When Pastors Need A Pastor: An Interview With H.B. London
So
we just came on board and God gave us this vision that our role was to facilitate
spiritual restoration and renewal. We really think that the pastor has got to
be at their strongest point of intimacy with God if they’re going to be strong
enough for the battle. After that, to come along side and help them manage their
time and their finances and their personal lives, and then to be a catalyst
for revival.
Preaching:
What are some of things that you encourage pastors to do in the process of bringing
that renewal into their own lives?
London:
There are three things that we find. We have a clergy care line at Focus on
the Family. We handle about 600 crisis calls a month. That’s every state in
the United States and many foreign countries that call us. And when we find
a pastor in real crisis we find three things. We find 1.) There is very little
accountability; 2.) There are unresolved conflicts in the home between the husband,
the wife, the son, the daughter, whatever; 3.) There is a lack of intimacy.
They just don’t spend much time with God. They are so busy that they try to
short cut their relationship, and nearly always it gets them.
Preaching:
How do you go about encouraging them to deal with those issues?
London:
Only about 30 to 40% of pastors have anyone that they feel close to, so the
number one thing is accountability. We’ve developed what we call the Shepherd’s
Covenant at Focus on the Family; that’s based on the acronym G.R.A.C.E. — Genuine
accountability. Right relationships. A shepherd’s heart. Constant safeguards.
Embracing Christ intimately. It’s identified by a little lapel pin that has
the shepherd’s crook on it. Thousands of guys have involved themselves in it
and every Monday I send them an email to encourage them to stand true, but first
of all you’ve got to have the accountability.
Second
thing is you’ve got to make the most of your mornings. So many pastors play
catch up and you’ve got to make the most of your mornings. You’ve got to give
the first fruits of your day to the Lord if at all possible. We don’t pay attention
to the most important thing. Sometimes we’re so busy putting out the fires that
we’re not quieting ourselves before the Lord to receive the strength we need
for what He’s called us to do.
I
think the other thing is you’ve got to find balance. The average pastor works
from 50 to 70 hours a week. Statistics say that if you don’t give 55 hours a
week your church won’t grow. Well that’s not true, because three quarters of
churches in America aren’t growing anyway and I know pastors are giving many
of them more than 55 hours, so that’s not the reason. There needs to be a balance
between family and constituency.