An associate pastor in Nebraska is moving forward with his kidney transplant after his lead pastor agreed to donate his for the surgery.
The Bellevue Christian Center's senior associate pastor, who had been on the University of Nebraska Medical Center's (UNMC) kidney transplant list for months, is now set for a surgery on August 2 after his lead pastor was found to be a perfect donor match. Senior Associate Pastor Walter Hooker, a father of three and grandfather of seven, will push through with his kidney transplant, in which he will receive a healthy kidney from his lead pastor, Andy Kaup, also a father of three.
"Because of the faithfulness of our God, August 2, I'll be in surgery. Incredible," Pastor Hooker tearfully revealed in a video announcement that was posted on the Facebook page of the Bellevue Christian Center in Nebraska last week. "And folks, I want you to know that finding a donor is not easy."
Pastor Hooker's Health Problems
Pastor Hooker's kidneys are currently functioning at about 10%, requiring him to undergo a dialysis three times a week, the Christian Post reported. The Nebraska pastor began screening to be placed on the UNMC's kidney transplant list in June 2021. While Christians all over the country prayed for him, some 10 to 15 faithful came forward to apply and determine if they could be a donor. One of those people was Kaup.
The Nebraska lead pastor told his Assemblies of God congregation how God worked throughout the process that led him to become a kidney donor for Pastor Hooker. Pastor Kaup recounted hearing Pastor Hooker and his wife talk about "the story that God was writing, how even though things looked impossible and things looked scary," with their battle with his health.
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Pastor Kaup admired their strength as the family "continued to say, 'God's working something out in the midst of this'" despite the health struggles of Pastor Hooker. Pastor Kaup then prayed with his wife as they approached the process of finding a donor for Pastor Hooker with obedience to God no matter what He wanted to do.
As the Kaup couple had conversations, they asked God, "if there is an opportunity to be a part of this story, then we're willing because, God, it's Your story." They then went through several rounds of testing and kept moving forward through the process as "the boxes just kept being checked." This is when they realized how "God was making a way for this to happen" and that they had to obey.
God's Call for Obedience
Pastor Kaup highlighted the importance of obedience to God as written in Scripture, specifically James 2. The Nebraska lead pastor admitted that it was a "joy and an honor" to be able to be part of the story and to witness "God move not just in one family or two families, not just in one church or one city."
Pastor Hooker recounted how God had set up Pastor Kaup to factor in saving his life from the early years as the two had known each other from back in the 1990s. It was then when Pastor Hooker went on a mission to Mexico with Pastor Kaup and his father.
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