After a summer break, members of Priority Associates met last week for their monthly luncheon at Bentwinds Country Club in Fuquay to hear Russ Andrews who founded Finding Purpose Ministry, a marketplace outreach ministry discuss in detail life as it is today.

A former Merrill Lynch Stockbroker, Andrews explained how he followed God’s leading to walk away from the business world, attend Southeaster Baptist Seminary, and then founded Finding Purpose Ministry, a marketplace outreach ministry where he currently leads 2 Bible studies drawing approximately 500-plus men and women.

It was in 2003 when Andrews, along with 12 other businessmen, formed Finding Purpose as a ministry targeted for men. He explained how they hoped others come to know God through a relationship worth Jesus Christ, so they might discover for themselves the meaning and purpose of life.

On pamphlets he left on the tables of his guests noted, he spent nearly 20 years on the brokerage industry achieving a high level of professional and personal success. But, during the 1990s, as the pamphlets noted, he said God began working on his heart. “He began showing Russ the importance of building up treasures in heaven rather than on earth,” the article said. “It was through a men’s bible study that Russ began to grow stronger in his faith and came to understand that walking with God involves sacrificed. So, in the summer of 1999, he decided to follow God’s call to full time ministry and enrolled in Southeaster Baptist Theological Seminary. In the years since graduation, God has affirmed Russ’s decision to follow his direction by establishing Finding Purpose and drawing men to Him through this growing ministry.”

His talk at the Priority meeting dealt with findings in reading the book of Revelation, citing account of Jesus as He really is in all of his glory. “Jesus was and is my God,” he told his audience. “Reading Revelations is to see more clearly and understanding about the future and where the world is going. Citing Psalm 1:1-3,” Andrews said:

“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near!”

Priority’s next scheduled meeting will be November 3 when the speaker will be Marty Dupree, former banker, who left the business world to go to seminary. He is now Director of Evangelism for the N.C. State Baptist convention.