We Need Each Other

I recently had dinner with Rodney Hale between the Tuesday afternoon and evening sessions at the SBC Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX. Rodney and I had crossed paths a couple of times earlier in the exhibit hall. During small talk we determined that we should get together for a time of fellowship.

My son, Jay Adkins, who was serving as a Teller, was busy counting ballots during the dinner hour on Tuesday, so I was available. Rodney was too. All of the eateries around the Convention Center were packed at meal time. Folks were lined up out the doors. Neither of us relished the idea of standing in line for over and hour so we began to explore alternatives. (Any one who knows Rodney and I will testify that we do like to eat!) Rodney had arrived in San Antonio a couple of days earlier than I , and he mentioned a steak house he knew on the River Walk several blocks away at the Drury Hotel. Sounded good to me, so we caught the trolley and traveled downtown to sample the genuine Texas Chili and one of the best steaks I have had in a long time.

The dinner was great, but the fellowship was better. The churches where Rodney and I serve are geographically about three miles apart in neighboring communities. Yet, here we were, 1,200 miles away from home before we seemed to find the opportunity to spend a little quality time together. Rodney and I had roomed together at our state convention several years ago, and have enjoyed a round or two of golf together in the past. Of course we see one another at our local associational events, and when ministry schedules allow, sometimes hook up at our monthly Greater Huntington Baptist Association pastor's lunch. But it is just not often enough.

As pastors, my colleagues and I are always busy tending to the needs of our flock, and the time we spend together is rare. I don't know about others, but I NEED that contact - that time of fellowship. I just don't get enough of it. Not only do our pastors need that type of fellowship, but our churches need it too!

My son, Jay, is serving in his fifth year as pastor of First Baptist Church of Westwego in suburban New Orleans. Seems as though time in New Orleans is now identified in "Pre Katrina" and "Post Katrina" measurement standards. Pre-K, the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans had over two hundred member churches. Post-K, the number of BAGNO churches was drastically reduced. Many church buildings were destroyed and most of the others were damaged by the wrath of the storm and resulting levee breaks. All of the churches felt the human toll of the tragedy. Some members died. Hundreds were scattered in evacuation to safer locations and many never returned. Many pastors actually lost their place of ministry. Incomes were adversely affected, routines were disrupted, families were in crisis, and all of their lives were changed forever.

Doug Virgin (our local Associational Missionary), a fellow pastor, John Freeman, and a layman from Kentucky, Mike Dixon, and I took a truck load of supplies to my son's church about five weeks after the storm. On Wednesday of that week Jay invited us to go with him to a weekly BAGNO pastor's meeting. Because of the storm damage to most of the churches in the lower parishes, the meeting took place at First Baptist Church in LaPlace, LA, about half way between New Orleans and Baton Rouge on I-10. That meeting made a lasting impact on my life (and my ministry). Our hearts were moved as we listened to the testimonies of these pastors. There were many tears, there were times of laughter, there was an intense season of prayer and there was needed fellowship. These guys needed each other. They have met together every week since the storm.

Joe McKeever is the Director of Missons for BAGNO, and I believe God brought him to that position "for such a time as this". He has been a pastor to these pastors during the most difficult time of their respective ministries. Joe shared with us that before Katrina, it was like pulling teeth to get the association's pastors together for much of anything. Most of them were preoccupied with performing their ministerial duties, doing church, staying busy, and protecting their turf. No time for fellowship. No need for one another. That all changed on August 29, 2005. Suddenly the fellowship became important. Suddenly the focus changed from "my church" to "God's church".

Now, BAGNO has fewer churches, but they have pastors who value one another and recognize the need for close personal contact. There is a closer bond between the smaller churches and the larger churches. The anglo churches and the ethnic churches are closer partners now. Old rivalries are no longer as prevalent. They are cooperating - in continuing recovery efforts, and in expanding the Kingdom of God. Joe says that there is a much greater percentage of pastors and churches represented now in all association efforts. All of this was facilitated by a tragedy.

The time that Rodney and I spent together last week made me think of all that again. I hope it will not take a tragedy like Katrina to bring our churches together for Kingdom work and for the type of fellowship and cooperation that we need among churches and pastors here. We may do things differently from one church to another. We may have different worship styles. We may each reach out to different elements of our culture. Different is ok as long as we are focused on the Great Commission. That's why they make Chocolate AND Vanilla - but it's essence is the same. It's still ice cream.

I think we need each other. What do you think?