through God and will continue to learn until HE calls me home. I feel that if the current door closes, God will faithfully open a new door. I am praying that He will give this Church in West Knoxville a Man of God to be their Pastor. Whether it be me or one of the other men that have been called, as long as it is God's will I believe He will bless.

The next year was great, not a lot of struggles but there were some. For a twelve year old boy, there's not a lot of things pressing on your mind. In September-October of 1993 I was however struggling with something I thought to be very important. The Call to preach! I wanted to preach but was scared to death. At the same campmeeting in Florida my best friend told my dad and I that he felt that God was calling him to preach! He wept for a while and we tried to tell him what he needed to do, the whole time I knew what I needed to do, but this was about him I kept telling myself. Thre rest of the week God kept the calling fresh on my heart. For the next few weeks I was hoping that my friend would go to the alter to surrender but he never did, so I had no one else to put it off on, so I finally gave in and surrendered to preach. the date, November 14, 1993. That night I preached my first message, "There's always a rainbow after the storm." I'm not sure how long I preached but it felt like an hour. I was so scared, but God helped me through it.

Hello, My name is James E. Burke. For the most part everyone calls me Jamie. I was saved by God's Grace Friday April 24, 1992 in Palatka, Florida. I had just come back from a Campmeeting in Homasassa Springs, Florida where I heard Bible Preaching and Gospel singing three times a day for Three Full Days and also on Monday Night. Phil Kidd preached a few times that week and I loved his style, It was mean, he had a way of bringing things out that a young person could see and he was adoment about people getting right with God. That Friday I went to work with my Dad at Statewide Paving and started listening to a preaching tape that I bought. I listened to the tape about four or five times, I ate lunch with my mom and sister and listened to the tape again. The final time of listening to the tape I was cleaning up, to be exact I was cleaning an 1-1/4" wrench, when I felt God prick my heat and say, It's now or never. I dropped the wrench with tears in my eyes and walked to the back bumber of my dad's truck and asked God to save my soul. When I opened my eyes I looked at the clock and it was 2:20 p.m. then I realized that I had sat in a puddle of grease. That really didn't bother me, all I knew was that God had JUST saved me. I wasn't going to HELL. For the past six months I had been under conviction. In August of 1991 Jeff Plemons had been at our church and preached a revival, that's when the convicting power of God started. When I composed myself a little I went to the phone and called my Pastor Gary Munson and told him, he was on his way to see me. Then I told my Mom and we cried together a little bit. When my Pastor got there he had another preacher with him , Bro. Billy Parsons. Then my Aunt came by she was at the church when I called my Pastor and he told her.