LELAND - Farming is about to become the second bookend of Pastor Jon Doler’s life once he steps down from church leadership at First Baptist Church. Back in the mid 1960s, he had every intention of continuing in the family business but Doler’s father outlined the hardship and sacrifice that choosing that path would bring. Instead, he took a 40-plus year detour planting seeds of a different sort. “I’ve only been pastor of three churches during my call and I’ve been at Leland First Baptist since 1988,” he said. “Before that I was at First Baptist Church in Raleigh for eight years and before that at Adton for three years.”
Following his father’s advice, Doler enrolled at Mississippi College in Clinton and received a degree in religious studies and history. He would later complete a Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry Degrees at New Orleans Theological Seminary. “I grew up in the church and my call to ministry grew out of respect that Ihad for my pastor back in the 1960s,” Doler explained. “I started preaching at my high school and was leaning towards teaching and coaching football when my dad advised me to choose something other than farming.”
But, somehow, like the call to preach, the urge to get back to the land is something that is deep in Doler’s spirit. Much of his retirement will be spent, “working on my family’s tree farm that my grandfather purchased back in the 1930s.”
Doler and his late wife, Scotti have three adult children, Adrea, Scott and Jondelyn and five grandchildren. He also said that spending more time with his grandchildren will be high on the priority list along with delving deep into passion for woodworking.
After 35 years of providing Leland First Baptist stable and spirit-lead leadership to say that Doler will be missed is an understatement. “I would like to think that my sermons and leadership style have been pastoral, nurturing and encouraging,” he said. “I’ve always taken the calling as one of an under shepherd that is there to feed the congregagation.”
The feeling is mutual in that Doler will miss the people of Leland and this part of the Delta as well. He describes the Christian in this region as, “so real…people of deep faith who don’t necessarily wear their religion on their sleeve, wear the hat, tags or bumper stickers. But they live out their faith.”
Perhaps, there will be a time when Doler happens back to the area a time or two. Although he plans never to pastor a church again, he will make himself available as a supply clergy when churches need a temporary messneger. The parting pastor has some parting words of encouragement. “My favorite Scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6,” he said. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding,” he said. “It gives me strength in my faith.”
