PastorServe is going below the waterline, offering a breath of fresh air!

What a time for the world! Think back a couple of months ago. Who would have thought that the COVID-19 virus would bring the world to a screeching halt? It is no surprise that the pandemic has led to a seismic shift in the way we extend care to pastors at PastorServe. What is a surprise is that the pandemic has dramatically expanded our ministry. 

The pandemic apparently lifted a thin veil that prevented some pastors from reaching out for help. While many pastors have long felt shame for their feelings of fear, isolation, pastoral competency deficiency and intense loneliness, they now have a new freedom to ask for help. Stories abound.

One pastor attempted to lead his church through a significant crisis without any outside help or counsel. He was convinced that he needed to lead from a tough guy position that emotionally, spiritually and physically drowned him. And yet – he would not receive assistance. He called me this week. He just can’t do it anymore. He humbly asked for help. Another pastor who had not reached out to PastorServe in more than ten years called to ask if I had thirty minutes to process the anxiety he was feeling. There are literally of hundreds more examples from the past week alone of pastors who have reached out – where before the virus, they were silent. 

Like many of you, zoom calls have become a daily reality. What is new is that we are leading Zoom webinars for pastors around the country. This week I was privileged to assist in leading two webinars for pastors. During one webinar, more than two hundred pastors spent more than an hour listening to a message on the importance of soul care. Following the call, 97% said that they would like this to be a regular webinar. 

Why all the new calls and the new requests for help? Actually, the answer is quite simple. PastorServe is going below the waterline. We are diving into issues of soul care, personal brokenness, gospel unbelief and false idols. While many ministries are providing resources for launching a YouTube channel, reaching your neighborhood, preaching to an empty room and expanding small groups (all good things!), PastorServe is talking about a pastor’s backstage. We are talking about their soul and how they are personally doing in the midst of the pandemic. What PastorServe is offering is a breath of fresh air! During a webinar this week with Pentecostal Church pastors, there were four times of prayer! One pastor remarked that he has watched dozens of webinars, and this was the first that included prayer! 

We are working hard to revise our ministry playbook to confront the crisis with new approaches, new tools and new resources. We feel like Andy Reid at the halftime of the Super Bowl. We weren’t expecting the defense they threw at us – so we are revising the playbook and coming up with new approaches (Do I need to remind anyone that the Chiefs won!) Innovation is the word of the day! We must adapt to the new challenges facing pastors. We have launched a new e-newsletter. This week we are launching a soul care webinar for Pastor Spouses. 

Some might think that this is a time to settle in, wait for the storm to pass, and then emerge to continue business as usual. At PastorServe, we see this as a time for growth as opportunities abound. Furthermore, we don’t believe we will ever return to ‘business as usual’. We also see the providence of God in the timing of many new hires. For the past five years, we have actively looked for a Los Angeles City Director. We began a conversation with Lou Huesmann in September 2019. We knew we were close to welcoming Lou onto the team when the virus hit in a devastating fashion. The question naturally was asked – is this the right time to bring on a Los Angeles City Director? The answer was yes! Lou has officially joined our team. 

In the midst of so much uncertainty, we thank you for your continued financial partnership. This ministry has never been more important than it is right now. Thousands of pastors are looking to PastorServe for the care they so desperately need. Thank you for being a part of the PastorServe’s vision That No pastor would Walk Alone and our mission to Strengthen the Church by Serving Pastors. Thanks to partners like you we are serving pastors at their time of greatest need. Thank you!! 

Depending on Jesus,

Jimmy Dodd, Founder and CEO