To Those Who Have Pastors

He knows more of the personal problems of more people than does any gossip columnist, yet he tells no one but God.

He must generate group enthusiasm as does a cheerleader at a disappointingly slow ball game.

He feels the pressure to produce a winning team as does the ball coach.

He is given the responsibility of leading but always from a servant position.

He must give three or more speeches each week to the same general group. He must not be repetitious or boring. He must have fresh, up-to-date materials and data. He must do it without a speech writer or research team.

He must be approachable at all times regardless of his own personal desire to be left alone.

He must teach from a book studied and read by his students, yet he must be fresh and informative.

He must continually sell himself, his company, his produce and, most importantly...his Boss; with the realization ever before him that to fail produces death. He must never get behind in paying his bills; he must dress well; he must drive a clean car; he must have tools to do his job; he must be a leader in his gifts to charitable causes; he must entertain and he must do it all on a salary which is, most of the time, inadequate.

He must be willing to listen to people by the hour; to not know how to enjoy an uninterrupted meal with his family; yet handle his own frustration over lack of time for his wife and children.

His work is so much a part of him that he cannot separate the two.

He is a walking, talking, loving man of God, man of men, man of a family; one who is called "Pastor".

He is trained to preach, to pastor, to administrate, but somewhere someone failed to give him the magic word which changes him into Captain Marvel. He is a man; a good man, but a man. Without the grace of God his load would be too great and he would break.

Some do anyway.

(Ernie Perkins, Former Director of Missions, Capital City Association, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)