Pastor Privileged Monthly: April
LOUD Conferences, my book is inspiring (!), and some HAPPY news on the personal front
This is Pastor Privileged Monthly, where you get an insider’s end-of-the-month view of what it takes to be a pastor theologian.
👉 In April: LOUD conferences, an inspiring book, and some GOOD news on the personal front.
Iowa Ministry NETWORK COUNCIL
Every year, Assemblies of God pastors in Iowa gather for two days in Des Moines for worship, prayer, voting on leadership and policies, and—most importantly—to ordain the next generation of pastors.
It’s a loud event.
There’s a lot of lights, booming worship music, enthusiastic preaching, and sporadic hoops, hollers, and cheers for those getting their ministerial credentials.
I’m not into the loudness. Like, I’m not being critical of it. I could just do without it and I think the event would be equally glorious.
I say this because the best part for me is the relationships that I’ve formed over the last decade here in Iowa. At the event, I found myself routinely skipping the songs (and sometimes more) to hang out in the lobby of the church to catch up with friends old and new.
Again: I don’t want to poo-poo anything else happening at the event (especially not the laying on of hands), but I’ve come to realize that the lobby time of Network Council is probably the most important part of the event. It’s the place where we pastors build each other up and hear one another tell of the goodness of God over the last year. We share secrets of God’s kingdom work that will never be told from the stage of the megachurch we’re meeting in—nor should they be.
It’s also the place where we talk about everything we perceive to be going in the wrong direction in the Assemblies of God. Don’t tell anyone, but that’s really important too. I promise it’s not complaining. It’s patriotism.
(I hope I don’t get in trouble for saying it’s okay to play hooky from service 😬)
Book Update (the first of the HAPPY news)
I sent my next book to the editors, and I already have it back with some minor adjustments. I’ve morphed the working title a bit to Tongue on Fire: Recovering the Spirit and Power of Pentecostal Proclamation.
Two things:
I really think Pentecostal preaching is not what it used to be. And that’s why I felt like I needed to write this book.
The book isn’t about preaching as such, but more broadly about the task of proclamation. Which means this book isn’t just for pastors, it’s for everyone who cares about witnessing to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My editor told me he was entirely inspired and teared up reading the manuscript. That’s about the highest compliment a writer can receive, so I’m all the more excited to get it to the printing press.
The publisher says they’re going to get it translated into SPANISH for simultaneous release in both languages 🤓.
Finally, more HAPPY NEWS
As many of you know from the last edition of this sub-Substack, I unexpectedly lost my job at Evangel, and they let me know so late in the academic year that deadlines for job applications in academia had already passed.
I’m still applying for jobs that I’m qualified for, but I’m increasingly feeling like God is calling me to a season of hustling. As it stands right now, it looks like I have FOUR part-time gigs lined up for the rest of the year. Some of those things are not set in stone yet, but I’m super excited about the prospects because they’re all about using my particular skill set of pastor and theologian together. That’s what I want my life to be about (which is why that’s what this Substack is about).
I’ll keep you posted on the deets.
For now, the HAPPY NEWS is that I’ve been entirely humbled by the outpouring of kind words, expressions of solidarity, and belief in my calling that I’ve received from so many directions in the last month.
Since announcing that I lost my job, I’ve really felt the meaning and reality of the body of Christ.
I cannot express my gratitude.
Don’t Forget to subscribe to me Slow Burn Christianity if you haven’t already:
I can’t wait for this new book.
In the mean time, what is adjacent material on Pentecostal preaching you find helpful?
May God bless you in this transitional time! 🙏🏻