PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH, PART 3 OF 3 - PASTORS I'VE NEVER MET

 

 

My bookshelf (it's been rearranged once or two dozen times since).

In this three part series, I've looked at pastors who have been behind the pulpit with me sitting under their ministry. I've also looked at pastors who were primarily sitting at one side of a McDonald's table with a cup of hot coffee and me on the other side with a cup of iced coffee. 

However, God had used people in the role of pastor I have never met. Sometimes, it's because their influence was more via television or radio or books they've written, with me observing from a place they can't see me. In other cases, they are individuals who finished their race before I started mine. I'll be mentioning "pastors" I appreciate who were, in a sense, behind the veil. And these I'll list alphabetically - more challenging for me, but it might make this list more interesting!

1. Kay Arthur, founder of Precept Ministries.
   
2. Athanasius, church father and influence on the Nicene Creed.
   
3. Margaret Becker, Christian singer/songwriter.
   
4. Rosaria Butterfield, author of The Gospel Comes With A House Key, dealing with hospitality and community.
   
5. Steve Camp, Christian singer/songwriter, pastor. 
6. Michael Card, Christian singer/songwriter, author.
   
7. Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option, focusing on community.
   
8. Les Feldick, host of "Through The Bible with Les Feldick, focusing on the importance of Paul.
   
9. Ronnie Lee Floyd, former SBC President.
   
10. Todd Friel, host of Wretched Radio.
    
11. J. D. Greear, former SBC president.
12. Keith Green, Christian singer/songwriter.
    
13. Gary Habermas, apologist.
    
14. Dave Hunt, author/apologist.
    
15. Eric Liddle, Olympic runner, missionary.
    
16. John MacArthur, pastor, author, radio minister. 
17. Daniel McCabe, singer/songwriter for the Daniel Band. 
18. Dr. J. Vernon McGee, pastor, host of Thru The Bible Radio.  
19. Philip Melanchthon, reformer, co-laborer with Martin Luther. 
20. Russell Moore, seminary professor, former ERLC President.
21. J. P. Moreland, apologist, author of Love Your God With All Your Mind.  
22. Rich Mullins, Christian singer/songwriter.
23. Kerry Nietz, author of the Peril In Plain Space trilogy, which emphasizes community (don't be scared off by the book titles or book covers). 
24. Ed O'Neil, founding member of Dixie Melody Boys.
    
25. Janet Parshall, hostess of "In The Market" on Moody Radio.
    
26. David Platt, author, pastor, former International Mission Board president.
    
27. Frank Reich, formal football player, Colts coach, seminary professor.
    
28. Carroll Roberson, Southern Gospel singer. 
29. Francis Schaeffer, author. 
30. Charles Simeon, pastor who dealt with adversity.
    
31. Charles Simmons, pastor and radio minister. 
32. Charles Stanley, pastor, radio/TV minister.
    
33. Tertullian, church father. 
34. Cal Thomas, journalist.
    
35. Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Pathways.
    
36. Isaac Watts, pastor, hymn writer, author of logic textbooks and cathecisms.
37. Charles Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist church, evangelist/pastor, hymn writer. 
38. George Whitfield, co-founder of the Methodist church, missionary/evangelist.
39. Malcolm Wild, Christian musician.
    
40. Richard Wurmbrand, pastor, author of Tortured for Christ, founder of Jesus To The Communist World (now known as Voice Of The Martyrs).

Have any authors/historical figures/musicians/TV and radio ministers been an influence on your life?

PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH, PART 2 OF 3 - PEOPLE GOD USED TO HELP SHEPHERD ME

Courtesy of TheGospleMark

Continuing with looking at Pastor Appreciation Month, I'd like to mention other ministers who had an impact on me that I believe are worthy to be included as pastors, even though they did not have that title. Some had the role of teacher, others were more friends. These would include:

• Rita Reynolds - my Grandmother, who taught me to memorize the books of the Bible.
• Rev. Marv Cowan, a Missionary to Utah, who I had opportunity to talk to one week at camp when he did an elective on cults. I saw him at Verde Baptist soon afterwards, since Verde Baptist supported him.
  
• Mike Cook. Was he supposed to be a youth pastor, or did he just serve a role?
  
• Bible college professors David Nicolas, Steven Sonmor, Rick Railsback, and Dennis Wretlind. I had opportunity to speak to them outside of class while I was at school.
  
• Bill Smith, who taught a men's Precept class in Tennessee.
• Dan Harting, founder of Families Against Cults.
  
• David Witt, CEO of Spirit of Martyrdom 
  
• Bishop Robert Lyons, who was head of the chaplains department Becky worked at. I had some opportunities to interact with him as well.
• Church Planter/Artist Kerry Jackson and Steve Sering, who worked with Circle City Canvas Church.
• Josh Jacobs, who was an influence to me while he was pastor at Hunter Road Bible Church.
• Mark Mirza of Common Thread Ministries.
• Missionary Monte Baker. I've talked to him on phone and Skype.
• My men's study group at Northside Baptist Church: Curt Waters, Nick Laurino, Jim Myers, and Tim Schlotterbeck. I also will include the teachers of the Living Stones class, which include Myers, Schlotterbeck, Glenn Christie, and Chris Pole.
• Finally, a list of friends I've had throughout my life that have had an influence on me spiritually in alphabetic order: Lonnie Atkenson, Mel Brown, Tony Finch, James Lawson, Dan Schafer, and Mario Smith.
  

 Do you have any teachers and friends who weren't technically pastors but who filled that role in your life?

HOW ABOUT AN ALL SAINTS DAY PARTY?

 

When I read Building the Benedict Option: A Guide to Gathering Two or Three Together in His Name, author Leah Libresco mentioned two ideas that intrigued me. The first was Easter caroling. Hey, why not? Stopping at homes and singing about the Resurrection? The other was a Saints party, where everybody would go around and talk about their favorite saints.

Yes, Libresco is Catholic, and this concept sounds more Catholic than Baptist. Other than Christmas and Good Friday/Easter, the only other liturgical calendar event I've seen at a church I attended was the lighting of the Advent candles. Even though Pentecost is based on a Biblical event focusing on the church, I see more emphasis given to Mother's Day and the Fourth of July. Reformation Day may get some attention - which it deserves - but don't expect All Saints Day to be noticed.

Let me give a dissenting voice. I want to celebrate All Saints Day. I want to have a Saints party! I want to get together with other believers and hear which saints have made an impact on them.

Of course, as most Baptists, I have a different definition to the word "saint." Catholics believe certain people are saints. They go through a process that starts with Beatification, which requires a miracle their posthumous intercession is responsible for, followed by canonization to sainthood following a second miracle. My hunch is most saints to gain that status during the lifetime of their contemporaries. 

When I read the term "saint" in the New Testament, it refers to all believers, not just the spiritual superstars. Paul addressed his recipients as saints, even the model church in Cornith. (A model church of what should be avoided.) Church fathers Tertullian and Origen didn't make the cut of being saints in the Catholic definition, but I expect them to be in the company of the saints in heaven. Besides, as hinted at, you can be a saint where you're alive.

I'll never forget listening to a call on a talk show the day Mother Theresa passed. The host said that she was a saint, and that he and the caller were not. If I had access to a non-work phone, I would have dissented. If we believe in Christ, we're saints. And we're not to see others as being so far beyond us that we can never be close to them, but rather make it our aim to be fully pleasing to Christ (2 Cor. 5:9). 

Another objection is that we're to follow Christ. All human models are fallible. The so-called heroes in the Bible like Noah, Moses, David, and Peter have moments (or more) of failure. Only Jesus lived a sinless life. True, but don't forget 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul says be imitators of him as he imitated Christ. 

So who are my favorite saints? I thought about making a list, and I might next year, but I will give five off the top of my head to get conversations going. They would be:

• Drew Brees, quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. Is my tongue in cheek here? Just a little. I know enough to know he's the real deal as a believer.
• Charles Simeon, a pastor in England and contemporary of Jonathan Edwards and the Wesleys. He endured a lot of hostility from his congregation for over a decade, even getting locked out of the church. As a wealthy man, he bought churches (a common practice then) so he could hire Gospel preaching pastors for their pulpit. And I love his dialog with John Wesley (I might write a blog about that sometime).
• Isaac Watts. Not quite my favorite hymn lyric writer - Charles Wesley edges him out. But besides hymns, he also was an apologist. He wrote age-appropriate catachisms for children, and a logic book that was used by Oxford and Cambridge (schools he wasn't able to attend because he was a non-conformist) and Yale.
• Brother Alex in Columbia. He and his co-workers were stopped by guerillas, most of which were killed. They shot Alex in the eye, to which Alex replied, "Has anybody told you Jesus loves you?" After the incident, the gunmen were arrested and imprisoned, and Alex went to visit them and tell them of the love of God.
• Pastor Joe LoMusio, former pastor at Cactus Baptist Church (Phoenix, AZ) and Temple Baptist Church (Fullerton, CA). I can tell you about the sermon he preached the first Sunday night I heard him preach at Cactus Baptist Church, including his text, his main point, an illustration he used from his life, and a joke he made. That sermon was in late August, 1978.

 I'd love to talk about more, but I'll pass for now. Allow me to comment, though, that like the meme I have at the top of this blog - "Surround yourself with those who bring you closer to God. This includes not just your friends, but the authors you read (non-fiction and fiction), the musicians you listen to, and even what you watch (some might help your walk with the Lord, some might hinder).

Who are your favorite saints?

INTERVIEW WITH MORGAN TROTTER

Today, I'm honored to interview Morgan Trotter from Huntsville, Alabama. I became acquainted with Morgan by being in a couple of Facebook groups he was in dealing with Christian music. He's since started a third dealing with current events and culture. I have enjoyed sharing conversations with him on-line for the past several years.

*    *    *

JR: Thank you for your time, Morgan. I know you're a fan of Jesus music from the '70's and '80's (and probably since as well), are a singer song-writer as well, and also served as a pastor in the '90's. Which musicians had an impact on you?

MT: The musicians who influenced me the most are Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, Steve Camp, and The 2^nd Chapter of Acts. Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy influenced my songwriting. Keith Green and Steve Camp influenced my outlook through their high levels of personal commitment, encouraging me to be more dedicated to Christ. The 2^nd Chapter of Acts encouraged me to be more open to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and also taught me to listen to God and for God with my heart as opposed to just with my mind.

JR: I believe Christian music has a potential to be used to make disciples and give an answer for faith, but it also has the ability to conform to the world and may actually lead people from the faith. Is there anyone in music you consider examples of being faithful ministers in proclaiming the truth in the ways I mentioned?

MT: Some of the ones I think have been great examples to this day are Keith Green (who sadly left us way too soon), Scott Wesley Brown, Bob Hartman of Petra, the members of the 2^nd Chapter of Acts, and DeGarmo and Key (Dana Key left us too soon, too).

JR: One ministry you currently have is being a moderator for a pair of groups on Jesus Music and one on Contemporary Culture. How do you feel those groups are helping us grow in the faith?

MT: I sure hope they’re helping people grow in faith in some way. Of course, the medium of social media is limited in terms of personal connection. I feel one reason our nation is currently so divided politically and ideologically is because people are having discussions online rather than in person. This breeds misunderstanding and hostility. I doubt many people have changed their minds because of something someone said on Facebook. In light of this I’m very aware of the limitations of trying to minister or witness via social media. In the Jesus Music groups you mentioned sharing the gospel is complicated by the fact that the topic under discussion is primarily the music and only secondarily the gospel. And in fact, in one of those groups the rules prohibit theological discussions, so the amount of in-depth witnessing one can do in that group is limited. In the other Jesus music group, I’ve tried to create more of an atmosphere of openness in which spiritual and theological issues may be discussed more thoroughly. My hope and prayer is that something that’s shared there might positively influence someone’s life. I also hope those with spiritual or theological questions will feel free to ask them there.

As for the Contemporary Culture group, I created that group as a place for Bible-believing Christians to be able to discuss current events from a biblical perspective. Social media tends to create “echo chambers” in which like-minded people get together and share their views, and I’m sure that group is like that to some extent as well. But the desire was to have a place where Christians can find answers in the Bible’s truth and authority. We try to stay away from purely political discussions, but when politics intersects with matters of faith then the group is a place to discuss those things as well. I hope people in the group who are struggling with their faith or with certain issues will find it a place to ask questions and find biblical answers.

JR: Thank you for your time, Morgan, and may the Lord Jesus Christ richly

MT: And you as well. Thank you for having me, Jeffrey.

 *    *    *

What musicians and ministers have been an influence to you?