One of the interesting aspects of living out my ministry calling on the West coast has been dealing with the negative impressions some have of pastors who work in this context. For example, when I first moved west, one person told me, “The only pastors who move to the West are those who can’t get a good church in the South.” Another person asked me, “Why would you take your family into such a secular place?” And my favorite, “Why do you need to go ‘up north’ and make Christians out of them Yankees when we need good preachers down here?”
These comments used to make me angry. Now, they are either amusing or exasperating—depending on my spiritual temperature that day! And, thankfully, as Southern Baptists have developed a more national identity, the frequency of these comments has declined. May that trend continue.
Working with pastors in the West for more than 30 years has given me a more positive perspective on their identity. First, pastors are in the West because they really believe God called them here. They are not interested in getting a “good church in the South” or anywhere else. They are in the West because they want to be. Second, they accept secularism and lack of a Christian subculture as facts, not as threats. They are not afraid to raise their families here, knowing their responsibility to nurture a healthy family is not determined by the difficulty of external circumstances. Finally, they are passionate about reaching people in what most Southern Baptists consider a missional context. They are not afraid to take on the missionary aspect of pastoral ministry in the West.
There is also some insider knowledge, often shared quietly among Western pastors, about why we enjoy living and ministering in the West. We enjoy the frankness and openness of the people. Most are not Christians, and there is no cultural Christianity clouding the waters of defining true commitment. As my oldest son told me once, “In Oregon, you’re either a Christian or you’re not. No reason to fake it.” In some ways, evangelism is easier in the West.
We also enjoy the greater freedom to develop creative ministry approaches and try new methods to reach people. While “we have always done it this way” is sometimes heard in the West, it is not voiced as stridently as in other places. We also enjoy the greater unity we have with other pastors. Pastors in the West know they need each other—both within and across denominational lines. We are less eager to argue and divide over secondary and tertiary issues. Because we know we need each other, we find a way to get along.
Pastoral ministry in the West has its challenges—fewer well-trained leaders, less financial resources, more limited church facilities, less cultural support for churches, and greater distances to travel for meetings. But the positives make taking on these challenges worth the effort.
As Southern Baptists come to Anaheim this summer, many will meet Western pastors (who will be attending their first and perhaps only annual meeting). As you meet these remarkable men, my hope is your image of western pastors will be changed in positive ways. You will discover good men, sacrificing much and working hard, but content they are in God’s will and serving in the best place on earth. May God call more men to pastoral ministry in the West!
Read More
Theology the Norwegian Way: The Curious Case of Gisle Johnson
Gisle Johnson was a prolific scholar who made significant contributions to Norwegian theology. However, with barely any of his works translated into English, few today know about this maverick scholar. Dr. Robb Torseth hopes to change that.
Excerpt – John Piper, Calvinism, and Missions: A Way Forward
Read this section of Dr. Hopkins’ new book on the theology of John Piper.
Listen
Textual Criticism
Dr. Wegner walks listeners through the basics of Textual Criticism; what it is, why it’s important, and how to understand the footnotes in your Bible. We recommend watching this video on YouTube as Dr. Wegner has a great powerpoint with visual examples of old manuscri
Inerrancy
The original authors of the Bible wrote their manuscripts without error, but is the modern version of the Bible we have today also inerrant? What is the difference between inerrancy and infallibility? Dr. Wegner covers these things in this episode and starts to explor
Watch
Jonathan Edwards and the Asbury Revival
Chris Chun and Chris Woznicki discuss the signs of true revival, signs of the work of the Holy Spirit, and why it is important to critically assess the characteristics of revival in a spirit of charity.
Jonathan Edwards and the Baptists | Douglas Sweeney, Nathan Finn and Chris Chun
Dr. Douglas Sweeney and Dr. Nathan Finn joined Dr. Chris Chun for a panel discussion on Jonathan Edwards, recorded live at the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim.