Not Just Any Ordinary Encounter

When I first met Pastor Lindy I never thought in my wildest dreams that I will be replacing him as pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Wilmington. It happened during the summer of 1999 at the biennial convocation of the National Association of Filipino-American United Methodists at Claremont School of Theology. I was sitting in one of those big round tables eating breakfast when all of a sudden Pastor Lindy Loresco sat right beside me. He was wearing a polo shirt, blue jeans, boots, and cowboy hat. Then I began to introduce myself. I told him who I was and that I know her sister from the Philippines--Alluida Loresco Kasiguran. After our conversation he turned to the other people around the table and began talking about retirement. Even then he really wanted to go to McCullen, Texas after he was finished with ministry. The thing that strikes me today was the fact that our encounter that morning wasn't just any random encounter...it was destiny...it was something that was meant to be...something prophetic. Three years after my meeting with Pastor Lindy, God chose me to be the next pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Wilmington replacing Pastor Lindy who pastored the church for twenty-four years. Over the years I have treasured my conversation with Pastor Lindy and his phone call to me after my return to Iowa following my meeting with then Long Beach District Superintendent Rev Dr. Osmond Lindo and members of the the Staff Pastor-Parish Relations Committee of Wilmington First United Methodist Church. Praise be to God for the life of the Rev. Melanio "Lindy" Loresco Jr.