Bobby and I just recently flew in from Haiti for a special event. Our pastor, Reverend Joe Ronsisvalle, has been preaching now for 60 years at Rockledge Christian Center. And he just turned 90! We are so proud of him being faithful all these years. Someone told us today that the record for a pastor preaching at the same church is 57 years, so Pastor Joe has done a great job!

I actually met Bobby under a gospel tent when I was 17 and he was 18. We were having a Valentine’s Banquet at our church, so I invited Bobby. After the banquet, he asked me to marry him and I said, “Yes!” (But we waited two years to “try the spirits!!” Ha!) So, Bobby and I have had Pastor Joe as our pastor since then. We were married in his church, and he performed the ceremony, along with Bobby’s pastor, Pastor Pinkney.

When we were first married, Bobby came to Pastor Joe and told him that he wanted to preach in a church. Pastor Joe told Bobby that “if he wanted to preach so badly to get a soapbox and a bullhorn and go to the poor African American projects, outside, under the stars!” He was trying to let Bobby know that we must start preaching with the poor first, “if” we are really called. About a week later, Pastor Joe heard a loud noise and the sound of a horn and lots of commotion down the street. He got in his car and there was Bobby, on the soapbox, preaching!

Pastor Joe and his church have supported us all these years since we moved to Haiti. He is from a large Italian family of 11 kids! All of them Christians! Now, most of his family has gone to be with the Lord and he has turned the church over to a young man, who has a “Joshua” spirit. Pastor Joe is still there, working around the church, doing what needs to be done. He loves God so much that he can be happy mowing the yard or raking the leaves! We are honored to have grown up under his ministry.

Bobby and Sherry