I didn’t think I would.

As a young person growing up in church I considered the job of the pastor about ‘the most boring I could imagine’. Then I began to appreciate my own pastor.
 
D.L. McPherson was pastor of my home church for about twenty two of my most impressionable years. He was a superb preacher,  a gifted evangelist and a visitor second to none.

He was a man’s man: an outdoorsman, a hunter and a mechanic. It was rumoured that when he purchased  a new car he took it apart and put it together again to ensure that it had been assembled properly. 

He was a diligent worker with a custom of reporting to the congregation the business he conducted on their behalf. I remember a report he shared at an annual meeting. He outlined the number of sermons, Bible studies, visits, and meetings he’d conducted over the past year. I was astounded.

He loved God. One Sunday evening, surrounding events I will never know, he shared a prayer whose sincerity shook me deeply: ‘Father, I pray that you would strike me dead rather than ever allow me to do anything that would bring a reproach to your name.’

He loved people. On the night my grandmother died he sat with my grandfather from two am till seven.  On a weekend it became apparent that a key leader had fallen into sin, he was so devastated that he had to be led from the pulpit by board members. As I remember, it was months before he could return to his duties.
Next year, Lord willing, I’ll celebrate my fortieth year of pastoral ministry. It seems everything I’ve learned about pastoring I learned first from him. 

What have I learned? Love God. Love people. And live with integrity. No matter how impactful your sermons, it will always be your life that speaks most clearly.

Did you have a pastor that powerfully impacted your life? I’d love to hear your story. Please share in the comments below.