By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services

Everyone has a story.

Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s Tony Taglavore takes to lunch a local person—someone well-known or influential—and asks, “What’s Your Story?”         

You know how the story goes.

A child is raised in church and lives a straight and narrow upbringing. The parents are strict and don’t allow much. Entering adulthood, the young man or woman goes to seminary school and before you know it, is standing at the pulpit, preaching to his or her own congregation.

Yeah, this isn’t that story.

This is John Fream’s story—make that Pastor John Fream’s story. Up until 1991, his life consisted of too much drinking (“I was a beer guy”) and too much cussing.

“In 1991, (going to college and working for Delta Air Lines) was the only thing going well in my life,” John said. “Nothing else was going well. I was not a good friend. I was not a good husband. My life was just a mess. I would lay down at night, I would put my head down and go to sleep, and I had no peace. I just didn’t have any peace. I didn’t know what peace was — I just knew something was missing in my life.”

In his 15th year leading Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, John chose Newk’s Eatery in Bossier City to tell me his story. John ordered the Newk’s Favorite salad, while I had the Southern salad. The married (Darla, 35 years) father of two (Megan, Brad) and grandfather of one (Rhett) looks tan and at ease. His casual attire of a wrinkle-free, black shirt that isn’t made to tuck in, dark khaki pants, and white tennis shoes, fits his relaxed personality.

“I learned a long time ago to not take yourself too seriously…I’m not that important. I’m not that big a deal.”

However, Easter Sunday 32 years ago was a big deal. Each week, Darla would ask her husband to go with her to church. Each week, John’s answer was the same. “Nope.”

But that week—that Sunday—John was moved to say, “Yes.”

“I went and it changed my life. I gave my life to Christ that morning and haven’t missed church since. It was an absolute life change for me. I laid down that night, went to sleep, and thought, ‘Ok, this is what’s been missing. I’ve been missing peace. I’ve been at odds with God my whole life and didn’t know it. But now, I’m at peace with him.”

Growing up the youngest of four children (three sisters, one brother) in Midwest City, Oklahoma, John’s   family didn’t go to church.

“We weren’t anti-God. As a matter of fact, we were God-fearing, we thought, but we just didn’t go to church. That just wasn’t something we did.”

John’s mother was a secretary. John’s father was a machinist in the oil and gas industry, and later started his own courier company.

“He was one of those guys that just knew how to work. He wasn’t a great businessman, but he could outwork anybody. He just worked all the time.”

But their father-son relationship was limited.

“I was very close to my mom. My dad and I didn’t get along. He loved cars and hot rods. He and my brothers were always rebuilding cars. I have no mechanical abilities. I loved sports. My dad hated sports. He thought they were a waste of time. I lived for sports.”

In high school, Fream suited up for just about all sports — football, baseball, basketball, and wrestling. His senior year, Fream’s pigskin team won the 6A state championship. For three years, Fream’s quarterback was Mike Gundy, the current and longtime Oklahoma State head coach.

“I was trying to put on weight and bulk up for football and wrestling. I had a set of clothes for football, then I would go to wrestling and have a whole other set of clothes, because I would immediately have to drop 20-25 pounds. I would play at 215, and I would wrestle at 195.”

John — who looks like he has a couple of plays left in him — began college at the University of Oklahoma, before transferring to — and graduating from — Southern Nazarene University with a marketing degree. He and Darla met on a blind date. However, there were a couple of questions Darla wanted answered before the relationship went much further.

“’Are you a Christian?’ I said, ‘Well, of course I am a Christian.’ She said, ‘Ok, would you go to church with me?’ I said, ‘Sure. Will you go out with me?’ She said, ‘Yes, as long as you to church and you are a Christian, I will.”

They eventually married (he was 19, she was 18) while still in school and working to make ends meet.

“We were dumb and poor and young, and all that includes.”

But once Darla committed to John, John de-committed from his promise.

“Instantly, I quit going to church. I’ve got you now. I don’t have to go to church.”

Every Sunday, Darla would worship God, and John would worship the golf course. Until that Easter morning.

“It was just a typical Easter sermon — the Gospel. (The preacher) didn’t have to convince me I was a sinner. I knew that. He didn’t have to convince me that Jesus died on the cross for me. I believed that. I wasn’t raised in church, but I was raised that God is good. Jesus is good. But it was never personal for me…When I accepted Christ and said, ‘I want your forgiveness. I want you to come in and take over my life, it changed everything. When I say ‘everything’, my wife literally got a new husband that day — and she will tell you that.”

Eventually, John was called to ministry. He served 10 years as a youth pastor, before leading his first congregation, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

“I took a little church that was dying and had voted to quit existing…The first Sunday, there were 35 people there. Within about two years, we were running 300-350 people.”

John says his third church — Cypress Baptist — is one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the state. So many years removed from his non-pastor ways, John is grateful for the direction God has led him.

“I still can’t believe I get to do this for a living. I am humbled. I still can’t believe on Sunday mornings that people come to church and that they want to hear me. They’re not coming to hear me preach. They’re coming to hear from the Lord. But I’m still in awe that I get to stand there and do this.”

And at 55 years old, John thinks he will keep preaching for a while longer.

“I know me. I know where I was. Praise God for where I am now. I’m not what I used to be. God is not through with me. I’ve still got more to go. I learned a long time ago that there’s nothing special about me over anybody in that congregation., except that I have a calling in my life.”

Having finished lunch, I asked my final question. As always, “What is it about your story that can be an inspiration to others?”

“I hope my love for the Lord, and love for people, is contagious. I hope people say he really does love the Lord…I hope to influence people that way. Love God and love each other the way the scripture wants us to. The way the Lord wants to empower us to do.”

Do you know someone who has a story to tell? Contact Tony at: SBJTonyT@gmail.com

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