I used to be supervising a doctoral program, and a potential pupil calling my workplace landline had a primary query: “Do you enable 71-year-old retirees to use to your program?” I jokingly advised him, “Sure, so long as you pay the complete tuition up entrance” (and, how grateful I used to be that he had humorousness!) Inside just a few months, he was, in actual fact, a pupil in our program.
It was one of many few occasions that one among my college students was sufficiently old to be my father. I bear in mind the appears to be like on a lot of my youthful college students after they entered the classroom and noticed an older man in a swimsuit coat and tie. I believe they assumed he was the visitor speaker for the day. In spite of everything, he was the oldest man in the home.
Nonetheless, it did not take lengthy for the younger doctoral pupil to be drawn to this elder brother of Christ. They wished to listen to his ideas—and I shared that need, although I used to be the professor answerable for the category. It’s this background that leads me to nonetheless bear in mind a few of this brother’s extra highly effective statements within the classroom.
On this specific day, we had been discussing the unhealthiness of native church buildings, usually led by unhealthy leaders. Our brother leaned again in his chair and calmly and humbly mentioned to the category, “Gents, right here is without doubt one of the main issues I see with many pastors. . . ” He paused, and all of us waited, hoping to study from his expertise.
“One of many issues I see with many pastors,” he mentioned, “is that they are truly pastoring three church buildings: which they by no means crossed As a result of they both (a) bear in mind solely the glory days or (b) bear the scars of a tough expertise; They’re at present pastoring This needs to be their main focus however typically is not; And They need to be pastors-Usually a ‘greater and higher church.’
“brother,” he continued, “You possibly can’t be the most effective pastor when your eyes are on a couple of congregation”
For the younger pastors within the class who yearned for extra recognition, the phrases challenged them on a coronary heart stage. For a few of us within the room who had already tried to navigate a number of congregations in our minds, our brother put into phrases an issue we had by no means been capable of articulate. His phrases challenged me a lot that I nonetheless bear in mind them a long time later. They had been, and nonetheless are, the neatest issues I’ve ever heard from a 71-year-old pupil.
Possibly what he mentioned all these years in the past nonetheless speaks to your thoughts. In that case, tell us within the feedback part how we will pray for you and your work.
Posted on July 15, 2024
Dr. Chuck Lawless is a number one skilled in religious counseling, discipleship and mentoring. As a former pastor, he understands the presentation challenges of ministry and works with Church Solutions to advise and counsel church leaders.
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