Men

 December 18, 2023

This afternoon as a friend and I were talking about following Christ, we agreed that it’s not easy. The world, our own flesh (ie our selfish desires), and the devil himself conspire against us in this endeavor. In addition to worship, Bible study, and prayer, we talked about the significance of having other men in our lives, men who are willing to hold us accountable even as they accept us as we are, warts and all. It got me to thinking about the men in my life.

As I was growing up, my father’s steady calm faithfulness was a big influence on me, as were the faithful service of the men I watched at Westside Baptist Church in Greece, NY. Neither they nor I really realized that I was watching them, but I did, and I took in their work ethic, their service for Christ, their love for their Lord. Ozzie Palmer, Chuck Bassett, Al Orgar, Merle Silver, pastor Ellis, Ted Wightman, Fred Thomas, Sterling Houston, John Helwig, and others come to mind. These names mean little to most who read this, but these men shaped my life as a new believer.

College would bring Warren Woolsey and Harold Kingdon; seminary Paul Hessert, and pastoral ministry a succession of bishops and district superintendents, most notably, Sherman Eckels, Norm Parsons, Vern Bigler, Larry Baird, and most of all, Bob Pascoe. Except for Bob, who kept me in the ministry when I was on the verge of quitting, these men, though influential, weren’t as much of an impact as those I grew up with. Those men in my early years of faith poured into me week after week, often day by day. I saw them as they worked together in the construction of the church building, as well as when they led in times of worship and instruction.

These days, it’s the men in our Monday night Bible study who split and stacked about ten cord of wood for me a couple weeks ago, pastor Joe, who last year came out on a wintry morning to help me with a trailer that had come unhitched from my truck, Ken and Harry who wired our house as we were readying it for moving in, my son who laid out the stairs I couldn’t manage myself. My other son who recently undercoated my truck, my son in law who bails us out of computer mishaps, my pastor friends Roy, Rich, and Jeff who meet for prayer every Wednesday morning, and who stand ready for almost anything I could ask.

The list goes on and on; I have to apologize for those I haven’t named, but there are so many…all with one common bond: we are brothers in Jesus Christ. 

I was telling a friend recently about my ministry strategy; it’s simple: I had three foci—Men, Money, and Missions. I know it sounds sexist; I deeply appreciate the ministry of the women in church; much would go lacking without their steady, often unseen and unappreciated work, and countless churches would have already closed but for their faithful ministry. But I am firmly convinced that without a strong circle of men, the work of Christ cannot thrive. Yesterday as I looked out over the congregation, I saw dozens of men with their wives and children. The sanctuary was full, and this was only one of three services on two campuses of Park church. Tonight, I am grateful for the countless men who built into me, and for the privilege I have been given of doing the same for others.