Pastors

Ministry Lessons from My Father

He passed away early in my life but remains the biggest influence on my ministry.

I was 16 years old when my father died. A year and a half later, as a high school senior, I was called to succeed him as the pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. I did not have many years with my father, but he was and is the primary influence on my ministry. Now, after 25 years of pastoral ministry, I see more clearly the ways my father mentored me. Most of it was not formal instruction. He took me with him to services, classes, funerals, hospital visitations, and meetings. Here are a few of the lessons my father taught me.

Read widely. My father was a voracious reader. Many of my early mental images are of him holding a book. He owned thousands of books. They were scattered about everywhere. He constantly fussed at me about not reading enough. When I would ask my father a question, he would go to his library and get a book for me to read. I would respond by saying, "Never mind." But his discipline for reading rubbed off on me over the years. When I now meet with the associate ministers at my church, I typically begin by asking the question I heard my father ask countless times: "What are you reading?"

Take sermon preparation seriously. My father preached two different sermons on Sunday mornings. Each message was fully handwritten. I never saw him go into the pulpit unprepared. He also taught a class for ministers on Tuesday evenings. He would give a devotional message and discuss some area of ministry, then he wanted to know what each preacher present was studying. It didn't matter if you only preached once a year! His discipline for study and readiness in the pulpit taught me to take my sermon preparation seriously.

Love your congregation. Some pastors love to preach but cannot stand the people to whom they preach. My father definitely loved to preach, but he loved his congregation just as much as he loved the pulpit. I never heard him complain about the congregation. He loved being with them. He was there in times of crisis. He even loved those who were hard to love. My father was a pulpiteer. But when I meet his former members, they don't talk about his preaching. They tell me about visits, baptisms, funerals, weddings, and countless ways he lovingly shepherded his congregation.

He faced betrayals, opposition, and dry seasons with stubborn trust in the Lord.

Weather ministry storms with faith. My father's pastorate was not storm-free. The sun cannot shine every day for 40 years. He endured several ministerial hurricanes. Yet my father weathered ministry storms with unwavering in the faithfulness of God. "The house may shake," he often said, "but it won't fall down." It never did. He faced betrayals, church splits, financial reversals, opposition, and dry seasons with faith that the Lord would care for him, his family, and the church. Through it all, the Lord sustained him. My father's stubborn trust has been a great benefit to me as I have faced my own ministerial storms over the years.

Admit your mistakes. My father also taught me what not to do by his negative example at times. Though young, I saw my father make some colossal mistakes. I had a front-row seat for things he should not have said or done. Yet my father did not hide from his mistakes. He admitted it when he was wrong. I cannot tell you the impact it had on me to see this titanic figure apologize, privately and publicly, when he was in the wrong. Many of his ministry setbacks were his own doing, but by God's rescuing grace, he would get off the mat and keep fighting. Setbacks would become comebacks. By seeing my father's mistakes, I learned that failure is not final. God can give you a fresh start, a new beginning, and another chance!

H.B.Charles,Jr. is pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Church, Jacksonville, Florida.

Copyright © 2016 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.

Our Latest

The Black Women Missing from Our Pews

America’s most churched demographic is slipping from religious life. We must go after them.

The Still Small Voice in the Deer Stand

Since childhood, each hunting season out in God’s creation has healed wounds and deepened my faith.

Play Those Chocolate Sprinkles, Rend Collective!

The Irish band’s new album “FOLK!” proclaims joy after suffering.

News

Wall Street’s Most Famous Evangelical Sentenced in Unprecedented Fraud Case

Judge gives former billionaire Bill Hwang 18 years in prison for crimes that outweigh his “lifetime” of “charitable works.”

Public Theology Project

How a Dark Sense of Humor Can Save You from Cynicism

A bit of gallows humor can remind us that death does not have the final word.

News

Died: Rina Seixas, Iconic Surfer Pastor Who Faced Domestic Violence Charges

The Brazilian founder of Bola de Neve Church, which attracted celebrities and catalyzed 500 congregations on six continents, faced accusations from family members and a former colleague.

Review

The Quiet Faith Behind Little House on the Prairie

How a sincere but reserved Christianity influenced the life and literature of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

‘Bonhoeffer’ Bears Little Resemblance to Reality

The new biopic from Angel Studios twists the theologian’s life and thought to make a political point.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube