Honoring Those Who Pastored Well

Invariably we are affected by a pastor. I honor those who were my pastor at strategic moments. In the hardbound legacy book, Elder Tell Me Your Stories, the elder is asked to answer questions about the pastor who was most effective in the specific responsibilities of pastoral ministry presented in Ezekiel 34.

• Who was your most effective pastor in leading the church? What behavior made them effective?
• Who was best at feeding the flock? What made them effective?
• What pastor seemed best at seeking those who wandered? How did they go about this?
• Who seemed best at being part of God’s process in healing the hurting? How did they minister healing?

The answers to these thought-provoking questions have been a major part of shaping who I am. Let me tell you about them.

Leading in Unexpected Places

E.W. Caughron and his wife came into my world when I was around thirteen. Our rural church of one-hundred thirty people was somewhat was self-limiting. The attitude was, “People know where Shady Grove is, they will show up when they decide they need Jesus.”  

The Caughrons were different. They came with a vision of the church being something more than it had been. It expanded my perspective and helped me see that with a vision, hard work, and focus something more was possible.  

• They led in building a new educational department
• Sis. Caughron was one of the creators of Center of Interest teaching. We had training sessions and spent dozens of hours working to make our classrooms meet her approval. (Do any recall Center of Interest?)
• For the first time I observed coaching toward improvement. If it wasn't right the Caughrons didn't say, "Oh baby, you'll do better next time." Instead, they told you what needed improving and coached you on how to do it. 
• A van ministry to pick up unchurched kids was launched.
• Community oriented outreaches were carried out. Unsaved people began to come out of the piney woods of central Louisiana. 

The Caughrons were effective leaders. They empowered church leaders to make meaningful decisions. They didn't second guess the leadership team but let them lead. They focused everything on winning the lost and making disciples.

It worked. The church grew by 50% during their three years of leadership. Many who were saved during those years serve Jesus today. Pastors, church planters, and local church leaders were developed and at least one fourteen-year-old began to see possibilties. That is leadership.  

By watching the Caughrons I learned to never settle for what is or has been. Don’t spend time patting myself on the back while any remain lost. Our church experienced healthy growth by conversions and making disciples. From those days forward, that became my measure of what matters.  

A Well-Fed Flock

Louis Green became pastor my senior year of high school. He was exceptional with God's word. Every sermon and Bible lesson was remarkable. While a powerful preacher, he also slowed things down and taught. In a short period of time I gained much. 

• Study habits. He never went to the pulpit with a sermon pulled at the last minute from the Pulpit Commentary. He worked at the craft of preaching. 
• His use of good books expanded my perspective.
• Louis Green introduced me to Strong’s Concordance and tried teaching Stan Davidson and me Greek.

Fifty years ago, Louis Green taught Revelations and provided mimeographed handouts. I have the handouts. He fed the flock well and the well-fed flock continued to grow. The church was never fed left-overs.

Louis Green's sermon notes often consisted of four or five words written on the back of an envelope. He'd prayed and studied himself full of the word of God and would then preach himself empty.  

With that example, my feeding the flock could never be a half-baked idea with notes drawn from Sermon Central. Should the voice in the pulpit ever be an echo of someone else's original? Louis Green thought it should not be so. 

It's About the Lost

While attending Louisiana College in Pineville I attended the church pastored by G.A. Mangun. If anybody ever epitomized Jesus concept, "I came to seek and save that which is lost," Gerald Mangun was the person.

Reaching the lost passionately consumed him. No one was so poor as to be insignificant. Yet, G. A. Mangun also reached to the “up and out.”  

His reaching for the lost was contagious. The church took on his mindset. From G. A. Mangun, I learned Sunday is for sinners and that having lunch or coffee with someone who was lost often made more impact than my best sermon. On Sunday, it was rare for G.A. Mangun not to preach to reach the lost.

His simple and constant appeal as he preached the wonder of Jesus was different. It worked. Why argue with success? I thought, "I can preach like that." and I have - Sunday is for sinners. Wherever I’m at on Sunday – my target is reaching for the lost.

(If you'd like to know more read my blog:  Eight Things I Learned from G.A. Mangun)

The Healer at the Helm 

The late T.F. Tenney, my district superintendent for over a decade, consistently worked to bring healing to hurting people. If he knew someone was wounded and hurt, T. F. Tenney reached out with compassion and personal interest.

In my late twenties, I experienced a dark season of self-doubt. Things were not well with my spirit, mind, or emotions.

One afternoon I left work early to visit T.F. Tenney’s office. I poured myself out. I was a mess. I don’t know exactly what my District Superintendent said, but I recall the tenor of the words. They gave affirmation and communicated hope. I’m thankful.

Bishop Tenney was not done. My secretary occasionally buzzed me over the next six months, “Bro. Tenney is on the phone for you.” He had called to ask how I was doing. I was not always able say, "It is well." He stayed in contact - his caring being part of a healing work within me. 

Six months later, I was finally was able to say, “I’m going to make it. You are a busy District Superintendent, and don’t have to phone me anymore. I'll be alright.”

Perhaps you imagine T. F. Tenney took an interest because I was "somebody." You'd be mistaken. He took an active interest in the pain of someone whose name was known by only a few. That is what healers do. It is never about a wounded person's station in life, instead their goal is to bring healing.  

(If you'd like to know more, read my blog - SevenThings I Learned from T. F. Tenney)

Now that I’ve shared let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Don’t just provide a name; instead, tell why a pastor was effective in leading, feeding, seeking the wandering, and healing the hurting.

If you are interested in my legacy hard-bound book mentioned above that has over 350 questions with the elder having space to answer: ElderTell Me Your Stories, click the link to order. 

The concepts from Ezekiel 34 are thoroughly discussed with practical application in my best-selling book, The Science of Shepherding - Pastoral Ministry for the 21st Century.

My Ministry Development Bundle includes The Science of Shepherding - Pastoral Ministry for the 21st Century plus twelve more books and three eBooks.