“And he gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-12).
Danny BurnleyHaving been raised in a Christian family, I was always taught to respect the pastor because he is a “man of God.” I realize that there are some “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” and there are some pastors who have degraded this wonderful ministry. However, we should remember that there are thousands of truly God-called pastors who love their Lord and their congregations. These pastors need the respect, prayers and support of their congregations.
I remember while pastoring Union Baptist Church in Iva, there was a young 5-year-old boy named Randy. Whenever I drew close to him to speak or to shake his little hand, he would always draw back and get very close to his mom and dad. For some time, I could not understand why he was so afraid of me. Then one Sunday morning during the Sunday school hour, I was standing at one end of a hallway when I saw little Randy near the other end of the hallway watching me. He was standing there like he was frozen. I raised my hand and said, “Hey, Randy!” After standing there for a moment, he raised his hand and said, “Hey, God!”
Oh, how I was humbled. It dawned on me that many times little children see pastors behind the pulpit with Bible in hand, preaching the word of God – and they relate us to God! How humbling! As years went by, Randy came to realize that I was not God, but a sinner saved by grace and called by grace to preach God’s word. Randy became one of my little friends.
As we enter the month of October, may churches consider Pastor Appreciation Month. Don’t forget your pastor! Pray for him, send him a card or take his family out for a meal. Show him you care. Show your respect to the “man of God.”
I remember the first time I had a church family give a key to my wife and tell her, “We want your family to go on a vacation.” This key was to a nice condo at the beach for seven nights and eight days! It was a time when we could not afford a vacation. I shall never forget that special time with my family, or the couple who shared this vacation spot with us.