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December 2002 Table of Contents
Cover Story
Painting For The Glory Of God
By Wesley Dickmann
After serving 25 years as Minister of Music/Associate Pastor and working full-time for AT&T, Wesley Dickmann and his wife, Helen, felt God leading them to resign their current church. After doing so, God began to reveal to Wesley that he was still going to use his singing to minister to people, although with a slightly different stroke.
Psalm 46:10 A Closed Door
"I retired in 1996 after 32 years of service with AT&T. At last, I felt I would be able devote my time to art and my beloved church music. Art became my second vocation, for I was serving bi-vocationally as Associate Pastor and Minister of Music. After being at Central Baptist Church in Trussville, Alabama for 10 years, God began dealing with me about leaving the church. I said, "Lord, I love it here, and I would really like to retire some day from this church." That's when I began the battle between doing God's will and doing my will. Sometimes we become so comfortable we lose focus of what's important. Ministry can become a job and routine, leaving God out. We can be in God's will wherever we serve, but we may be out of His perfect will. I began to pray, "God if you want me to leave, let another church call me." The next day, three churches contacted me: Methodist, Presbyterian, and Assembly of God; even then, God was giving me a vision of things to come that I didn't understand. Later an Independent Church and two Southern Baptist churches asked for my resume. Still, I wasn't convinced to leave. (Judges 6:37-40) Helen, my wife was ready to leave five years earlier, but I didn't feel released. Sometimes the Lord works through our wives and we don't listen to them either. I finally typed my resignation, and on April 22nd, which was my tenth anniversary, I was going to read it after the morning worship. Before I had a chance to open my envelope, the chairman of the Deacons wanted to say something. As the Chairman of the Deacons read a letter of praise for 10 years of service, presented Helen with roses, gave us a plaque noting our faithful service, and presented a gift certificate with the word they hoped it would be ten more years. I didn't have the intestinal fortitude to read my letter. Leaving friends, seeing young people grow up, marry, and have children of their own made it more difficult to leave. God had different plans for our lives."
Jeremiah 33:3 A Step of Faith
"More churches called. God was still calling, speaking in that still, small voice, but I wasn't heeding. I finally made up my mind to resign in November, when a tornado struck our church and we had to meet in another location for three months. I felt it wouldn't be a good time to leave so I filed my letter away again. In December, we had a family get-together, and our oldest son, who is a Baptist pastor, talked to us about God's will and our service to Him. All of our children advised us to resign. Our son said, "Dad there is never a good time to leave. Something will always happen to make you believe you should stay." So, I took the advice of God and family. By this time, we had turned down several churches. We had no place to go. Helen and I took a step of faith. I turned in my resignation, and gave the church a six-week notice, because I still wanted to be of help.
Stepping out in faith was the hardest part. I have been a minister of music for most of my life, answering that call in 1964, and I have been an artist since I was a child in Missouri. This new call from God on my life involved the blending of both vocations. After resigning my position at Central Baptist, I was retired with no place to go, really. I just stepped out on faith, and God opened the door for me to do painting. And He is continuing to open doors for us. It is very humbling.
My church family knew that I was an artist and had seen me paint once for a Carpenters for Christ luncheon. The finished painting was auctioned off for $500, with the money being donated to the group. Knowing this, they asked if I would do a painting for the church before I left. On Sunday, December 30th 2001, with background music playing by musician Kim Cannon, I did my first painting service, sang a song called The Brush, and gave a testimony of God's love and using our talents for Him. The pastor of the church we were meeting in saw me paint and asked if I had thought of doing this as a ministry. I said, "Not really."
Isaiah 40:31 A New, Unique Ministry!
"Doors for music ministry that had opened were now closed. Many times, I looked so long at a door that was closed that I couldn't see the one that was opened before me. After leaving our church, other churches of varying denominations began calling me to do painting services. God wants to break down denominational and racial barriers and for us to truly worship Him. God had taken two things I loved and molded them in a new ministry, Painting Evangelism. Lives are changed, and people find new meaning and purpose in what God wants them to do. I try to encourage people to use gifts God has given them for His Glory. My life is an unfinished painting that will become a masterpiece of His great love. It's not me, the music, or the painting, it's just God. In less than a year, I have had the opportunity to be featured on TBN, ABC, and an art newsletter. Several newspaper articles have termed my ministry the 'Silent Sermon.' I know God speaks through the silence. Psalms 46:10 says, 'Be still and know that I am God.' We get so busy in the ministry that many times our quiet times become routine. Many times, we can't hear, because we don't listen. If we treated our spouses like we treat God, would our marriages last? God deserves our best!
Although I had attended Famous Artist School in Westport, Connecticut in 1968, I didn't begin this current style of painting until fifteen years ago. I learned 'wet-on-wet' style of oil painting from schools run by the late Bob Ross, and I am certified as teacher by both the Ross and Alexander Schools. I teach oil painting classes at local art stores and in my home studio-Happy Heart Studio, in Springville, Alabama. I have been blessed to have had the privilege of studying with many nationally known artists, and God is continually opening doors for me to share not only my love of music, but also my love of painting."
What began a couple of years ago as a sacrifice of love has brought Wesley to a place where he understands that God is totally in control of every circumstance."
"I said, 'Lord, here are my hands. I want you to take my hands and use them.' Many exciting things have happened these past few months, and I know God works in mysterious ways. A year ago, I would have laughed at the thought of myself painting as being used as a soul winning tool, and a ministry, but God uses the unusable, and the things we don't understand for His glory.
Every day we wake up to a new sunrise God has painted on the canvas of our world. How do we receive it? We all look back at the past and wish we could change things in our lives. Jesus died on Calvary to take care of our past. What will we do with our future? As an artist, I can correct a mistake with the single stroke of my brush. God does the same for us with the blood of our Lord and Savior. What an awesome God we serve."
Wes combines art, music and religion as deftly as he mixes the colors on his palette. In less than thirty minutes, while inspirational background music is being played, Wes paints. Moment by moment, images that seem to be inspired by the music begin to appear in oils on the canvas. His presentation is concluded as he sings a song entitled The Brush. The song describes life as a canvas and advises "giving the brush back to Jesus."
"The Lord uses my testimony in word, painting, and song, blended together to create a message of inspiration for people to use the gifts God has given to all of us, if we will only surrender to His will," Wes states.
Wesley and Helen have 4 children and 18 grandchildren. Wesley is available for worship services, senior groups, banquets, revivals, conferences, and retreats. Contact Information: Happy Heart Studio and Ministries, Wesley and Helen Dickmann, 105 Pearl Lake Road, Springville, AL, 35146. Phone: (205)467 - 7766. Email: happyheartstudio@juno.com.
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