Seeking Preachers

[Cow Poke]

All I know is that I put in at least 60 hours a week and I spend one whole day a week just traveling to folks homes to visit with them and get to know them and share with them. That doesn't include visitation with the hospitalized, ill, or grieving. I preach two services on Sunday, moderate the Session, teach 4 bible study/adult ed classes, and attend all committee meetings as well as work with the Presbytery on the Committee on Preparation for Ministry. I also meet with a group of other pastors at least once a week for two hours as we study and pray together over what we're preaching. And that's just what I can think of off the top of my head. If I was working outside the church I'd never have the time to devote to the church what they need in this context. What I'm saying is that I'm so thankful that today after church the associate pastor nominating committee convenes for the first time to begin the process of bringing me a new colleague to work with! Yippee!

And you are EXACTLY the kind of guy I am glad is in "full time" pastoral ministry.

[Cow Poke]

All I know is that I put in at least 60 hours a week and I spend one whole day a week just traveling to folks homes to visit with them and get to know them and share with them. That doesn't include visitation with the hospitalized, ill, or grieving. I preach two services on Sunday, moderate the Session, teach 4 bible study/adult ed classes, and attend all committee meetings as well as work with the Presbytery on the Committee on Preparation for Ministry. I also meet with a group of other pastors at least once a week for two hours as we study and pray together over what we're preaching. And that's just what I can think of off the top of my head. If I was working outside the church I'd never have the time to devote to the church what they need in this context. What I'm saying is that I'm so thankful that today after church the associate pastor nominating committee convenes for the first time to begin the process of bringing me a new colleague to work with! Yippee!

I can't get this off my mind, Pilgrim. Particularly that part about meeting with pastors once a week. I used to be the "president" of our local ministerial alliance for four counties back years ago. I was a bi-vocational pastor, and started out with a Church that had been through some pretty severe turmoil, with mostly just senior adults remaining, and a handful at that. The Lord blessed, and we grew, and added young families, and finances drastically improved, but I was operating as an independent computer consultant at the time, so I could schedule my "secular" duties around Church responsibilities.

As president of the ministerial alliance, I served with MOSTLY full-time pastors who sound exactly like what you said in your post. We developed quite an understanding that our various Churches tended to appeal, intentionally or not, to certain segments of society. My Church tended to draw the oil-field workers, the blue-collar guys, truckers, bikers... guys that didn't feel comfortable in "down town First Baptist". But there wasn't a "competition" at all -- there was a sense of Paul being "all things to all people so that he might win a few". And it was not unusual for "us pastors" to recommend to somebody "maybe you would feel more comfortable at X Church, because they.... (whatever the reason)". And I don't mean that in a "trying to get rid of somebody" context --- we realized there were PLENTY of unchurched people to go around, and we had a basic understanding of the need to "grow flocks" not "steal sheep".

I was in that situation for 10 years, and loved it. The Church grew, both numerically, financially, and spiritually, and it came time for me to move on. They were really getting to a place where they needed (and could afford) a full time pastor. I forget blessings so easily. I think we all do. And that 10 years was a real blessing, and working with those guys was refreshing and encouraging. And we prayed for each other.

I'm rambling, but I thought I'd share one more thing on this. Rufus Watters was an African-American pastor (our mission Church) who was a little older than me, with far more pastoral experience than I had, and was a big hulk of a man with a big DEEP booming voice. And one of my fond memories was when we would be praying, often kneeling or even prone on the carpet in the sanctuary, and Rufus would pray. In that deep rich booming voice, and almost seeming to revert to a "poor negro slave" persona, he would pray "Mastuh... I bow down before you, the Creator of all there is, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, not even worthy to say your name..... " Wow. Wonderful memories.

Thanks for stirring them up.