By the time you’re reading this, October will be over and Pastor Appreciation month will also therefore be over. Now, I’ve been in a few churches this last month, and I can tell you that there is still probably left over chocolate and snacks from all of that appreciation, but October itself has come and gone. Despite that, we hope our pastors continue to feel that they are appreciated.
Being a pastor is an immense privilege and also an immense responsibility. When times are easy and simple, perhaps being a pastor is also easy. But it seems that times are rarely easy and simple and so it goes with being a pastor.
It’s a surprise then that so many of our pastors have stayed in the ministry for so long. We have a wide range of pastors who have served for a decade, and some who have served as pastors for 5 decades. Some for even more than this. In truth, many of our pastors are pastors from the day of their first license until they die, because even after they retire, they don’t see that their calling or ministry ends, they just stop being paid for it.
The apostle Paul routinely calls his churches and leaders to perseverance in the face of difficulties. We can thank God that in the United States pastors rarely face threats to their lives for their work, but many pastors in other countries, including our pastors in our international fields, experience profound hardship, discrimination, rejection, and persecution. But again, Paul calls pastors, leaders, and everyday Christians to not give up what God has called them to.
In Galatians, to an apparently troublesome church, Paul says in chapter 6:
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
9-10: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:7, 9-10:
If we believe God is faithful, then we ought to believe that God is certainly faithful to those whole follow Him, who carry out His work, and who strive to build His kingdom.
Likewise, Paul begins 1 Corinthains 15:1-2 by saying that, “58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
And Paul ends the chapter beautifully, finishing the thought in verse 58: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
1 Cor 15: 1-2, 58
We’ve also asked a few pastors to share their own experiences and what being a pastor has means to them.
Pastor Jeff Rockey – Tulip Church of God
I have been in full-time ministry since October 1987. Nine years as associate/youth pastor; 30 years as pastor at Tulip Church.
The most meaningful part of ministry is getting to see Jesus working in the individuals of our church family as they enmesh themselves in the community. I love it when the lines between the church and school, or the church and businesses, or the church and community festivals, become so blurred that the followers of Jesus have free range to show up and bring His peace.
When I arrived as a new pastor, I asked a small congregation of mostly older folks, "What will you put up with, as long as it isn't unbiblical, in order to see your children, grandchildren, neighbors and community find Jesus at Tulip?" (That is probably more clearly stated than it was originally.) And to their credit, I discovered that they would put up with a great deal. We changed many things and are still making changes in order to help people make their first or next step with Jesus. I could talk about time spent at the school. I could talk about 10+ years of providing weekend meals for more than 100 students every weekend of the school year. I could talk about involvement with men undergoing recovery. I could talk about a youth ministry that serves 35-39 students each week. I could talk about a building and relocation process that was WAY beyond our ability. But all of that pales in comparison to the relationships that have been made by the people of Tulip in order to see our community served in the name of Jesus.
Pastor Kim Shifler – Middletown Church of God
So Jeff and I and our dog, Tiny, were driving home from our vacation to the Outer Banks on Sunday – Jeff driving, me crocheting - when, still in North Carolina, we passed this quaint little church. North Carolina has almost as many churches as Dollar Generals, and they come in all makes and sizes. And this one was small and white and had a steeple, and was obviously well cared for. But it was 10 minutes till 9:00 and there was exactly one car in the parking lot – maybe it was too early or maybe it was too late for more, I don’t know. But we both notice both the car and the fact that it was the only one. Jeff says, “That’s probably the pastor’s car.” And I agree with him.
And then I say something that I think surprised both of us – because I don’t talk about this with anyone, including my husband. I said, “I feel sorry for pastors. And I would say that even if I wasn’t a pastor.” And then I am looking for words to try to explain: “Most pastors are hardworking, decent people who don’t really have a job description. They think they are supposed to grow a church, an almost impossible job in this kind of culture. And they have all this other stuff to do.” And while I don’t voice it, I am thinking of everything from bulletins to VBS to hospital visitation to making sure the bathrooms are looking good. And more. And I continue, “And most of us feel like failures because the church isn’t growing and we can’t fix it. If our job is to share the Gospel of Jesus, I guess we are doing that.”
We keep driving and then my husband, always slow to speak says, “Being a pastor is a calling. You can only do what you think God wants you to do.” And there is a small beat of silence as I absorb this and I say, “Well, then I guess we’re ok.” And we are. And we came home and now we’re back at it.
After a month of pastor appreciation, pastors are indeed ‘back at it,’ doing the ministry that God has called them to, and we pray they continue to stand firm, as the apostle Paul admonishes and encourages.
CGGC eNews—Vol. 20, No. 45
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