When I was in College in 1977, I
attended a Bible Study in Atlanta, Georgia at Griffin Middle School.
It was called the Metro Bible
Study.
Charles “Dad” Ellis had started this Bible Study in his basement, and it
had grown to be over a thousand people.
When I found out that the Pat Terry
Group played there at that Bible Study, I began to attend.
Here is Pat Terry on http://www.youtube.com/.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvArggcjtQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WZzsz55WHk&feature=related
The teacher, Dan Dehaan, whom I didn’t know beforehand, was in his early thirties.
Here is Pat Terry on http://www.youtube.com/.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvArggcjtQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WZzsz55WHk&feature=related
The teacher, Dan Dehaan, whom I didn’t know beforehand, was in his early thirties.
As I attended the Bible Study, Dan
made a friendship with a linebacker on the Atlanta Falcons named Greg Brezina.
Dan was later asked to be the team
chaplain for the Atlanta Falcons through his relationship with Greg.
The starting quarterback at the time was Steve
Bartkowski, who was the first overall NFL draft pick in 1975. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bartkowski
During the time that Dan Dehaan was the Champlain of the Atlanta Falcons, Quarterback; Steve Bartkowski had a difficult year, and was benched in favor of Quarterback, June Jones. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Jones .
June who was a Christian told Steve
that he was going to start until Steve got right with the Lord.
Shortly thereafter, Steve became a
Christian, and eventually retook his starting position.
After Steve came to the Lord, there
was a revival on the Atlanta Falcons, and the Falcons began to win.
In 1980, the Falcons made it all
the way to the NFC Title Game where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys.
While Dan taught the Metro Bible Study at Griffin Middle School, it eventually outgrew their auditorium.
While Dan taught the Metro Bible Study at Griffin Middle School, it eventually outgrew their auditorium.
At that time, the Bible Study was moved to the
First Baptist Church of Smyrna, Georgia.
Then, Dan began to take pilot’s
lessons, and planned to teach a second Metro Bible Study in Tupelo,
Mississippi.
During the summer of 1982, Dan
crashed his airplane right off Highway 72 near Paint Rock just east of
Huntsville, Alabama.
When Dan came up missing, Dad Ellis
and some of the guys from the Metro Bible Study drove up to North Alabama, and
searched until they found Dan’s body.
Dan had made arrangements to take over the summer of 1982 off with John Riley http://www.johnsriley.com/ teaching for him.
Dan had made arrangements to take over the summer of 1982 off with John Riley http://www.johnsriley.com/ teaching for him.
After Dan’s death, John Riley
taught the Bible Study for several years.
Under John, It eventually outgrew the
First Baptist Church of Smyrna and was then moved to Mt. Paran Church of God.
Later, it was moved again to Mt.
Paran’s North campus where it could seat several thousand people.
Before Dan’s death at 33 years of
age, Dan wrote a biography for Steve Bartkowski called “Intercepted by Christ”.
Dan was a gifted speaker, and had a
passion for the Lord.
While Dan Dehaan taught the Metro Bible Study, Andy Stanley http://www.northpoint.com/ occasionally attended.
While Dan Dehaan taught the Metro Bible Study, Andy Stanley http://www.northpoint.com/ occasionally attended.
I believe that Dan’s teaching had
and still has a great influence upon Andy Stanley’s teaching and approach.
If anyone out there still has any
of Dan Dehaan’s teaching tapes.
Please put them on Youtube.com.
Dan should not be forgotten, and
I’d like to listen in.
Here is Dan Dehaan's replacement, John Riley speaking years later on http://www.godtube.com/.
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=JMJJFCNU (Part 1)
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D6LW6GNX (Part 2)
Here is Dan Dehaan's replacement, John Riley speaking years later on http://www.godtube.com/.
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=JMJJFCNU (Part 1)
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=D6LW6GNX (Part 2)
