“In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable.” — Robert Arnott Looking to make the best investment, Aaron Long had to step out of his comfort zone.

He’s eager to teach others how to do the same.

As the new pastor of discipleship at Kingfisher First Baptist Church, Long said he’s here to invest in people, so they can invest in people.

By investing, his goal is to help others become better disciples, together growing in faith and multiplying the kingdom of God.

Born and raised in Ada, Long said he had the job of a lifetime at age 33 working for the Chickasaw Nation.

With a bachelor’s degree in public relations and advertising from East Central University, Long was working as the production manager of book publishing for the Chickasaw press.

As with any job, there were stressful times, but rewards too.

During one of those rewarding times at the Oklahoma Book Awards, Long said he was preparing to receive one of the top awards when a pivotal moment occurred in his life.

“As I’m walking up,” Long said, “in my heart I heard the Lord saying, ‘You’ve worked awfully hard for this,’ and as I reached out to receive the award, I had a vision of sand running through my fingers.

“Then, I heard him say, ‘How is this going to impact anyone for all eternity?’” Although Long said he knew it was the Lord calling him into full-time ministry, he said he wrestled with the decision for several months.

Adding to his conviction, Long said he had a dream three months earlier that impacted him deeply as well.

In the dream, Long found himself in a heavenly sanctuary in a vast and beautiful location filled with people. He said there was a buzz in the place and everyone was extremely excited to see Jesus for the first time.

As a blindingly bright light filled the sanctuary, Long said he couldn’t see anything and when the back door opened, the light intensifi ed to a magnificent degree, so much that he could not look up.

Sitting on the inside of the pew next to the inner aisle, Long said he realized Jesus would be walking right next to him.

As Jesus came down the aisle, Long said he heard Him talking to people, welcoming them and calling them by name and he was overwhelmed.

“As He comes by me, He puts his hand on my shoulder and I felt overwhelming love,” Long said.

“Then, He said to me, ‘Aaron, I’m so glad you’re here…I just wish you had brought someone with you,’ and as I look to my right all I could see was an empty pew.”

Although Long had been a lifelong servant in the church, involved in mission efforts and various outreach opportunities as well as currently serving as a deacon at Ada First Baptist Church, he felt he had never actually made disciples as Jesus commanded in the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

Often in the churches of America, Long said, “we teach people what Jesus says and about the gospel, but we don’t take them to that next level of personally investing in someone so their life becomes more like Christ.”

Everyone is called to be a disciple, he said, and one of the most powerful parts of the great commission is that Jesus said, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

After wrestling with the decision for about three months, Long said he got the courage to talk to his wife, Jannason, about it and she said, “‘It’s about time.’” So, they packed up the family and headed to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.

Over the past eight years while working on his master’s of divinity degree, Long has served as a lead pastor in Rollingview Baptist Church in Durham, N.C., pastor of student ministry at First Baptist Church in Pulaski, Tenn., and pastor of families and missions at Main Street Baptist Church in Kernersville, N.C.

With only a few classes left, Long continues to pursue his master’s while serving as the pastor of discipleship.

Each role of leadership he has been involved in has continued to bolster his dedication and love for discipleship ministry, which he is looking forward to continuing in Kingfisher, he said.

Long and Jannason have four children: Andrew (16), Wyatt (14), Audrey (13) and Arabella (8).

Jannason is currently teaching sixth grade English (ELA) at Kingfisher Upper Elementary School and their children attend Kingfisher Public Schools and are involved in various extracurricular activities such as baseball and cross country.

Arriving in Kingfisher for the Fourth of July weekend, Long said the family is enjoying their new home.

“We have lived several places and Kingfisher has been the most welcoming and inclusive of all those places (other than home),” Long said.

“The church feels like family and like we just stepped into a glove that was made for us.”

Discipleship has always been on his heart, Long said, and how to do that really boils down to looking to Jesus’ life as the best example.

“Jesus did life with people,” Long said. “He invested in them daily and made sure their lives began to look more like his.”