Open Doors
My first pastorate was at a small church in Monett,
Missouri. I made a lot of mistakes during my nine months there. My lack
of experience and staff contributed to my unhappiness. After three months
I was READY to leave, after six months I BEGGED to leave, and at nine
months I told God that I WASN�T GOING TO STAY any longer. He was gracious
enough to let me go.
The next four years I served as a Southern Baptist evangelist,
traveling all over the country, speaking at revivals, crusades, and
conferences. I also pastored a small Baptist church near Marshfield,
Missouri, for a year. During this time, I devoted myself to doing what
I loved most�preaching. The best thing was I didn�t have to be accountable
to anyone�that�s what I loved most about evangelism�I could do my own thing.
But gradually, imperceptibly, my ministry had grown into my
business. I was SINCERE about preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I
was very business-driven. Money and fame became my motivations. I grew
carnal during my years on the road. I loved God, but I was in the ministry
for ME.
In February 1990, I made a business decision to return to pastoring.
God led me to Pythian Avenue Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. My
ministry at Pythian Avenue can be summed up in one word: MAINTENANCE. I
attempted to simply help the people maintain their spirituality. I did the
things I thought a pastor was supposed to do. I preached the Word with
energy, visited people in the hospitals, and prayed with the sick. But I
experienced very little spiritual growth, and certainly did not create a
church atmosphere that was conducive to spiritual growth.
Church attendance grew during my years at Pythian Avenue simply
because there was nowhere to go but up. I had inherited a congregation of
16 people. The people had a huge facility, but they had not been able to
use it because they couldn�t afford the heating and cooling. They had shut
the water off and had begun to hold their services in the fellowship hall.
I did what any good motivational speaker could have done with that
congregation. I motivated, encouraged, and preached. We did see a modest
growth in numbers. And I do believe that people were blessed by the
preaching of the Word. Isaiah 55:11 tells us that the Word of God "will
not return to me empty." However, there was little HUNGER for God�s
presence.
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