Joe McKeever

Taking Care Of The Caretaker

Two items in the Fall 2004 issue of "Leadership" have struck a deep chord within me, and I thought you would appreciate them.

In an article titled "Body Politics," Gordon MacDonald relates an incident from 1966, early in his ministry and a time when our nation was polarized over racial issues. Gordon had become friends with the pastor of the only African-American church in that southern Illinois community, so when trouble broke out between white and black young people, the two ministers decided to get together and talk.

At Gordon's invitation, the Black pastor brought several carloads of young men and women into the MacDonald home for a lengthy discussion. As a result, a dialogue ensued between the African-American leaders and the police, and the community soon came together. "I assumed everyone (especially my congregation) would be thrilled," Gordon writes.

One week later, at the beginning of a church leadership meeting, a deacon stood to announce his anger at the pastor over this incident. He pointed out that the pastor had betrayed his ministry by engaging in "social gospel" activities. According to him, the pastor had no business interfering in the African-American community, and unless he renounced what he had done and wrote a letter of apology to the newspaper and promised never to do such again, the deacon would resign from the board and perhaps from the church too.

MacDonald says, "It was a scary moment." Everyone sat there, waiting to see what would happen next.

At that point, the chairman of the deacons looked the man in the eye, called him by name, and said, "We're very sorry to lose you from this board." He looked at the others in the room and said, "Let's turn to tonight's agenda." The now ex-deacon stalked out of the room.

Reading of that chairman's faithful actions some 38 years after the event, I want to stand up and applaud him. Every pastor needs such courageous lieutenants standing with him---behind him, beside him, sometimes in front of him---people who do not wait to ask what is right, or take a vote on what the majority wants to do, but who see the right way and take their stand.

Ted Traylor pastors the great Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola. In the article titled "Water from Home," Traylor recounts an incident that occurred when he terminated a worship leader with 24 years service in that church. "...it appeared to me he was in the wrong place now, given the times and our needs. He was gifted in other areas, skills we needed, and I approached him about making a move."

The staff member balked, and resisted the move for a full year. Soon the pastor's recommendation and the minister's resistance became public, and people began to choose sides. At that point, Traylor asked him to resign.

The day the staffer announced his resignation, the church held a business meeting. People stood to accuse the pastor, to blame him, to express the wish he would leave. Traylor admits that had any pastor search committee from anywhere shown up then, he would have gone with them. In the days and weeks ahead, the tension intensified as anonymous letters arrived and people vilified his wife. It was the lowest point in Traylor's ministry.

One night, when Pastor Traylor arrived home with his son, he spotted three men from the church sitting under the street lamp in front of the house. He recognized them as his best friends from the church. Were they there to ask him to leave too?

"We've been on a little trip today," one said.

Another said, "Preacher, you ever read Second Samuel 23?" That's where David was fighting with his men, and wished for water from the well in Bethlehem.

He continued, "We remember how you used to talk about the well back in Pisgah, Alabama. You said it was an artesian well that flows right out of the ground so cold and pure that you'd stick your head down and drink water till you nearly drowned."

"Well, we got up this morning at 5 o'clock and drove to north Alabama. Preacher, we've been to Pisgah."

"We met your mama and daddy. They showed us the well and we brought you this." A quart jar filled with water from the well at home.

Ted Traylor cried. But that was not the end.

"And preacher, remember how you said you used to go out on the brow of this mountain and pray? You were a teenager and several from your high school football team were called to preach, and you would walk out on that rock ledge to practice preaching. Well, your daddy showed us that rock. And we brought you this."

Two large chunks of rock.

"Anytime you get discouraged, pastor, just go out in the yard and stand on these rocks. The God who called you will be the One who takes care of you."

And there was more.

The deacon pulled out an old coffee can, full of moss and dirt, with blooms poking out the top.

"Remember those rhodendrons that grow on the side of that mountain? We want you to know that the God who is the Lily of the Valley will always bring a fresh flower to your soul if you will trust him."

Toward the end of their visit, one of the men spoke for the others. "Pastor," he said, "we've talked about this all day--six hours up and six hours back--and we want to make this statement to you: we will die for our pastor. We will die for you. If you stay straight and be moral and be ethical and be biblical, we will die for you." Then he added, "If you are immoral and unethical and unbiblical, we will kill you."

Another said, "Preacher, we're not serving you. We're serving the King who called you. And we are in this together."

This outstanding magazine can be found at www.LeadershipJournal.net. I recommend it highly. The cartoons are great, too.