May 19 1997

ARTICLE TOOLS

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Proud to be called "pastor"
* I've been a senior pastor for 22 years. Pastor Steve and I serve churches that are worlds apart, but our hearts beat together. I've inhaled smoke from "burnout" as well. Dave Goetz's article ["Why Pastor Steve Loves His Job" April 7] speaks for the majority of us. We love our jobs. We have passion to preach. "Being there" for people in crisis deeply moves us. We're called to this. Goetz does more than tell one man's story. He tenderly exposes the dignity and significance of our calling in a way that made me proud to be called "pastor."

Pastor Bill Oudemolen
Foothills Bible Church
Littleton, Colo.

* Too much is written today about the pastor-as-ceo. I was determined that if this was yet another article on one who found a way to "package for the market," I wouldn't waste my time reading it. As American decadence runs rampant, the "Pastor Steves" will be the servants God uses to manifest himself—not another businessman going for a slice of the yuppie pie. You presented the pastor as the Bible does: the shepherd of the flock of God.

Pastor Glenn Baker
Forsyth Baptist Church
Forsyth, Ill.

I sympathize with anyone who, like Steve, has asked his church board for a raise to provide for his family and is rejected. One of his elders suggested if Steve needed more money, he could join the National Guard and become a chaplain.

In addition to serving as pastor of a local church, I have been a chaplain in the National Guard for 26 years. It is an excellent extension of ministry, and it provides opportunities for education and professional development and a wonderful source of additional income, including a pension after age 60. Chaplains in the National Guard don't have to beg their boards for a raise; ...