“Give me a church where men stand before their congregation and open up their Bibles and thunder, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ They aren’t harvesting social media followers or their brand…. these men and the churches they lead are content to be faithful and be forgotten.” - Richard Bargas
Read Part 1.
Is it possible to seek to advance and excel in ministry without being caught up in the celebrity syndrome?
How can we make the greatest impact possible for the cause of Christ—without falling into the traps that come with celebrity status? How can a minister remain accountable in ways that are both effective and healthy, as we travel to preach and teach?
When I began my ministry with The Friends of Israel in 2019, I started with one verse emblazoned on my mind: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). I saw FOI as a wonderful outlet through which to serve the Lord and His people. And God gave me a burden to minister in this way.
“God’s plan all along has been to use ordinary leaders to accomplish extraordinary things. His plan has been to use people of average ability to accomplish matters of eternal significance.” - Challies
“I am a pastor—no one you’ve ever heard of and, by every statistic I have read, that’s most pastors.” - Denison Forum
“Race horses run fast, dazzle audiences, win awards, and then retire to stud. A plow horse lives in a barn if he’s lucky and walks the same furrows every day…. Both of them are horses, but they could not be more different in their daily lives. To turn the analogy to pastors…” - SBC Voices
