This article reflects on seven phases of the firing of a pastor. I have worked with countless pastors who shared their stories with me. These phases are common in many of them. Also, I will use a recent conversation to provide a real narrative of a real pastor in a real church. I made some slight adjustments to protect the identities of the pastor and the church.
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In my second pastorate, I stayed at the church for just over eleven years. At the time, more than a decade at one church was almost unheard of. I’ve paid attention since then to pastors who stay at their church for at least ten years, and here are some traits I’ve seen in these pastors.
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There are hundreds of thousands of orphans in the United States alone and millions around the world. A distinctive feature of Christianity has been caring for these orphans (Ja. 1:27), but this was always expected of God’s people (Isa. 1:17). In the Old Testament, the ethical imperative to care for orphans was grounded in God’s character. He is a Father to the fatherless (Ps. 68:5).
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What if your church’s most pressing need isn’t another program but a team of deacons who embody servant leadership? What if deacons could significantly impact lives and support your pastoral vision?
Does your morning schedule affect your prayer life? Is the time you pray important?
Christian leaders have correctly identified numerous problems with the wholesale endorsement of the meditation exercises promoted by both Hinduism and Buddhism. Still, according to Pew Research, a higher percentage of evangelicals than Hindus meditate in any given week in America. Where is the disconnect? Are Christians and Hindus talking about two different things?
In 1549 Thomas Cranmer organized the publication of The Book of Common Prayer, which is still used today by millions of people in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Speaking with a sense of humor, the late J. I. Packer said, “Long before the age of fish and chips, the Book of Common Prayer was the Great British invention, nurturing all sorts and conditions of Englishmen and holding the church together with remarkable effectiveness.”
John Wesley took a dim view of pre-revival America, but he had a plan to change it. Wesley spent time in the colonies and reported, “I desired as many as could to join together in fasting and prayer, that God would restore the spirit of love and of a sound mind to the poor deluded rebels in America.” Even a side glance at the current cultural moment demonstrates that prayer and fasting are just as urgently needed for the “poor deluded rebels in America” today as they were when the nation was new.
What if God wants us to pray for more? Most of us believe we should pray more, but should we pray for more? In other words, is our prayer list too thin?
Are you motivated to pray? The word “motivation” doesn’t appear in older dictionaries since it wasn’t coined until the mid-19th century and didn’t come into common use until the 20th century.
It’s tempting to imagine that legendary ministers like E. M. Bounds or Andrew Murray or someone known as “Praying Hyde” were simply born to pray. Along with the likes of David Brainerd, Leonard Ravenhill, Armin Gesswein, Bertha Smith, George Müller and so many others, there is a group of Christians who are primarily remembered for their prayer lives or their teaching on prayer. But no one was ever born praying. The men and women most known for prayer were not members of a spiritually elite corps the rest of us weren’t invited to join. They learned to pray.
Ronald Reagan once humorously repeated a story often referred to as the “Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy.” The tale involves shooting a gun at a barn, then painting “bull’s-eyes” around the bullet holes. For the uninformed, the aftermath makes the shooter appear to be an expert marksman, when in reality he only managed to hit the side of a barn.
The 20th century political anarchist Edward Abbey loved the desert and once observed, “What draws us into the desert is the search for something intimate in the remote.” Abbey was not the only person who discovered intimacy in the solitude of the desert. The same could be said for some of the most influential people of prayer mentioned in Scripture. God originally created man in a garden, but He frequently recreates them in a desert.
Whether you fast one day, one week, one month, or longer, the goal of fasting is to disconnect from worldly distractions and prayerfully seek God. During your fast, indulge deeply in the reading of Scripture and longer seasons of private prayer. In addition, any opportunity to join with other believers in heartfelt praise, worship, and singing to the Lord will strengthen you spiritually.
