Evangelist Phil Waldrep, a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur, was first invited to preach at a church in Vermont in 1984. In the years that followed, he developed a love for the area that has led to 25 years of ministry to New England, including making financial contributions, preaching in churches throughout the region and hosting a special annual retreat for pastors and their wives.
In September, Phil Waldrep Ministries (PWM) hosted the 13th annual Pastor’s Encouragement Retreat, an all-expense-paid weekend event held to refresh and encourage pastors and their wives through worship, music, good food, entertainment and a few surprises. Although the majority of the attendees are Baptist, the retreat is open to those from other evangelical denominations.
“We treat them like kings and queens,” Waldrep said. “We don’t try to teach them a whole lot; we just want to love on them and let them know how valuable they are.”
Valuable indeed, as there are fewer than 250 Baptist churches in the six-state region, which has a population of around 15 million, according to the Baptist Convention of New England’s (BCNE) Web site. Alabama, by contrast, has more than 3,200 Baptist churches serving a population of just more than 4.5 million.
“Pastors in New England are like soldiers who serve on the front lines in battle,” said Jim Wideman, executive director of the BCNE. “They deal with a hostile spiritual environment at worst and indifference at best. In addition, they are often isolated from fellow Baptist pastors and do not have the fellowship and encouragement they need.
“The Pastor’s Encouragement Retreat that Phil Waldrep Ministries provides for us is like an oasis in the desert for many of our pastors,” Wideman said. “Several of them have publicly said they had come to the retreat ready to resign but the care and love they received at this retreat prepared them to go back to their field of service renewed and ready to fight the battle for another year.”
One such minister is Larry Jordan, youth pastor of Living Water Community Church, Oakland, Maine.
“When I came to the retreat last year, I was literally at the brink of quitting,” he said. “[The retreat] was extremely refreshing. Phil and his wife and the encouragers go out of their way to pamper and take care of us. This is genuine.”
The encouragers are volunteers who are assigned to give extra individual attention to the couples in attendance. The 36-member volunteer team at the 2009 retreat included a group of encouragers from churches in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee ministering to about 100 couples.
Each year, PWM selects a resort-type hotel in New England for the retreat. This year, it was held at Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, N.H.
“We try to find a nice facility for them,” Waldrep explained. “Most of them never have an opportunity to get away; if they have resources, they put them back into their churches.”
Daryn Marsh, pastor of New Colony Baptist Church in the Boston area, verified the truth of that statement. “This is our first time away from the children in 10 years,” he said.
One highlight of the weekend is a banquet. This year, the menu included a buffet featuring New England clam chowder, lobster, prime rib and grilled chicken.
The featured speaker was Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tenn., and former pastor of Gardendale’s First Baptist Church. Entertainment was provided by ventriloquist David Pendleton.
Gaines also preached three sermons during the weekend, and he and his wife, Donna, along with Maegan Waldrep and Tyler Woodham, led breakout sessions Friday morning. Steve Gaines focused on pastors, Donna Gaines targeted pastors’ wives and Maegan Waldrep and Woodham shared information about community missions.
Each session included congregational singing led by Sam McElroy, executive director of PWM.
“I want them to enjoy the singing,” McElroy said, noting pastors don’t get a lot of opportunity to sit in the audience and enjoy the service. “Each year, I try to teach them something new that they may not do at their church.”
The retreat always includes at least one surprise for the attendees. This year, Phil Waldrep staged a game show he called The Blessings Game. After an elaborate routine that included boisterous audience participation, he allowed each couple to “win” a $300 American Express card.
The final event at this year’s retreat was a foot-washing ceremony. Encouragers washed the feet of the pastors and their wives and then gave each of them a towel embroidered with 1 Corinthians 15:58. Amid tears, several pastors and wives insisted on washing the encouragers’ feet.
The initial idea for the retreat came from Aubrey Jones, then pastor of Precision Valley Baptist Church, North Springfield, Vt., where Phil Waldrep preached in 1984.
“Aubrey talked about the isolation,” Phil Waldrep noted. “He said he missed spending time with other pastors and wished there was a retreat where they could get together.”
Jones died a few months before the first retreat was held. Each year at the banquet, the Aubrey and Peggy Jones Award is given to a pastor and wife who have shown exemplary service and sacrifice. This year’s award went to Joe and Joan Murphy. Joe Murphy is retiring this year after serving as pastor of Grace Bible Church, Moscow, Vt., for 35 years.
Next year’s retreat is set for Bethel, Maine. For information, visit www.philwaldrep.org.
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