So, You Want a Great Pastor

Like the superhero who does all he can to conceal his identity, our pastor, Bryan, is no different. His desire is that all who see him see Christ alone. He so seeks to mirror Christ in all he does, I cannot help but pray for him earnestly and often. And I know others do as well.

Our church has a men's fellowship, a Wednesday night Bible study, and a Friday night prayer gathering, all led by our pastor. In addition to Bryan having a full-time job outside of our church, running our fellowship's weekly meetings, and, of course, preaching every Sunday, he and his family live some twenty to twenty-five minutes away from our church, depending on traffic. That's a nice little ride, when you've worked an eight hour shift, grabbed a Chick-fil-A dinner, listened to a seemingly endless litany of prayer requests, politely entertained questions and complaints after the meeting, fixed the faucet in the men's room "since you've got your tools with you anyway", stopped for gas again, and now begin to make your way home. Our pastor has done this weekly. For years. And for free. Yeah, our pastor draws no salary from the church. Not for the scheduled stuff. Not for the emergencies.

The out of work man, awakened by his demons at 2 AM. Pastor goes to him. The family who suddenly loses a loved one. Without hesitation, our pastor is there. And the church brother rushed to the hospital, leaving his pets unfed? Within the hour, our pastor is serving German Shepherds and shoveling -- well, the aftermath. Bryan has cleaned gutters. He has kept watch with folks through long dark nights and frightening illnesses. He was Uber before Uber had its driver's license. He has delivered food and collected trash. Over and above what he does for his own family! 

And all with a servant's heart. Never have I heard him complain or brag. I've never heard a passive aggressive "Well, who else is gonna do it?", or a sarcastic "Sure! I've got plenty of time!" He is not a Type-A, looking for some busyness to fill every minute of his day; he is not a martyr or an attention hound. He has delegated and encouraged; he has sought input and advice; he has led with courage and consistency. He is a shepherd and a servant. And all he covets are our prayers -- and the ability to do all of this all the time.

Oh, and he's a great preacher, too! He treasures the Scriptures; and the time he spends in them is evidenced by his character, his ability to navigate God's word, and his zeal to share it. What a wonderful picture of Christ, right in our midst.

I hope you are blessed with a leader who practices what he preaches, as he preaches. Who seeks no attention for himself, but desires only that others see Christ. Who is willing to do all he can -- salary or no -- for Christ, and asks only that you pray for him. If that is not your situation, find such a pastor -- through your prayers and encouragement, you just might see he has been there all along.