Our large Protestant American church was losing it's old pastor and there
were many problems. The church was low on members and lower on money.
We needed someone to ignite the congregation.
One day all the members were called to hear a new candidate for pastor and
we all came to see for ourselves. He was there with his wife, and he spoke well, very well,
but I thought I saw a problem with his story. He told us how his father had been a
great pastor in the heartland of the country, but after his father's death and his own coming
of age he did not follow in his father's footsteps but found a non-religious profession.
It caused his mother pain and she prayed for him, but it did not happen. Instead
every day after work he would drop into his favorite bar and have a few drinks before
going home to his wife, who was also without God.
One day, he later told us, he had just come in and sat down at that bar when someone touched his
elbow and helped him up and whispered to him "Come on, this place is not for you." When
he looked to see who had spoken to him and helped him up...there was no one near him.
No one at all. It made a big impression on him, and he left and never went back. After this he began
classes to become a pastor, and he aimed at a new profession. His wife did not want to join him in
following God, and so they decided to get a divorce. That is why I didn't think that he would be approved
as pastor, because our denomination had been strict about members not divorcing. But then the vote was taken, that day I think, and it surprised me that he was approved by every single member, including myself. We saw something in him that we needed, I think.
That was years and years ago, and pastor was probably the best we ever had and we inreased greatly
in members and found the funds to add a new building to the church. I remember one day he was told
a news story about something disgusting that had happened and he said that "That may be true, but God
is still on His throne". Those were true words and they still are true today.
He was a few years older than I was, and passed away maybe five or six years ago. Is he in Heaven today?
I know he must be.
were many problems. The church was low on members and lower on money.
We needed someone to ignite the congregation.
One day all the members were called to hear a new candidate for pastor and
we all came to see for ourselves. He was there with his wife, and he spoke well, very well,
but I thought I saw a problem with his story. He told us how his father had been a
great pastor in the heartland of the country, but after his father's death and his own coming
of age he did not follow in his father's footsteps but found a non-religious profession.
It caused his mother pain and she prayed for him, but it did not happen. Instead
every day after work he would drop into his favorite bar and have a few drinks before
going home to his wife, who was also without God.
One day, he later told us, he had just come in and sat down at that bar when someone touched his
elbow and helped him up and whispered to him "Come on, this place is not for you." When
he looked to see who had spoken to him and helped him up...there was no one near him.
No one at all. It made a big impression on him, and he left and never went back. After this he began
classes to become a pastor, and he aimed at a new profession. His wife did not want to join him in
following God, and so they decided to get a divorce. That is why I didn't think that he would be approved
as pastor, because our denomination had been strict about members not divorcing. But then the vote was taken, that day I think, and it surprised me that he was approved by every single member, including myself. We saw something in him that we needed, I think.
That was years and years ago, and pastor was probably the best we ever had and we inreased greatly
in members and found the funds to add a new building to the church. I remember one day he was told
a news story about something disgusting that had happened and he said that "That may be true, but God
is still on His throne". Those were true words and they still are true today.
He was a few years older than I was, and passed away maybe five or six years ago. Is he in Heaven today?
I know he must be.
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