A Pastors’ Conference Worthy of Rejoicing
On April 27 and 28 I had the privilege of speaking at a fellowship meeting for a group of pastors. There were 15-20 men present, ranging in age from the mid-20′s to the mid-80′s (yes, even some retired pastors attended). Not knowing what to expect since I had never spoken to this group before (there were some friends and former students among them but most were men I had never met), I was greatly encouraged by the warm reception I received. But more than that I was thankful to find a group of men who were passionate about the cause of Christ, who were faithfully serving their congregations, and who were dedicated to improving their knowledge about the truth of the Bible. The topic I was asked to speak about (the New Perspective on Paul) was not a simple one, yet the men listened intently, asked intelligent questions, and appeared to benefit from the nearly four hours of lectures.
It was gratifying to be with a group of pastors who showed genuine love for one another and for each other’s ministries. It was also encouraging to be with a group of men who were not cranky, complaining, or cantankerous (you know the type). Nor were they hung up with issues like which Bible version to use or whether or not suitcoats should be worn at every church service. No, here I found independent, fundamental Baptist pastors who were humble, hard-working, Gospel-loving, Bible-preaching pastors.
This group was the Northern Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches in Minnesota. May God give us more pastors and pastors’ fellowships like this!
