Successful Pastor

I last week’s Manna, I mentioned attending my first annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention at age nine with my Pastor/Father. Let me elaborate briefly on why my father was a highly successful pastor. Nacogdoches, Texas is not small compared to nearby Woden or Alto, nor is it big when compared to Dallas or Houston, both located just a few hours away. First Baptist Church was neither small nor large in comparison. It was a prominent church in a growing city with a noted University (Stephen F. Austin University). What made my dad successful? In addition to being a beloved pastor, he was a part of the community. He drank coffee almost every day at the City Cafe. He rode on the Fire Truck during the 4th of July parade. He prayed many a dedicatory prayer over the opening of new businesses. He shared the play-by-play announcing for High School athletic events. He offered the invocation for everything from football games to tractor pulls, to monster truck rallies. He was more than a pastor to Baptists. He was a pastor to all kinds of other folks. He shared devotional thoughts with university athletic teams. He was an officer in the local Lions Club. My advice to young pastors (feel free to pass this on your yours) – Balance the time you spend exegeting scripture to be a good expositor in the pulpit on Sunday with the time you spend exegeting the community in order to be a good minister to them on Monday through Saturday. The Bible says it this way – “though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more” (1 Corinthians 9:19).