Have you checked in on your pastor lately?

Have you checked on your pastor lately? How is he or she doing? Have you offered to pray with them or just listen to them? Have you asked how their family is doing? How is his or her spouse, kids or even the grandkids doing? How is their health?

Pastors have the unique vocation of serving God by taking care of God’s children. For some, this is a full-time job. It consists of late hours, phone calls at all hours, stressful visits by parishioners, fellow clergy, or church officials. It can also include being a spouse and or parent. The role of the pastor is a cross, make no doubt about it.

When I say cross, I don’t mean that in a bad way. The cross that Christ calls us to bear is one filled with love for God and neighbor. The burden is often light and the path on which we carry it is often straight. But there are times when we pastors need someone to just talk to, or who will listen. Sometimes we just need to know someone cares.

The fact of the matter is we are human. Your pastor is a man or woman of God, that is true, but we also get sick. We stumble, we have doubts and we have fears. We share in dreams and disappointments. We get angry and we cry. Every pastor that has ever served a church has been human and they have walked down roads most people can’t even imagine.

So, have you checked on your pastor? Does you pastor take a couple of days off in the week? Has you pastor been on vacation this year, or even in the last five years? How are they doing financially? (You control the salary after all.) Are their kids able to get the school stuff they need? Have you been visiting with the spouse to see how they are doing?

Personally, I am blessed with a church that looks after me. I have a prayer team that prays with me once a week. People in the church seek out my wife and encourage her. They ask after my children. They pray for us and look for ways to help us be the pastoral guides we are called to be.

Look for ways to assist and help your pastor as the busy season approaches. Yes, from the beginning of school to the end of Easter, the pastor is going at a dead run, trying to fulfill their calling and the expectations of the church. It’s okay to give them a break.

Every pastor is going to and has gone through rough patches. We deal with church issues and denominational issues. Often, we are called to be janitors and counselors all in the same breath. Many pastors have jobs outside the church, and that is another burden laid upon them. They are put under a double scrutiny for performance and perseverance.

We have the wonderful privilege of sharing Christ with you and the world. You can help us do that by just showing your love toward us. I just ask that you be there for your pastor because you pastor is truly a gift from God to you.

See you in church.

Rev. Kent Wilfong is the pastor at the United Methodist Church, Doniphan/Neelyville.