Last week I sat down with three brothers in ministry, two of whom are twice my age, to put down plans for a pastoral fellowship we coordinate.
Three hours later we scatted to our various posts having done little planning, but oh! those hours were not wasted. As the bottomless chips and salsa kept coming we bantered back and forth about theological matters and counseled one another through pastoral issues.
Such spiritual camaraderie does wonders for the pastor’s soul and ministry.
Pastor, do you have any comrades in the gospel ministry?
I doubt you need any experiential encouragement to find some soul-brothers in ministry. So let me let good Dr. Piper give you some historical encouragement on the matter.
PASTORAL COMRADES
At the 2011 Desiring God Pastor’s Conference Piper delivered his biographical address on Robert Murray M’Cheyne entitled, “He Kissed the Rose and Felt the Thorn: Living and Dying in the Morning of Life.”
40 minutes into the talk he addressed the life-giving, ministry-expanding friendship M’Cheyne had with Andrew Bonar and Alexander Somerville. His eight minute meditation is worth prayerful attention. You can listen to it below:
I found the final few minutes particularly challenging, so on the outside chance you don’t have eight minutes, I’d invite you to consider the following section from Piper’s manuscript.
“Your impact in the world will be exponentially increased through these kinds of friendships. Van Valen captured this exponential effect of McCheyne’s band of brothers like this:
McCheyne’s ‘school’ tended to be more spiritual than theological. Their influence was evident not so much in the college halls or the study rooms of the theological students; they distinguished themselves not in controversy, when it concerned the fight against error, but their contribution was more effective in spreading the classical teaching on grace to the general public. Their task was especially focused on evangelization and revivals and didn’t exist to give substance to theological structures. Hence their strength lay in their preaching, which distinguished itself from the preaching of others “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”.
“Bands of brothers—comrades in a great cause—are more than the sum of their parts. May God link your arms theologically, spiritually, personally for the sake of this exponential effect.”