A Word from Your Interim Director of Missions / Moderator Barry
There are times our churches face the loss of their pastor. This can create difficulties for that church including the lack of spiritual guidance, administrative leadership, and community cohesion. One of the immediate needs for a church without a pastor is finding someone to fill the pulpit. The problem is we are lacking in men who will answer the call.
When facing the problem of pulpit supply, the first place we look is for outside help. We call the college to see if they have a list of prospects or professors who can fill in. Then we start getting a Search Committee together. Churches are often frustrated because they are smaller and cannot find anyone willing to come there. That church begins to think small and that limits their hopes of what they believe God can do through their church.
Missouri has approximately 1,800 SBC churches. And at any given time, between 80 to 180 of these churches are without a pastor. Just recently The Pathway listed 25 churches without a pastor.
Recently one of our churches had a pastor who retired. Their Search Committee inquired of the Associational Office for a list of names and possibilities for a pulpit supply. The list was very small.
I got to thinking – as an association of churches working together why are we not equipping men to answer the call?
I truly believe there are men within our association who are already serving their church in some compacity that could be encouraged by not only by their pastor, but by their congregation, to help another church through this difficult transition. This is not asking them to step away from serving in their local church. It is to simply encourage them to step out in faith in an area of ministry that needs to be fulfilled.
I know many of us believe that unless they are ordained, they are disqualified. But let’s not forget that a spiritual individual who we know is walking with God and who has a strong spiritual background, could simply bring a devotion or help in a Bible study within that pastorless congregation.
At FBC La Grange, I have been promoting from the pulpit that we need men preparing their hearts to answer The Call. I already have two men come to me and I have started mentoring them. They can be potential help not only to me as a pastor, but also be potential help to churches within our association on a short-term basis. I encourage all our pastors to do the same, then let me know who you have in your congregation that would be willing to fill a short-term aspect of pulpit supply.
Let’s start encouraging men to answer the call to ministry. It is essential for sustaining and growing church communities.
Barry Pfister, Interim Director of Missions / Moderator
Mt Salem-Wyaconda Southern Baptist Association
mswdom@marktwain.net
bppastor@yahoo.com
(O) 573-209-3064
(M) 660-734-2080
(H) 573-655-0172
