In Their Corner: Supporting Innovative Young Pastors
July 10, 2009
Thirty years ago when I was picking up the plow of pastoring, I tried some things that were different, a few of which worked, a few of which didn’t. My church gave me freedom to innovate, and over the years God blessed our efforts. To my amazement, the process was marked by sniper fire from certain figures in the very denomination I was trying to serve. I quickly learned to listen to divine guidance rather than denominational grievance. So we pressed on without looking back.
But I thought it was a shame that seasoned leaders wouldn’t stand in the corner of a young pastor who was trying his best to find ways of winning people to Jesus and growing a church for Christ and His Kingdom.
It was a shame then, and it’s a shame now.
Looking back, I’m grateful for the handful of leaders who did speak up and support me. I wouldn’t be a denominationalist now without those men and women whom I revere to this day.
Churches in America are fighting an uphill battle to win people to Christ. This is not the time to aim potshots at innovative young pastors, as long as their message and their morality is sound, and souls are coming to Christ under their ministry. Let’s offer the benefit of a doubt, give them time to grow and mature, pray for their success, and stand in their corner with a towel, water bottle, and a strong word of encouragement.
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love it! this is my fav part…
Churches in America are fighting an uphill battle to win people to Christ. This is not the time to aim potshots at innovative young pastors, as long as their message and their morality is sound, and souls are coming to Christ under their ministry. Let’s offer the benefit of a doubt, give them time to grow and mature, pray for their success, and stand in their corner with a towel, water bottle, and a strong word of encouragement.
I’m there now – being in a state where it seems almost every pastor is more concerned about what people in church wear and what type of music the church utilizes. I have a position at every level of our denomination (national, state, district, etc…) and I have considered giving up those positions. I started a missions trip entity to try to help FWB’s but few are interested. I don’t want to be a hindrance to His work or His people. Hard to know what to do. A couple denominational leaders have encouraged me for years to stay involved and help facilitate change but I feel I am more of an abrasion to others than a help. What to do! Isolationism isn’t the right thing to do but gets more attractive every day. Well, life goes on. I’m just going to try to encourage those that desire encouragement and change and ignore the rest. Just don’t want to become bitter and trying the best I can not to do so. Thanks for the journal entry.
Thanks for having the guts to say this. I feel like there is a huge spirit of fear in my denomination among leaders. We hear about someone being trashed for doing something different and so our knee-jerk reaction to any new idea we might have is “I remember what happened to so and so. Because of that, I’m not going there.” I don’t want to succumb to that spirit!
I want to see God do amazing things in my life and future ministry. And I don’t want my denomination to get in the way of that.
Good stuff! Ministry is difficult enough trying to meet the needs of people. It is frustrating when those that we greatly desire to rally around us are the very ones that bring us discouragement by the comments they make or the things that we may be accused of. Great post!
Rob – thanks for these words and the impact you do have on younger ministers. Sadly, the sniper fire continues to penetrate the hearts of our young ministers, myself included. Thanks for standing in our corner!
You have certainly been down this road and know now how to best support and encourage those who are on the same path you once traveled. I am proud to be on the sidelines with a water bottle, towel and cheers for YOU. And I hope to be the same for those who are being shot at as well. It is truly sad when supporters become discouragers. I pray they see what they are truly doing and realize the error they are making. Lost souls are counting on it!!!
I am reminded of the old story of the crab trap. A crab trap has an opening that stays open but when crabs crawl in they fall down into the trap. Not much keeps them from climbing back up and out the hole except for the other crabs on the bottom of the cage. They see someone else is getting ahead so they reach up with their claws and pull him back down. They feel that if they are not doing well then it is their job to prevent anyone else from moving up and making progress.
I do believe that at times we are more civil with sinners than fellow believers. While this is discouraging, I am convinced this behavior is the minority but at times they are the only ones speaking. Thanks for challenging this.
The fact that Jesus was not accepted by the religious establishment of his time has been discussed to the point of almost being cliche, but it is true nonetheless. His methods were both curious and controversial. His goal, however, was always the same: glorify God and bring all nations to himself.
Jesus knew divided focus was/is a problem when he said that a house divided against itself could not stand. I often feel that denominations tend to have leaders more occupied with common methods than common goals. Jesus’ yoke may be easy, but a yoke ceases to be effective when the parties involved pull in different directions.
Thank you for being a calming but authoritative voice in our denomination.
Soli Deo Gloria
Great stuff! I wish that we could be a denomination of celebration and not confrontation. It seems at times that we have lost our way and have stopped thinking. “We live forward, but we can only think backward.” (Soren Kierkegaard) Where are we going to end up if we continually allow things to be done and nothing is ever said or changed? This is a great start! Teddy Roosevelt once said, “No man is worth calling a man who will not fight rather than submit to infamy or see those that are dear to him suffer wrong.”
I agree whole-heartedly – there is nothing better for a young pastor/preacher than to receive encouragement and support from a mentor; but it seems that we are missing out on the “exhortation” part of the Bible. When are we going to stand, united as a denomination, for the cause of Christ?? This is not the cause of a select few, but rather of our Lord and Savior. If we need to be the hands and feet that reach out through innovative thinking and actions, then so be it! Jesus challenged His culture, not only to rock it, but also to show that there is more to life than walking without thinking. Here – now – is when we choose to move forward and reach the “lost” for Christ. Get out of the way if you don’t like it.
A young innovative pastor spends enough time questioning his call to ministry, his call to a particular church, his call to do the right things the right ways. The men in my path that have made the biggest differences in my life and ministry were the ones encouraging not the ones with criticism. Is it not the goodness of God that leads men to repentance? Not the baseball bat over the head. Also, interestingly enough, those who bring criticism to the table are in violation of so many other verses about how to treat one-another.
The goal is the Kingdom. Mark 9: John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is for us.” We must remember it is about the Kingdom not about my opinion.
My heart breaks as I think about the need for such a post as this. How sad for our denomination and for those who are serving on the front lines of battle against Satan. Through the years I have seen so many godly, creative, talented young people leave our denomination because of criticism for being innovative or “on the cutting edge”. As I read or hear about them now, raising up generations of strong believers, I realize even more how much we’ve missed out. Sad that we’re missing out, but thankful for God’s kingdom that they didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, they found a place to serve and are doing so faithfully … and thriving. To God be the glory!!!!