Twenty years ago, on Father’s Day, I preached my first sermon as the Senior Pastor of Berean. (18 years earlier, I joined Berean as a single PFC; later that year, Pam joined to teach at BBA.) That morning, I flew in from Fort Lewis, Washington, and after lunch, Steve took me back to the airport. Flying, flying, flying was the norm that first year. The sermon text was Malachi 4:6; the sermon, “Fatherless Homes and Effective Fathers,” was 61 minutes too long. In those days, we didn’t have two services, so we didn’t need shorter sermons.
I can honestly say I never expected to make it to 20 years. I am embarrassed to tell you how many times I wanted to quit. I continually picked milestones, like 5 years and 10 years. I would tell myself, “I will endure for ten years.” I needed short-term marks on the calendar to work toward. I would tell myself, “I will get this fixed, and then the next pastor can take over.” Pastoring was far more difficult than anything I had done in the 82nd Airborne Division.
My learning curve was ridiculously vertical. Bereans have been so patient with me. I knew nothing about being a pastor. I am still learning. I had no experience. Zero. I had taught a weekly Sunday school class and served as a deacon. I was a rookie in every sense. One simple idea drove me. I tried to be the pastor I wanted when I was a member of Berean. What was I doing pastoring Berean? The former pastor could not be my mentor. Books mentored me. At first, I learned more about how not to do it.
In my first year, I flew back and forth between Detroit and Raleigh every week to preach and fulfill my Army obligations. In 2007, I retired and was finally no longer divided between the Army and Berean. Everything needed to be done. There was so much that the question was where to begin. For a year, we employed a painter every day—Monday through Friday. Painting, painting, painting. Flooring everywhere needed to be replaced. Theology needed to change. It was overwhelming. I changed too much stuff too quickly, and it is only by the grace of God that I wasn’t dismissed repeatedly. The staff, the deacons, and the congregation have always been so forgiving with me. I messed stuff up all the time. Think of the sermon in May 2012 and the CNN interview as just one of many examples. Thank you, Berean, for not letting me go.
After the honeymoon, things quickly became difficult. Who can remember the too-long July members’ meeting without AC? Once was enough. The systematic exposition of Scripture, chapter by chapter, continually confronted us with things that needed to be changed. We spent months working on a new covenant. Articles of faith had to be revised. A membership class was developed. The sinner’s prayer was dropped. Stopping this and starting that became normative. The Spanish church left, even after too many hours of negotiation. Precious, hard memories. Members left. It seemed like every few months, people who had voted for me to be the pastor were leaving. People leaving is the hardest aspect of pastoring. I had this idea that if they were just shown the truth from the Bible, that would be enough. But it wasn’t. Tradition is powerful. It is often the enemy of applying the Bible. Who remembers the Sunday night when leaders walked out during the sermon? I do. Few want a truly biblical church. And who wants a building project—we have had two!
My challenge to you is to be the one who wants the truth of Scripture to change you. Be the one who will let the Word of God, rightly interpreted, change you. Be the one who extends grace and patience. Be the one who is open to hearing a differing perspective if it isn’t heretical. Be the one who is led by the Spirit, not tradition. Be a true follower of Jesus Christ.
Berean, thank you for letting me lead. Most churches don’t let the pastor lead. For 20 years, you have. Thank you. Today, we have a Council of Elders who share the burden of leading the flock, and I am very thankful for them.
Finally, I thank God for my dear wife and best friend of 37 years, Pamela Sue. Who could have imagined when we were married here in 1989 that we would spend the rest of our lives together with Berean? Pam is the prayer warrior, trusted companion, and partner God made for me. In the privacy of our relationship, she tells me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. She doesn’t want the limelight, the accolades, or any titles. She is a rock-solid, quiet follower of Jesus who prefers to live in the shadow, being a wife, mom, and now meme. She is the epitome of Proverbs 18:22.
Above all, Pam and I thank God for sustaining us when I wanted to quit and for His faithfulness to Berean through these twenty years. Brothers and sisters, join me in committing to being “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain” (1Co 15:58). Amen.
