My #1 Advice to Young Pastors

It was over thirty years ago. I was still teaching Evangelism at Southwestern Seminary and had just accepted the invitation to become Wedgwood Baptist Church's Senior Pastor. Taking a few minutes to browse in the school's bookstore, I ran into one of my favorite professors, Dr. Tom Nettles. At that moment I got a chance introduction to a gentleman who would subsequently heavily influence my life. Dr. Jim DeLoach, Senior Associate Pastor at Second Baptist Church in Houston was up on the "Hill" for some meetings.

Dr. DeLoach asked me if I'd like to come down and spend the day with him at Second Baptist. This began a mentoring relationship that lasted several years.

As the pastor of a growing and exciting congregation, I had many more questions than answers. So, I would spend a few months of ministry writing my questions down as they came up, then travel down to Houston. There, I would spend the day going question by question, page by page. I would write down Dr. DeLoach's wise counsel. That mentoring relationship was of incalculable value to me. The many insights and lessons he taught me are still with me to this day. No doubt, many of the things he taught me, I have passed on to others over the years.

I hope that if you are a young minister, you have someone to turn to for guidance and support. If you need help, the best thing you can do is ask for it. May the Lord bring a Dr. DeLoach into your life! On the other hand, if you have some miles of ministry under your belt, maybe you need to keep an eye out for somebody who needs you! Often God's solution to our challenges is not a "something" but a "someone."