Captains of the Church - A Suggestion to re-title Pastors

Being a "Captain" myself, I had to share this with you all:

Mike Foster thinks we should stop calling ourselves “Pastor.” In a tweet last summer he wrote: “If I don’t make employees/clients call me ‘Creative Principal Mike’ then why do some expect ‘Pastor’ in front of their name?”

He’s not the only one dropping the “Pastor” prefix. Erwin McManus is known as the “Cultural Architect of Mosaic.” I’ve also met a few executive pastors who are the”Chief of Staff.”
Maybe they’re all on to something. After all, “pastor” doesn’t carry the cache it once did. According to one survey the profession of “pastor” is near the bottom of the list of most-respected professions…just above “car salesman.” To make matters worse, pastors don’t seem to think very highly of their profession either. The following stats come from The Fuller Institute, George Barna, and Pastoral Care Inc.:

* 90% of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week.

* 80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor’s children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.

* 33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.

* 75% report significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.

* 90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.

* 50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.

* 70% say they have a lower self-image now than when they first started.

* 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend.

* 40% report serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.

* 33% confess having involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church .

* 50% have considered leaving the ministry in the last months.

* 50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5 years.

* 1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form.

* 94% of clergy families feel the pressures of the pastor’s ministry.

* 66% of church members expect a minister and family to live at a higher moral standard than themselves.

So, what should we do about this dilemma? Based on a recent commentary I saw by John Hodgman, I’d like to propose a change. Rather than calling our church leaders “pastors,” let’s start calling them “captains.” Think about it…captains are all very respected and liked characters in our culture:

Captain America

Captain “Sully” Sullenberger

Captain James T. Kirk

Captain Kangaroo

Captain Caveman

Captain Stubing

Captain Jack Sparrow

Captain Crunch

In addition, they are very strong leaders often depended upon in life and death situations. They must set vision, direction, and hold the course in a storm. From time to time they must face the threat of mutiny. And to top it off, captians are qualified to marry people.
So, forget about “cultural architect,” “spiritual leader,” or even “cheif ecclesiastical officer.” The next time you see your pastor, greet him or her as “O Captain my captain!”

Beginning To Miss Ohio

Okay, I am truly loving Korea and the ministry of bring God to Soldiers and Soldiers to God has really been a great blessing here. However, it is turning fall, the leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder and I am beginning to miss Ohio.

So, to help me lament; I thought I would share these with you…

THE RULES OF RURAL OHIO ARE AS FOLLOWS

Listen up City Slickers !

1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.
2. Turn your cap right, your head isn't crooked.
3. Let's get this straight ; it's called a "dirt road." I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way. 4. They are cattle. They're live steaks. That's why they smell funny to you. But they smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-70 goes east and west, I-71 goes north and south. Pick one.
5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $150,000 corn pickers and hay balers that are driven only 3 weeks a year.
6. So every person in rural Ohio waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept. 7. If that cell phone rings while an 8-point buck and 3 does are coming in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.
8. Yeah, we eat taters & gravy, beans & cornbread. You really want sushi & caviar? It's available at Jim's bait shop.
9. The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.
10. We open doors for women. That is applied to all women , regardless of age.
11. No, there's no "vegetarian special" on the menu. Order steak. Or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham & turkey.
12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup. Oh, yeah.... We don't care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you eat... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!
13. You bring "coke" into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice.
14. You bring "Mary Jane" into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.
15. College and High School Football is as important here as the Cavs and the Knicks, and more fun to watch.
16. Yeah, we have golf courses.. But don't hit the water hazards -- it spooks the fish.
17. Colleges? We have them all over. We have State Universities , Community Colleges, and Vo-techs. They come outta there with an education plus a love for God and country, and they still wave at everybody when they come for the holidays.
18. We have a whole ton of folks in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. So don't mess with us. If you do, you will get whipped by the best.
19. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump crap ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers. Refer back to #1.
20. 4 inches isn't a blizzard - it's a flurry. Drive like you got some sense in it, and DON'T take all our bread, milk, and bleach from the grocery stores. This ain't Alaska , worst case you may have to live a whole day without croissants. The pickups with snow blades will have you out the next day.

A true BUCKEYE will send this Another!!!

The Land of the Morning Calm

Well, here I am in Korea. Seems so surreal that I am serving as a Chaplain with the US Army on the same peninsula where my father and uncle both shed blood while in the Army some 50 years ago. The Land of the Morning Calm was not so calm back then. However, today it is much different than it was back then. In fact the Korea that most of you see on CNN and Fox New and what I see when I step outside each morning for my PT run is diametrically different. The cities are very crowded and very busy, but less than a 20 minute drive and you are in a mountains setting that almost makes me feel as though I’m back in Appalachian Country. Fall is upon us here and the leaves are beginning to chance already and everything is so beautiful.

The chapel services on Camp Walker and Camp Carroll are very good services and there are three different church of Christ chapel services on the Army and Air Force bases on this small peninsula. I have become involved in a chapel service called The R.O.C.K (Rely on Christ in Korea). It is a Contemporary Service and has a lot of young families and children in attendance here on Camp Walker. There are several over ROCK services meeting through out the other camps/bases. Please keep all these services in your prayers and keep my ministry of bring Soldiers to God and bring God to Soldiers here in Korea.

Baptism

Meet PFC Mark Robichaux, our brand new brother in Christ. Mark, a soldier in my battalion here at Fort Hood, is originally from the Bayou of Louisiana and when he first come to visit in my office explained to me that he was a “Wiccan” (Wiccan- Religion believing in witchcraft and recognized by Department of the Army).

After helping Mark with the issue he came speak to me about, I simply offered to pray with him (as I do with most Soldiers who come to see me) and he accepted. Following our prayer, I offered for him to come back anytime my door was open. The next time he came by (a few weeks later) he asked for a Bible…so, I gave him one and this time offered to study it with him and answer any questions that he may have about it. To make a long story short, we began to meet and study from God’s Word multiple times over the past few months and after a study on baptism, Mark expressed his desire to confess Christ and be baptized. And that is exactly what we did last night.

What a blessing this ministry has been to me. I am so apperceive of my God, my family, my friends, the churches and so many more that have supported me in my endeavor of becoming an Army Chaplain. God is so good. I want to thank you all for your prayers and please pray for our new babe in Christ, PFC Mark Robichaux. -cd

Finally Home

I had my first "full day" back at work yesterday. It took me most of the morning just getting caught up on emails and returning phone calls. My assistant and I are preparing for a marriage seminar taking place next week at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX. That will be 30 April - 2 May and then 3 - 7 May we will be at an annual UMT (Unit Ministry Team) training Fort Worth, TX. That means I pack my bags on Wednesday next week and I won't be back until the follow Thursday. I realized that I have become accustomed to living out of a bag and that troubles me. However, I also realize that I am doing the Lord's work here and that comforts me.

It was so nice to spend a week back "home" and I have always considered Ohio "home" (and to some degree I always will) but I discovered that "home" means being with my Sammi (my wife Christine) the Gabe-Man (my son Gabriel) and Gilli-Gracie (my daughter Gillian). This is good news to me. I know that with the path of ministry God has placed before me in the Army, I will be traveling and moving often and living in different homes, states and even countries. But home will mean I am with those whom I love the most and who love me the most. What a blessing! Lord willing my family will be with me next month here at Fort Hood, TX and this fall it is looking very possible that I will be taking them with me to Korea. What an adventure God has placed before us and what an amazing ministry! I love our Soldiers and I love the ministry opportunities that God has placed before me.

Mercy Me has a newer song that is popular on Christian Radio now, "Finally Home." What a beautiful song, but it is a tear jerker. Then someone on YouTube placed a video of Military Home Coming ceremonies with the song and that made me cry even more. There is nothing more honest, nothing more sincere and nothing more heart-moving than the hugs and kisses of a reunited family after a long deployment.

The Scriptures teach clearly that someday we who are in Christ will have a homecoming with our Heavenly Father on the other side of eternity. What a day that will be! When we will finally be with our Heavenly Father; when we will finally be with our loved ones; when we will finally unpack our bags for the last time; when we finally make it home. cd

I really like this and just wanted to share it with you all. -CH D

1st Blog Post

Okay, here we go...against my better judgment, I have begun a blog. I realize that to most I am way behind "the times" but here I am nonetheless. "Why?" You may ask (and I don't even know who "you" are because I can't imagine who will read this or why). I recently had two of my soldiers on two different occasions ask, "Hey Chaplain, do you have a blog?" Thus, one reason I have begun this endeavor. Another reason is that since I prayerfully made to decision to go Active Duty in the Army Chaplaincy, I have been separated from friends and family and this seems like a great way to keep them abreast of what I'm into and also just a good discipline for me. I am not sure what direction this will end up going and I am even less sure of how often I'll post on here. I guess we'll figure that out together.

Today is "Good Friday," the Friday before Easter Sunday. I have a service I am helping out with in one of the Chapels on Post. Tomorrow I plan to drive San Antonino and visit an Easter Service at Oak Hills Church to hear Max preach. Then Sunday I have three services at the Chapels on post. I pray that in the bussiness, I don't lose a chance to focus and reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus. I pray also that you all may have a very blessed Easter with friends and family. I hope you go to church, it will do you good.

Lord willing, I will take a one week leave to go back to Ohio for the first time since Christmas. If you would please take a minute to pray for my safe travel and I will thank you in advance for doing so. Please come back here often and read my blogs, give me feed back and advice as I make this new journey into cyberspace. God bless you all - CH D