Young Pastors
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
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Sometimes I hear people discounting age in the ministry. I know that rookies make rookie mistakes, but there's a lot they bring to the table as well. Energy, passion, fresh eyes and reckless abandonment to the cause to name a few. But of course, I've got to say that, since I'm still considered "young" by many in church circles (students not included), at the ripe old age of 31.
Enough. Here's an excerpt from an AJC article about a young preacher making some waves. If you fit this demographic, here's some encouragement for you:
Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living. I Timothy 4:12 (BBE).That feeling, he admitted, still exists. McInnis, 29, is one of the youngest ministers in the North Georgia United Methodist Conference. He's the lead pastor of Church of the Way, which holds services in a Lawrenceville elementary school.
Yes, he's the youngest minister whenever the Methodist pastors gather, and, yes, he sometimes gets tired of that distinction.
But McInnis also looks at his age as a bonus: He is surrounded by mentors who are eager to share their knowledge with the kid in their midst.
McInnis, who is married and the father of two boys, 5 months old and 2 years old, regularly meets with two other younger pastors roughly his age. Over coffee, they sometimes discuss their age and the challenges the ministry faces in attracting younger people to the pulpit.
Younger ministers, he thinks, are crucial to the growth of the church.
"The greatest unchurched generation in our county is the 18- to 29-year-old generation," he said. "And who's going to reach them?"
JG
posted by Unknown @ 10:55 PM |
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