Rev. Lance Eiland lost everything in a single day when he decided to listen to God’s call to preach.

The Church Street United Methodist Church Pastor has been in Selma for a year, but his journey here was filled with growth in his faith, and following where God led him.

“I received the call when I was 16,” he said. “I brushed it aside. I wasn’t really convicted of it until I was in college.

“I was in college in my second year, and I went to a camp retreat at the beach,” the Andalusia native said. “When you live in Andalusia, it is what you do for fun. We went to the beach, and everybody kept talking about the power of prayer.

“When I got back home, I was sitting there, and I had always known about prayer,” said Eiland. “I thought I would give it a shot. I had a job at the local power plant in Andalusia.”

At the time Eiland had a job at the power plant in Andalusia, and he prayed that if God didn’t want him to work at this job then he wouldn’t.

Eiland received his answers quickly.

“I got to work one day, and my boss called me into his office, and said that their new budget wouldn’t have a spot for a work study next year, and I was let go,” Eiland said.

To add insult to injury, Eiland found out the same day that his scholarship for school was no longer available, and his girlfriend also broke up with him all in one day.

Jobless, no money for college and single, Eiland drove to his church to speak with his friend.

“I talked to my friend and said I have two options,” he said. “One, I can either be a country song writer or a missionary.”

Eiland’s friend said he had received phone calls from the Great Orlando Baptist Association looking for summer missionaries.

“I went home and prayed about it,” said Eiland.

Eiland also tried once more to attend college after his meeting with his friend.

“My dad gave me his credit card to register for classes, and I ended up bringing the entire system to the ground,” said Eiland. “I called my friend back and said ‘I think missionary sounds good’ and he said that was good because he had already sent my information out the day before.

“I ended up going to Orlando and I experienced God in a clearer way there than I ever had before and God confirmed that call over and over again,” he said. “I did Orlando for the next two summers after that. The second summer, I got to really start preaching. I was leading a youth group, vacation bible schools and that was where God really confirmed my call in a very clear and firm way.”

Eiland references John 10:10 where Jesus tells his followers that the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus said he has come that everyone may have life and have it to the fullest.

“He (Jesus) didn’t mean life just in the kingdom to come, but life now,” Eiland said. When we run away from God we are cutting ourselves off from our own life. It is when we open ourselves up to God and he leads us somewhere where we might not have thought we were going.”

Eiland returned home as a Baptist, and began going to the Wesley Foundation in Troy. He began participating in bible studies there, and became a United Methodist.

“As far as the job goes, Baptist and United Methodist have different systems,” said Eiland. “In Baptist churches, you send out a resume, and interview. In the United Methodist Church, you don’t make your appointment, you are just sent somewhere.”

Eiland has traveled all over Alabama including Alexandria, Millbrook, Brantley, Prattville and now Selma.

“I called a friend of mine and I said that something in my spirit is just telling me that I need to go to Selma, and I don’t know what is happening,” Eiland said. “My friend said that it was the best four years of his ministry, and he said the people there are the most loving, wonderful and kindest people I have ever encountered, and he was right. The people here are just great. I couldn’t ask for a more open, caring congregation.”