Archive for the 'Pastors' Category
Guest Post | 10 Reminders for Every Pastor, by Jeff Crawford
Today, RonnieFloyd.com welcomes guest writer, Dr. Jeff Crawford. Dr. Crawford is Lead Pastor of Ministries and Teaching Pastor at Cross Church.
Three weeks ago, I had the privilege to serve on the ordination council of four young men here at Cross Church that we were considering for Ordination to the Ministry. The council was the culmination of a long process. All four men had clear testimonies of salvation and a later call of God on their lives to the ministry. All four had been previously Licensed to the Ministry by either our church or another church. And all four had been under the supervision and watch care of our staff for a season as we considered their readiness for ordination.
And so, in a meeting room of Cross Church, along with seven fellow pastors, we spent two hours with this group of four going deep, deep, deep, into their readiness for ministry, their commitment to their calling, their theological anchoring to orthodoxy, and much more. I am happy to report that all four were unanimously recommended for ordination by the council and all four will be formally ordained this Sunday morning on the Cross Church campus where they serve.
The whole experience for me was a real throwback to my own ordination council, now over 20 years ago. It really took me back to the roots of my own calling and all the reasons why I do everything I do on a day-in and day-out basis. Ministry is hard. Ministry is wonderful. Ministry will take all you have and then some. And ministry will add more to the life of a pastor than could ever be counted. But one thing is certain… in order to survive and thrive in ministry, you must be called. And that is the purpose of the ordination council, to discern the true calling and readiness of the candidate.
With that said, allow me to steer your thoughts today, pastor, back to the moment of your own calling and ordination. As the years progress, it is easy to drift. Not necessarily morally or ethically, but drift by way of why you are doing what you do. And in that vein, allow me to share some of those most basic of basics that I shared with our candidates three weeks ago, that I once again reminded myself of, and of which we all need to never drift.
- Keep your focus on Jesus. Don’t become so focused on ministry that you forget who it’s all about.
- Love the Church. The Church is people, and this can be hard to do at times, but loving people is the essence of ministry.
- Uphold the Bible as God’s inerrant, infallible Word. Study it, learn to preach it / teach it. It is amazing that some of those who carry the title today of “clergy” deny the truth of God’s Word. The Bible IS the standard of all Truth and this can never be forgotten.
- Get the best preparation you can (education). Degrees are like keys on a key chain – the more you have, the more doors you can open. God forbid that there be some door you want to walk through one day but don’t have the key to open. At this point your ability to minister and lead is limited.
- Be a lifelong learner. Read, read, read. NEVER believe that you’ve learned it all.
- Marry a woman called to be the wife of a pastor. Who a pastor marries will determine the level of ministry effectiveness he will have. Yes, God calls women to be pastor’s wives just as He calls pastors. For those already married, lead and cultivate health with your wife as a pastor’s wife. Just as it can be lonely for the pastor, it can be lonely for the pastor’s wife. You are in it together.
- Be sensitive to other people. Sensitive of the previous generation(s) and the next generation. This balance is extremely difficult, but necessary.
- Be willing to go anywhere God wants you to go. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” Psalm 24:1. Don’t limit God.
- Be willing to do anything God wants you to do. Count on it – God will call you to do things that you believe are too big for you. And God will call you to do things you believe you are too small for you.
- Teach your children to love Jesus and love the Church. Family first, ministry second. Don’t let your children hate God and the Church because they stole Daddy from them. Remember, if you lose your family, you will lose your ministry.
Remember your calling, pastor. Remember those who believed in you when you were ordained. And remember the God who equips you for every good work.
In the words of the steward of this blog, now is the time lead.
Blessings,
Jeff Crawford
Lead Pastor of Ministries, Teaching Pastor, Cross Church
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
5 Keys in a Pastor’s Marriage
Following a pastor’s personal salvation and his surrender to the call of God to ministry, I believe his choice of a wife is the most critical decision he can make relating to his life and ministry. I know this, not just by observing the lives of other pastors, but from my own marriage.
I have not always made the best decisions. But when I made a decision to marry Jeana Thomas, it was a great one. Through forty years of marriage, we have learned the value of one another and the value of living life and doing ministry together.
I want to highlight five keys to a successful marriage between a pastor and his wife:
1. Learn from one another.
After being married to one another this long, we have learned so much about each other and marriage. And still, the learning continues. Perhaps what I share today will be an encouragement for your marriage.
2. Walk closely with the Lord individually and together.
One of the things that always encourages me is knowing that when I come out of my home office early in the morning, my wife is also up having her time with God. She does not live on my walk, and I do not live on hers. We walk with the Lord individually. We each take it seriously.
Yet, we walk side-by-side with the Lord. We talk about spiritual and ministry things regularly. We talk with people about their walk with Christ. We pray together nightly. We know it is critical for us to do life and ministry together.
3. Do ministry individually and together.
Jeana has consistently been involved in the ministry of the church. She’s served in the worship ministry, led a cancer support group, participated in weekly jail ministry, and assisted as needed in women’s ministry. She currently leads a neighborhood Bible study, which gives her a unique area of influence.
I am a pastor who does not do ministry alone. Jeana is with me. We have done ministry of all kinds together through the years, from mission trips to funerals to weddings, to so much more. In my service as President of the Southern Baptist Convention, she was there with me. In my present service as the President of the National Day of Prayer, she is there with me.
4. Live life together.
Jeana and I have noticed something in the lives of many ministers and their wives. Many of them live life alone. The wife goes one way and the minister goes another. This is very unhealthy.
Since 1985, Jeana and I have spent Fridays together. Can you believe that? It is rare we are not together on this day. We live life together during the week and on the weekends. Yes, when the children were home, our lives were focused on them, but we still did life together.
Live life together. Ministry and marriage are hard enough. You do not need to fly solo. That is not good for either of you or your marriage. Find a regular time to spend with your spouse. You will not regret it.
5. Honor God’s calling upon your life together.
God is the One who has called you into ministry. If you sensed God’s leadership to marry your spouse, and I assume you did, you must believe that God has called you to walk in ministry together.
Honor God’s calling upon your life together. Do not take it for granted. You have a holy calling upon your lives, both husband and wife.
You have not been called to business, entertainment, or politics, but the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is holy. This is your calling. Live worthy of this call to ministry. Honor God’s calling upon your life together.
Follow Him wherever He leads you. He has a great plan for each of you individually and as a couple. Surrender your marriage to Him now in a new and fresh way. He has wonderful things in store for your life and ministry together.
Now is the Time to Lead and to Pray,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.