Our Dear Partners and Friends,

It is with deeply saddened hearts that we must inform you that our loving friend, Pastor Rick Pinette, member of the Jim Bakker Show Morningside Band and Pastor of Morningside Church, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, while leading the congregation in worship.  This is a loss that deeply hits home.

Our thoughts go out to his family, his wife Cheryl and daughter Olivia. Please keep them both in your prayers as they find their way through the grief from losing both husband and father.  Pastor Rick adored his family, and spoke of them as the greatest blessings God could possibly have given to him.

Rick Pinette was a 6’6”, larger than life personality, big hearted encourager. Many people have spoken the same sentiment many times,  “He believed in me and helped me to believe in myself!”

This post, written to Rick on Facebook by one of his many friends, describes how many of us here at Morningside feel about him:

“Standing next to you I always felt kind of small and childlike, until you talked to me and made me feel big and important! You taught so many people about love, peace, joy, and understanding, the spiritual side of life – the Kingdom. You fed the homeless, you encouraged the weak, and you loved the unloved – and you did it unconditionally.”

As a musician, Pastor Rick was an amazingly gifted singer and songwriter. His songs had a way of reaching directly into your heart and were inspired by his own journey with the Lord.  Worship brought him a joy that would illuminate the whole room.  He said that any song could be made into a melody to worship Jesus and somehow he ALWAYS found a way to make that happen!

Rick Pinette was so in love with Jesus that he often said that when it was time for him to go to heaven he wanted to be at the pulpit, worshiping God with all of his might. This past Palm Sunday morning, as Pastor Rick, the congregation and worship team were singing “Blessed Assurance,” hands raised in praise and love for our Lord, the angels came to take Rick home to Jesus.

A celebration of the life of Rick Pinette will be held Friday, March 25th on Grace Street at Morningside. Viewing will begin at 3:00 pm and the memorial service at 4:00pm. Please come and join us.

For those unable to join us at Morningside, you can still celebrate Pastor Rick’s life by joining us via our Live Stream.

Morningside will truly miss this amazing man of God! And I will miss my friend. But let us rejoice together in knowing Pastor Rick Pinette, our wonderful and faithful friend is with Jesus!

Love,

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation purchase of God, Born of His Spirit washed in His Blood.

This is my story this is my song, Praising my savior all the day long;
This is my story this is my song, Praising my savior all the day long;

Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

This is my story this is my song, Praising my savior all the day long;
This is my story this is my song, Praising my savior all the day long;

Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.