Ministry of the Unseen

I decided it might be time to update again. As my facebook friends list continues to grow on towards 1000, I continue to be blown away by the number of people in my life that I either know directly or know indirectly. I've never been one to actively make friends in a large social setting with real human interaction.

I listened to a sermon this past Sunday that, among other things, talked about the importance of the ministry of the unseen - the person behind the scenes who keeps things moving and doesn't really talk about it. For many years, that has been my ministry. I don't mean to sound self promoting or anything like that, it's just how I work and move in communities of faith. If there's something that's within my skillset and doesn't require public recognition, I'm usually the guy who steps up and does it. I guess this ministry behind the scenes is how I've gotten to know so many people.

And then, last night, in a conversation with my good friend Mark, we began hatching a plan or at least talking about yet another ministry of the unseen - pastoral care of pastors. In societies where little old ladies leagues and gossip trains run rampant, is it really possible for pastors to seek out counselors that they can go to in true confidence? Even if confidentiality exists within the practice, every last person who saw the pastor go into the counseling center or out of it will wonder "why did the pastor need counseling? is s/he still our strong pillar?" Or on an even deeper level, what level of confidentiality can pastors in hierarchical structures believe in when the counselor to whom they are sent is either recommended or directly employed by the structure through which the pastor is employed? From this conversation, Mark and I began to consider a plan to create a pastoral care service for pastors that is not affiliated with any faith body but yet still holds onto faith itself.