Melissa Small supports her husband, Rusty, in his ministry as a pastor at Liberty Baptist Church while raising her 2 boys, James and Thomas. She also serves as the women’s ministry leader and on the worship team at her church. She has a passion for women growing deeper in their knowledge of God’s Word and fostering a supportive Christian community among women. A doctorate in Education and Christian Leadership aids in accomplishing these goals through teaching, mentoring, and Bible study.
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:20-21
I was fortunate enough to know someone who truly lived out this Christian ideal and left a legacy discipling others to do the same. Mary Ann Matthews is her name. Her husband Don Matthews served faithfully for the SBCV as an area missionary for nearly a decade. Mary Ann served faithfully by his side investing in pastor’s wives until their retirement upon which time they joined their daughter and her family at our church. Mary Ann came at a pivotal time in my life and discipled me to show me the deep love of Christ she knew without a doubt. Mary Ann served with love and laughter and both were contagious. We served well together in the Sunday school class because we both loved bringing ladies together in community. Mary Ann had all kinds of ideas. She had me doing luaus, cruises, and Christmas parties, all by converting the church fellowship hall into a getaway with decorations, music, food, games, and laughter.
I am so grateful for the way Mary Ann poured into me and many, many others. I still have the cards she wrote to me and sent in the mail. I remember she served whether she was well or not. She once brought me a meal when I had just had a baby right before her own shoulder surgery. She had to have been in immense pain, but she came with a smile on her face and brought love, grace, and a fun story to leave me with as I was in the throes of very early motherhood, sleepless nights, showerless, and out of touch with reality. Everyone should have a Mary Ann in their life. Everyone should leave a portion of Jesus in the lives of others as Mary Ann did. Mary Ann loved well and because of that, people listened to what she taught, believed what she said about them, and in turn tried to do and be the same a little more to others.
Mary Ann never met a stranger and always had Jesus and His love on her mind to share with others, praying for and with them. Mary Ann is with the Jesus she loves now. She did not grow weary in well-doing and she would say, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Mary Ann has been on my mind increasingly since she met her Savior in February of this year. Mary Ann’s health faded, and our interactions were fewer. But her words and actions have come back to me as though yesterday. Mary Ann, thank you for your legacy living and thank you for being a Christ follower, discipler and evangelist. I have shared God’s love with others more because seeing you do so over and over with complete strangers made an example for me to follow. I am now serving on the Ministry Wives team to encourage other pastor’s wives which was also a passion of hers and a hope she had to see a ministry flourish for Pastor’s Wives through the SBCV. Her labor in the Lord is not in vain and neither is yours! May we all pass on truth and an example to others to praise Christ’s name who is worthy of honor, glory and sharing with others, forever and ever, Amen!
