The Ghost Of Pastors Past

I am now serving the fourth church of my career. I have been here since February 1995 and when you consider that I began my pastoral ministry in 1982 it means that better than half of the time I have been Pastor Corn it has been here at Bethlehem. Still, I have fond memories of the places I served before I landed in Ashland City. I have been thinking a lot about that in the past few months since one of the churches that I served is seeking a new pastor. I didn't really know their pastor, but he had called me to come for a Homecoming service a couple of years back and I was very impressed with him. It seemed to me that he was a good fit and the future looked brighter than it had for that church in some time. Now, the church is casting about for a new pastor. I have wondered if I could be of any help to them. After all, I do know a bunch of the preacher brethren and I do know some of the people in that church fairly well. I was just about convinced that I ought to call up some of the guys on the board when I stopped myself. Do I really want to recommend someone? What if that person is a colossal flop? I might end up hurting the church far more than I might help them. In the final analysis I decided I could not risk it. Now, if they call me and ask about someone that they are considering that might be different, but I'm not even sure about that.

Pastors seeking churches usually don't have keen perception of what churches really are like. What's more they will put their best foot forward in the interview process. Churches often don't know what questions to ask. It is something of a minor miracle that good pastoral fits ever occur. So, what can be done? I can pray for my former charge. It is the least that I can do and perhaps the most as well.