Dear Southern Gables Friends,

As we get closer in our search for a permanent senior pastor, it is important to remind ourselves that no pastor is perfect. You know that because I have been with you for almost five months. Here is what we know about Platt:

1. He has a hard time staying under 40 minutes on Sunday mornings.
2. He tells a lot of jokes (sometimes the same ones over and over).
3. He gets "hoof and mouth" disease sometimes.
4. He has a lot of Hawaiian shirts
5. He doesn't like to sit on the front row during services.
6. He has a fabulous haircut!

Nobody is perfect, especially pastors and particularly me. Many people are disheartened to learn that their pastor is not the perfect Christian, the perfect man, and/or the perfect pastor. So let's not set ourselves up for disappointment by expecting perfection. Also, churches that expect perfection in their pastors will sap the joy out of the man, his wife, and his family. It is very important that we get a realistic view about pastors as we prepare for the next senior pastor of Southern Gables Church.

But if one thinks about it, most of the Bible characters were not perfect either. Imagine if some of them were considered by a pulpit search committee. The assessments might look like this:

Noah:

He has 120 years of preaching experience, but no one was converted during his entire ministry. He should consider going back to the boat building business or work in a zoo.

Moses:

This guy has a stuttering problem when he speaks. He seems to rely on his brother too much for leadership. His former congregation says he loses his temper over trivial things and throws things when he gets angry.

Abraham:

He took off to Egypt during hard times. We heard that he got into trouble with the authorities because he lied to protect himself.

David:

He seems to be a good leader, but his moral character is very bad. He put out a contract to have a woman's husband murdered. He might be a possibility for a minister of music position if he had not fallen into adultery.

Solomon:

He has a reputation for wisdom and good understanding. His problem is that he fails to practice what he preaches. This guy seems to have a problem with women from foreign countries with pagan religious backgrounds too.

Elijah:

This preacher has had some good successes but he can be very unstable at times. He tends to get depressed, quit when under pressure, and become a recluse.

Hosea:

He is a sincere man but his family life is in shambles. Actually, this preacher is really unqualified -- divorced, and remarried to a prostitute.

Jeremiah:

He is too emotional and cries when he preaches. Some people think he is an alarmist; others think he is a real pain in the neck. He sometimes exhibits some really weird behavior.

Amos:

He comes from a farming background and has no real leadership experience. He might be better off picking figs for a living.

John:

He says he is a Baptist but he is really more like an old hippie. All his sermons are about one thing - repentance. He would not do well at church dinners with his strange diet of locusts and wild honey.

Peter:

This guy has a really bad temper. He can be really dangerous with that sword he carries if confronted. He was even heard to have denied Christ publicly. He should go back to his former occupation as a fisherman.

Paul:

This preacher is harsh and argumentative. He preaches way too long and people fall asleep in his sermons. Worse yet, this guy has a criminal record and a lot of jail time. We can't have this!

Timothy:

He has potential but is not able to lead yet. He is much too young to lead a church and lacks experience.

Jesus:

This man tends to offend established members with his preaching, especially the people who know the Bible. He is also not an expository preacher, tells too many stories, and is way too controversial. He even offended a search committee with his pointed questions one time.

Probably the only one that might have looked really good to a search committee might have been Judas. I can picture some pastoral search committee giving this assessment of him:

Judas:

This man seems to be very practical, passionate, good with money, concerned for the poor, and well dressed. He sure has a lot of good connections with religious leaders. We think he might be just the man we are looking for to fill the vacancy as our Senior Pastor.

Funny stuff, huh? I know I have embellished it some. But my point is that there is no perfect person and there is no perfect pastor. No one is perfect, including you and me. So, you can be sure that the next senior pastor will have his flaws too. The sooner we get realistic the more likely it is that our new pastor will be accepted and used of the Lord.

Folks, we don't know who the new pastor will be yet. We don't know when the new pastor will arrive as yet either. But one thing we do know is that God is working. Our Pastoral Search Committee is faithful and seeking God's person. In time, God will make His way plain to us. Please continue to pray for these wonderful and capable people on our Pastoral Search Committee. We need the hand of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, so please ask God to give them wisdom as we narrow down our search.

Until then, there are some things you can do. Begin praying that we will treat our new pastor with patience and be willing to follow his leadership. Then, when the new pastor comes, show him grace and give him latitude. Let him be himself. Don't compare him to pastors of the past. Respect his leadership. Love his family. Be especially kind to his wife and kids. Let him grow into the job and the work. Resist the temptation to criticize. It will make the difference to time and eternity as well as for our church in the now.

I plan on doing some more "spade work" to prepare you for the next pastor of Southern Gables Church. Perhaps this first installment might get you thinking about our expectations, help you consider how we treat a new pastor, and continue to encourage you to pray for God's next leader for this great church.

Well, that is my epistle for this week. This coming Sunday, we have one of our beloved missionaries, Jon Haley, who will be sharing God's Word with us. Gary Hapken will give us an update on our budget and our church campus. We will gather around the Lord's Table for a time of remembering what Christ did for us. Our worship team, orchestra, and choir will lead us in our worship of Almighty God. It will be a great time with the Lord and His people.

So, see you this Sunday for worship! Bring a smile, a Bible, and an open mind to let God talk to you. Remember, we have two worship choices for you:

• 9:00 AM Worship — praise, worship, and songs of the faith
• 10:30 AM Worship — songs of the faith, praise and worship

I love being your pastor!

mplatt@sgc.org