One of the most difficult changes to deal with in life is when death comes to someone near us. The death of a family member is the most profound. Certainly the death of a friend impacts our lives, particularly when that friend is our pastor.
Pastors touch our lives in so many ways. We share many of life’s most important events with them. They were there when we were sick, praying for healing. They were there when we got married, leading us in our sacred vows before God. They were there for the birth of our children and later, leading the dedication ceremony and the church to make a covenant to provide for their spiritual nourishment throughout their lives. They were there on our spouse’s deathbed, comforting with Scripture, prayers and tender words.
Most importantly, they faithfully stood in the pulpit every Sunday and preached the Word of God, perhaps leading us to the Lord and helping us grow in our relationship with Christ. Pastors are personal friends as well as spiritual shepherds in a world of wolves. They are known community-wide, often being the first on the scene of a disaster or tragedy, no matter the weather conditions or the time of day or night. So it is no small thing when a pastor dies.
Dan Hale died March 16 at the age of 62. For more than 25 years he pastored First Baptist Church Millersville in rural west Cape Girardeau County and as a friend told me recently, no one in the community was more respected than Dan. He was a wonderful husband for the 42 years he was married to his wife, Cathy, and was loving dad to two sons.
Dan, you might say, was your typical Missouri Southern Baptist pastor. He was a shepherd of the highest order to the flock which God entrusted to His care. He also understood the kingdom was worldwide and sought to expand it on more than 30 mission trips. He loved sports and used it to share the gospel, serving on the board of directors of Sports Crusaders, an organization dedicated to making Christ known through sports. Dan served in virtually every capacity of leadership in the Cape Girardeau Baptist Association and was on the Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Board until his failing health – due to ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease — prevented him from doing so any longer.
No one was surprised that an overflow crowd gathered at First Millersville for Dan’s funeral. He touched too many lives for it to be otherwise. Those who knew Dan where blessed, often with these departing words, “May God bless you real good.”
And so it is when our pastors leave for Heaven. It is no small thing. We mourn even as we give thanks for their lives and their contributions to God’s kingdom.
For The Pathway’s first 13 years, I have resisted publishing death notices of our pastors. I had several reasons for doing so – all supported by convention leadership, even though they may have disagreed. However, the time has come to change the policy.
Beginning with the April 14 issue of The Pathway, we will present a new feature called “In Memoriam” in which we will offer brief acknowledgements of the deaths of ordained gospel ministers throughout the Missouri Baptist Convention. Space limitations will allow for only two or three sentences. They should include name, age, spouse’s name, years in ministry, where they were serving at the time of death, date of death and funeral arrangements. All submissions must come from a funeral home. By offering this service we seek to honor the memory of our pastors while letting Southern Baptists throughout the state know when a minister they have known passes away.
One of the greatest blessings I experience as editor of your state newspaper is getting to know – and serving – our pastors. We have great men serving the Lord in our state. From life unto death they are making a difference and I know you join me in thanking God for calling them. We love our pastors.
Memory fails at all the sermons he preached,
Yet preserved is the vision of all the souls reached,
some weeping and crying, afraid of the last day,
others rejoicing for they found Jesus is the way.
– Roger Reeves II