SPRINGFIELD – Six ministry leaders poured advice and encouragement into pastors during the Missouri Baptist Pastors’ Conference, Oct. 23.
Noah Oldham
Noah Oldham, lead pastor of August Gate Church in St. Louis gave encouragement to pastors in their “glorious gospel grind.”
Using 2 Corinthians 4, Oldham encouraged pastors, reminding them that they were called, they had repented of and renounced sin, they loved God’s Word, they encouraged others to follow Christ, that they’ve tried to make the gospel inviting to others, that they love proclaiming God’s Word, and that they ‘buy what they are selling.’
Oldham noted from the same chapter, pastors should take care of their health for these reasons: The gospel is too precious and pastors are too fragile to not care for themselves; ministry has enough enemies without adding not caring for themselves; the apologetic of their lives is too important; the harvest is too plentiful and the workers are (already) too few; and God is faithful to transform weak leaders.
He challenged pastors to see what health areas have been neglected, steps needed to rectify this, when changes are going to be made, and who can help.
“If no one has told you, I want to tell you how important you are,” Oldham said.
Phil Hopper
Phil Hopper of Abundant Life Church in Lee’s Summit, told Missouri Baptists, “I want God to do a work in you so God can do a work through you.”
He told of a church that was near folding when God intervened, when the two-dozen people present repented in tears.
Using Hebrews 12:1-2, Hopper, a former policeman, noted the different types of race indicated – a marathon, a relay race, and an obstacle course.
He recounted a church he pastored that grew, then one year he had to fire a staffer; another year the church plateaued; then another year good friends left the church.
“Don’t focus on the finish, but on the race. Success in ministry is faithfulness,” Hopper said.
Hopper got through the challenging years by remembering that Jesus said “apart from me you can do nothing.” He had to forfeit dreams and idolatry, and to learn how not to love God’s people more than he loved God.
Marcus Hayes
Marcus Hayes, lead pastor at Crossroads Baptist in The Woodlands, Texas, told of overcoming race issues by being faithful to Jesus.
He spoke from Matthew 5:11-12.
He recalled a possible call to a church in Dallas, but social media had racial comments. He had to preach an evening message to the same people who heard him earlier in the day and voted not to call him.
“God didn’t call you to be successful. God called you to be faithful. Don’t lose the Kingdom mindset,” Hayes said.
He now pastors in a multi-generational, multi-ethnic church in Houston, Texas.
“We want to look like what we will be in Heaven. There will be no white parts of Heaven, no black parts, no Hispanic parts.”
Nate Larkin
Women at the pastor’s conference were excused for Nate Larkin’s speech, where he told of a years-long addiction to pornography, and later prostitution, despite being raised as a pastor’s son in a strict conservative church.
Larkin said pornography creates intimacy problems, but he initially thought it would help his marriage.
He finally resolved his pornography addiction by going through a 12-step program, similar to alcoholics anonymous, with a church accountability partner. He called his deliverance “sexual sobriety.”
He originally thought his addiction ruined his ministry, but God used it to reach others in pornography. After hitting “sexual sobriety,” Larkin said God’s Word came alive as never before.
He encouraged pastors to welcome those struggling in sins, not to condone them, nor to be Pharisaical in a shame-based response to them.
“Recovery requires relationship. We’re wounded in relationship, and we’re healed in relationship,” Larkin said.
Counselors were present if Missouri Baptist pastors wanted to discuss private pornography issues.
Matt Carter
Matt Carter, vice-president of mobilization of the North America Mission Board Send Network and Austin (Texas )Stone Community Church founding pastor, encouraged pastors to remember their calling, when Satan tries to destroy churches, pastors, and families.
Carter said ministry was “not in my top one-thousand things I could do with my life.” He rejected God’s call for a time. In an era years ago where radio didn’t always come in well on his car, he pushed the radio button and heard Al Denson sing, “Will you be the one to answer the call?” He answered, Yes.
When Carter later tried to leave God’s call, lured by a friend’s $1.3 million job offer, and ready to take the lucrative offer without praying about it, God used a series of events to get his attention: A doctor called about his melanoma diagnosis; a 52-year old friend died suddenly; he learned, a Houston guy using mail bombs against random people, detonated one in suicide with Carter’s name on it. That man had visited the church, but Carter didn’t know him.
Then, his son was in a serious accident.
Another pastor in his church, preaching on Jonah running from a call, stopped, feeling someone in the congregation was running from a call, and asked that person to stand. Carter stood, wept, repented and decided to never walk away from God’s call.
Joby Martin
Joby Martin, founder/lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22 in Jacksonville, Fla., encouraged pastors with humor in his speech, using the 23rd Psalm.
“Pastors are called to be shepherds. I’m afraid we’re more like cowboys than shepherds. Cowboys count the head of cattle, shepherds care for sheep. Cowboys love to be cowboys. Shepherds love the sheep. There are cowboy stores and cowboy games. There are no shepherd stores or games,” Martin said.
“The (Good) Shepherd makes us do things we don’t want to do like confess sins, forgive others, and be with other types of sheep. Our Shepherd makes us lie down. Pastors need to take a Sabbath.”
“When the Bible calls us sheep, it’s not a compliment. They are stinky, mangy, and dumb. God says, ‘It sounds like some people I know.”
In talking about The Valley of the Shadow of Death, Martin said, “David had valleys like Goliath, Saul, sleeping with Bathsheba, killing her husband, losing one son, and another one who led a coup.”
“But if the tomb is empty, anything is possible,” he added. “God is for you, he’s just not about you. One of the best things to do as a shepherd is come back to the Shepherd.”