Frederick Douglas Haynes III, senior pastor at Friendship-West Baptist Church, has returned to resume his pastoral and leadership duties following a temporary medical leave, the church said in a letter to its members.
The pastor had announced a temporary leave of absence after a medical diagnosis in September, although neither he or the church disclosed the ailment Haynes was being treated for.
He was scheduled to undergo surgery and spent some weeks in recovery.
“We give all glory to God for guiding our pastor through this time of recovery and bringing us all into a new season of faith and forward movement,” the Oct. 18 letter to the church members said.
In a recorded video message posted on the church’s Youtube channel, Haynes said, “God has brought me from a mighty long way.”
He thanked his community for all the prayers and the love that his colleagues showed him during his recovery.
“I have felt prayed for in dark painful moments,” Haynes said in the video.
Friendship-West pastor Frederick Haynes III returns to pulpit after medical leave
