In case you missed it, I had a call (think pastoral job offer) to Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus, NE, to be an associate pastor in charge of youth and education ministry. And in case you also missed it, I declined that call and decided to remain here at Prince of Peace.
It was one of the harder struggles I’ve ever had in the 10 calls I’ve received since becoming a pastor. The only one that might have been harder was my very first one to Decatur, IL. I liked the senior pastor there a lot, and the church was doing some innovative things. As I look back on all the calls, God used each one in unique ways.
-Decatur, IL, 1997 – This church really modeled well how a staff works together in a healthy way, and they turned me on to Spiritual Gifts assessment ministry for the first time. I also learned of a Bible Study everybody was talking about called Experiencing God. More on that later.
-Medina, OH, 1998 – My eyes were opened during this call regarding the strong role members can play in a church, good or bad. I had a good rapport with the senior pastor, but it was obvious that some of the most influential lay people didn’t want me to come. I decided not to fight it!
-LaPlata, MD, 1998 – This church called me twice. Apparently they felt that my first letter declining the call had “left the door open” for another call. This church strongly modeled the idea of growing the kingdom rather than the church. They reached out to their community through small groups, and didn’t aggressively try to get those folks into church as long as they were in God’s word. I appreciated the head pastor’s mission heart, but God didn’t give me the green light to go – either time.
-Villa Park, IL, 1998 – I wasn’t a good fit with this church. It was an easy call to decline. But they had a unique ministry – a coffee shop across the street. I took the idea back to my church in Lafayette, IN. We thought about turning a new property we had acquired into some kind of innovative outreach to the community. I don’t know whatever became of that.
-Winder, GA, 1998 – To that point, all of my calls had been as an assistant pastor. In Winder there was no church. I would have been starting one from scratch. It was an exciting prospect, but one that didn’t suit me at that particular time. However, it did start some conversations about planting a new congregation on Lafayette’s quickly growing east side.
-Houston, TX, 1999 – For many reasons, I wanted to go to Houston. I liked the senior pastor. My uncle was a member there. They had a great school for our growing family. Beth’s parents were just three hours away. And at that point, I was really starting to experience some strife with the other assistant pastor in Lafayette. I realized I had to clear things up between the two of us. Otherwise, I might be taking that call for all the wrong reasons. We scheduled a time to talk, and I was shocked at the amount of animosity he felt towards me. He clearly saw our conversation as his chance to get me to leave. Ironically, it had the opposite effect. I didn’t want our congregation to go the direction he wanted it to! All of this led to some additional, healthy talks between the two of us and our pastor. In the end, our relationship was improved. I matured a lot through the experience, and he has become more gracious in his dealings with others. I learned that you don’t take a call to get away from something (with some rare exceptions). Chances are, whatever you’re trying to get away from might have something to do with the person you are. If you stay and face it, there might be an opportunity to grow. There was for me. (Incidentally, the head pastor in Houston that I liked so much turned out to be a little bit of a flake, so that was another reason God didn’t let me take that call, even though I wanted to.)
-Farmington Hills, MI, 1999 – The call to Prince of Peace was my first become a head pastor of an established church. As I’ve shared before, my heart wanted to come here, but loyalty made me want to stay. At this point, I had finally obtained the Experiencing God bible study I had learned about from the church in Decatur, IL, and was going through it in my personal devotion time. That closeness with God made it possible for him to change my mind and make the move to Farmington Hills. God had used every call I had received to mature me and prepare me for the one He finally wanted me to take.
-Beaverton, OR, 2005 – I just wasn’t well suited for that situation. I wasn’t looking for more administrative responsibility, but this larger church with a school and lots of staff was just that. The school was very nice, the Portland area was beautiful, and we had some good friends from Lafayette who were members there, but it wasn’t for me. I honestly believe my role in that call was to help them come to terms with the salary they offered. Real estate prices had dramatically increased in Portland, and it had taken the long-standing members of the church by surprise. There was no way we could afford to go there and own our own home. They realized they either had to increase the salary or call someone who had another source of income (i.e., a second career pastor or a wife with a strong income).
-Gardnerville, NV, 2006 – Ironically, my brother was also on this call list, which neither of us knew until after our phone interviews. He was going through a tough time, and was eager to get out of his church. He and his wife made a visit out there and loved it. Yet, for some reason, they called me. After a lengthy phone conversation with the head pastor, it was easy to decline that call. He clearly had issues I didn’t want to deal with! My brother and his wife were initially frustrated that I had received the call instead of him, but later my brother admitted he was so ready to leave where he was, he may not have noticed the head pastor’s oddities. Since then, things have gotten much better for my brother in his church. God directs in strange and wonderful ways sometimes.
-Columbus, NE, 2009 – When this church called me to be their youth and education pastor, I just happened to be heading to Nebraska to start my course work in youth and family ministry. According to one of the church members, “that was a God thing.” I took it to mean that he fully expected I would accept the call. I agree that it was a “God thing,” but in a different way. That call helped me contemplate my role at Prince of Peace (in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise), and I am very excited to see what the future holds.
Believe it or not, that is a brief synopsis of the ways God has worked in my life to help me grow and reveal His will. He wants to work in every believer’s life that way – not just church workers. I hope you take the time for a reflective look back sometimes. It will help you see how God has prepared you for what He wants you to do now.
Pastor Tom
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