I love to be known as a Friend, An Encourager, A Coach, and A Counselor with pastors. Building relationships and developing fellowship among pastors is a major part of my job as Director of the Shiloh Baptist Association.

I was ordained in one of the larger rural churches in central Kentucky, 1965. The church celebrated it’s one hundred and seventy-fourth anniversary last month. I was blessed by having one pastor who served from 1929 – 1965. He baptized my dad and mom when they where in their young years and he baptized and ordained me and then retired a month later.

I have served as pastor of seven churches in four different states and have been an intentional interim of three churches. My ministry duration at each church has been five to fourteen years. I came to the current position as Director of the Shiloh Baptist Association nine years ago, in 2000. There is a great congregation of uncounted hundreds looking down from heaven who have served with me.

My earned doctor’s degree from one of our highly accredited seminaries and the forty-three years of pastoral experience have given me credentials. I have served in small churches and larger ones. I have served in rural and suburban-city churches. Congregation members have shared with me that, “You are the greatest pastor we have ever had,” and “I believe you need to leave.”

My three children and six grandchildren have grown up in the family of a pastor. They each have a good walk with God as a result of God and their parents, sometimes in spite of the pastor-father and the church-congregation. I have had great enthusiastic excitement as well as discouragement to depression. My wife Brenda, and mother of my children, who shared thirty-seven years of that journey with me, knew what it was to be in the “fish bowl.” She modeled the way until God called her home six years ago, in 1993.

Brenda sometimes said, “We don’t have friends, we have church members.” Another, thing she said, “I wish we could sometime have the time and money to go off on a vacation other than our parent’s home.” Sometimes she would respond to family or friends who said life’s not fair by stating, “True, life is not fair. Get over it.” Not from scripture, but demonstrated by Jesus on his missionary journey to Calvary.

My wife, Joyce, has been on the journey with me for two years. She is a friend of pastors. Her saying is, “Keep it simple.” “Don’t think on it.” “What can you do about it?” “I can’t be bothered with that.” Her favorite prayer is “The Serenity Prayer.”

Here is what I have learned, “Pastor, you need a friend. You need a group of at least four to seven friends. Friends who will love you and not be judgmental. You need friends who will make a covenant with you, meet with you regularly, and develop a close trust and accountability.

I became a friend with Paul Pickern because he shared this passion for not only Baptists but all of our evangelical pastors. I applaud his passion and calling. I have asked him to address our Annual Baptist Meeting related to his pastoral care ministry. One of the strengths that our SBC churches has historically had has been the fellowship of pastors. Current cultural diversity and scheduling have weakened that fellowship opportunity. Now, All Pro Pastor’s is strengthening the fellowship.

It is my joy to be a part of a weekly support group and work across the denominational lines of this pastor care organization.

God used Paul to further expand my horizons and to enlarge my professional and a personal vision. I am expanding my professional and personal friendship to include all of you (all denominations) as God-called ministers.
I have coined the name “Foundation Builders” to include all of those in our Baptist and other denominational / non-denominational fellowships to team with Paul and offer support and encouragement to pastors and church leaders. I affirm Paul’s vision in the pastoral care support groups. I love being a part of my group and encourage you to “take a risk, don’t wait.” Volunteer or enlist to get in a friendship support group. Do it today!

Remember, you’ll never have a friend until you enlist and be a friend. The friends you enlist may not be perfect, so you and I may fit right in.

I leave you with this, “A friend is a person who says something good about you behind your back.”