Your Voice

Your Voice

A gift every church member can give

By Jeff Iorg
President, Gateway Seminary

Over the past two months, it has been my privilege to attend numerous state convention annual meetings — preaching, teaching, hosting Gateway Seminary events and interfacing with pastors and other leaders.

A common theme in both the meetings and the conversations has been the wearisome ministry season pastors and other leaders have endured since the pandemic began.

To put it in a phrase, ministry leaders — particularly pastors — are weary and worn down. One of the primary sources of emotional depletion among pastors is dealing with petty conflicts among church members over issues like masks, vaccines and other pandemic-related issues.

Pastors are shepherds who prefer to keep watch over peaceful flocks. They are also peacemakers — people who promote peace rather than look for ways to stir up dissension. When trouble comes among their followers, it takes an emotional toll on pastors and other leaders.

One biblical leader recorded his experience about the impact of conflict among his followers on him.

Paul appealed to the Philippians (2:2) to “make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

A leader’s joy is affected by the way his followers treat each other, not just the way they treat the leader.

When a pastor has members arguing, debating or disputing with each other, he pays an emotional price.

Church division is a joy-sucking distraction for a pastor.

Seminary presidents are not pastors, but we still lead religious communities. The spiritual maturity of the Gateway community during the pandemic has been energizing for me as their leader.

While our employees and students have many opinions on pandemic-related issues, they have consistently kept our mission at the forefront and worked hard to minimize divisive debates about extraneous issues. They have given me the gift of deference and support.

Give your pastor and other church leaders the same holiday gift this year. Stop needless arguments over divisive issues.

Recognize pastors and other leaders are making hard decisions about nebulous issues with almost no frames of reference or best practices to guide their choices.

Support your pastor and other leaders with humility and deference, rather than add to their burden by sharing your joy-robbing opinions on “what they ought to do.”

Pastors are dutiful shepherds. Most have stayed faithful during the pandemic, fulfilling their calling and providing pastoral care to hurting people. They have demonstrated supernatural patience and remarkable endurance.

Stand with your pastor by choosing to be a cooperative part of their flock. By doing so you add to their joy and contribute to their resiliency.

That’s a Christmas gift every one of us can give this year.

(Reprinted with permission from gs.edu/presidents-blog/a-gift-you-can-give/)


Everyone experiences failure

Most pastors fight an uphill battle against misconceptions. One is the thought that those who are called are different from all other believers. Not so. A call from God does not cancel human failure. The called, whether for salvation or Kingdom service, know life is filled with slippery slopes.

In Genesis 16–17, we see how God forgives a repentant child and uses him to populate the kingdom of God on earth.

Falling and failing are life experiences for the saved and the lost. The saved, however, find God will restore them to a life of service.

The lesson of Abram is a word picture of how God forgives and restores to service those who submit to Him daily. This is the challenge for us.

God gave Abraham an eternal mandate which exists with our calling to serve Jesus Christ. … Also, the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ has become the basis of a new covenant of Kingdom membership with the promise of eternal life.

Believers cannot overemphasize this covenant with promise. The promise of God was extremely lavish in any age.

Abraham had but one requirement; faith in God. He was not worthy of the gifts of God, but neither are we.

There is no begging by Abraham, only a total surrender to the God of Israel.

It has not changed. When there is genuine repentance and absolute trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the gifts of God are unlimited. When we get convinced in our spirit of all God will give our children, friends and acquaintances, we will share Christ. Nothing in Abraham’s gifts exceeds our gift of life in Christ here and eternally.

Jack Green
Retired pastor, missionary
Center Point, Ala.

A special thank you

“Thank you, for giving to the Lord. I was a life that was changed.”

This is a lyric from a song but it is a message to a man who made a remarkable impact on my life, Brother Al Jackson, who recently retired as pastor of Lake-view Baptist Church in Auburn.

When I was a teenager at Vacation Bible School at Carolina Baptist Church, near Andalusia, he was my pastor.

He asked a simple question one morning: Who in here has never given his heart and life to Jesus Christ but wants to do that today? I raised my hand. A few of us — all guys, as I recall — went to Brother Al’s office and prayed to receive Christ Jesus as Lord.

I cannot fathom living without Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Brother Al and Carolina Baptist Church and all the people who led VBS when I was there.

Thank you for giving to the Lord. I was a life that was changed.

Terry Wilhite
Loxley, Alabama

Love is not a suggestion or request. It’s a commandment. That means it doesn’t start with your emotions. It starts with your decisions to seek the wellbeing of another.

Pastor Tony Evans
Oak Cliff Bible FellowshipDallas

I was a late bloomer as far as reading and writing. … Just because you haven’t attempted something before you’re 50 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

Author Katy Shelton
“Christmas Matters: How the Birth of Jesus Makes a Difference Every Day”

Trusting that God will provide is required to be successful in this ministry. He has always provided whatever has been necessary.

John Osborne, director
Bethel Baptist Association food ministry

When God provides a resource, He already has a plan for it, whether He has told you yet or not.

Michael Ethridge
Birmingham Metro Baptist Association

Will this holy season find us lifting songs of praise to God for His gracious and mighty works?

Jerry Batson
Retired professor of religion, Theology 101 writer

Saints before the altar bending, Watching long in hope and fear,

Suddenly the Lord, descending,  In His temple shall appear:

Come and worship, Come and worship,

Worship Christ, the newborn King!

James Montgomery
“Angels From the Realms of Glory”

It is my hope that before I die I get to see more Asian missionaries on the field than Western countries have ever sent in Christian history. I hope the same is true for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Jeremiah Farmer
International Mission Board missionary serving in Asia

We’re not praying for revival. We are living it!

Pastor John Cernek
Indian Bible Church
Elton, Louisiana

We know it was difficult to try to do ministry last year, but the Lord continues to redeem the people for Himself.

Chris Derry
IMB director of church and network relations

As I walked along the shore the other day, I saw a beautiful seashell. It looked perfect. I bent down and picked it up, but on the other side was a hole — it was “broken.”

As you walk among the crowds this Christmas, step carefully and be kind. The people you pass may look just fine, but if you were able to turn them over or see their heart,  there is brokenness.

Our Savior was born to mend broken hearts; you be His hands, His feet, His mouth this Christmas season!

Yvonne Looney via Facebook

Every great movement of God is preceded by prayer. … It happens when people get burdened for themselves, the church and those who are without Christ.

Preston Nix
Professor of evangelism and evangelistic preaching
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary


From the Twitterverse

@brocraigc
The sweet tones and sounds of Christian fellowship that happens just before the church settles down to worship … is one of the most beautiful sounds there is.

@MattSmethurst
The greatest threat to Christmas is not secularism or consumerism, but our own boredom with the most magnificent story ever told.

@philipnation
As we travel through the Advent season, let’s replace comfort with service, consumerism with sacrifice and nostalgia with missional living. Let’s proclaim the gospel and live out its transformative work …

@shane_pruitt78
God and Satan are not equals …God is all-knowing, Satan is not. God is all-powerful, Satan is not. God is everywhere, Satan is not. God is victorious, Satan is not. God is God, Satan is not. God bows to no one, Satan will bow to God.

@macbrunson
We all want to be saved from the results of sin, but down inside we don’t want to be delivered from the sin itself. (C.S. Lewis’ “The Red Lizard”)

@jdsummerlin
If you are a Christian but unloving, no one will believe you when you talk about the love of Jesus.

@davidcofield
Our everyday moments might be ordinary, but when we accomplish them while displaying the fruit of the Spirit, they reflect our extraordinary Savior. —Emily Jensen

@ShaiLinne
I’m seeing so many people that I’ve served with, prayed with and co-labored with walk away from the Lord. It produces in me a strange mix of grief, fear and gratitude, knowing that apart from God’s sustaining grace, I would have fallen away a long time ago.

@ChandlerDonegan
I can’t help but notice while watching graduation @SEBTS, our faculty is INCREDIBLE. It is such a joy to learn from these men and women as they glorify God in the academy, equipping students to #FulfilltheMission.

@PaulTripp
The gift of God’s grace means we have reason to celebrate every day

@mhenslee
I bow before the throne which absolves me, I clasp the cross which delivers me, I serve henceforth all my days the Incarnate God, through whom I am a pardoned soul. —Spurgeon