Wondering about my Wanderings

Pastoral Objectives

Life has so many twists and turns.

I came to Kansas City with visions of ministerial bliss. I came to the city with little else but the clothes on my back. I survived the rigors of seminary and even after doing well there I had no guarantee there would be a job waiting for me. Being a pastor sure had its ups and downs. On the one hand I knew rejection and on the other faithful victory.

I had a major crisis in 2001. The church I was pastoring decided to close it's doors and soon after I was in the midst of a very painful divorce. My pastoral aspirations were put on hold. I entered the secular workplace, which was scary. I had done well preparing for ministry, I had no idea what it would be like to shift gears.
My main objective as a pastor was to pay child support, be there for my kids and pay back my debts.

I was able to do all those things and was even married in 2008. Now I shift perceptions to the here and now.

I have most recently been exploring the possibility of pastoring in Wichita. I am amazed at how God has been preparing me for the prospective possibility of being a pastor again.
1. The Baptist church is looking for a pastor that can respect their charasmatic agenda. I have been wrestling with those kind of issues since I began being a pastor. At one point I found myself atending an Assembly church. I was all prepared to join the church, when the Spirit of God said no! I wept at not knowing why God was hindering me. I knew only that God had work for me to do in the Bapist church. It all seemed real strange at the time.
2. I have spent a lot of my time trying to understand why divorce happens. I will get to answer that question again. God is sharing with me that one can not be married with an adversial agenda and that is in essence what happened. I went my way and she went hers. God rose her up from the dead to where she is studying to be a pastor. God rose me up from my divorced defeat to get married again and entertain that I COULD once again be a pastor!!!
3. Life goes on and that is a pastoral objective in itself. I am happy with how God is using. me. I love caregiving work and God has opened doors to other arenas I can hone my minister skills. At other times I have entered the pastorate with the aura of desparation. I needed a job. God is teaching me that I will find out what it means to be a pastor by entering into the joy of the Lord.
4. God is teaching me. I am helped to understand how I can best minister and in a sense I help this church determine who the best man for job is. And who knows that persons could even be me? In any case, we both win!