Footwashin' Christians
Roger Lovette
My pastor-friend called me with a heavy heart. 'I just got back from the saddest experience of my life.' He went on to explain, 'My good friend was having trouble in his church. It got to be a real mess. In desperation he killed himself. I just got back from the funeral. It was awful. What do you say? To his wife, to his kids, to his church, to his aged parents?' I keep remembering his question: 'What do you say?'
Ministering to Ministers Foundation was established because we have something to say. If you look carefully at our logo you will find that it clearly represents the mission of our organization. Jesus commanded his disciples to wash one another's feet as he had washed theirs. It was a command to care, to serve and to look after one another. Footwashing was a menial task. In New Testament times it was servant's work. Footwashing was undignified and messy business. Jesus called His followers to such a mundane task because somebody has to do it.
What do we say? We say to ministers, staff persons and their families we care about what happens to you. We say you are not alone and there is a place to call and someone who sill listen and help. We are saying it does not matter how sticky or difficult the situation -- there is hope. Our organization exists to serve the ministers who find themselves in difficulty. Sometimes ministers need legal advise, sometimes they need counseling or vocational guidance. Sometimes they simply need someone to pray or listen. But we exist to serve.
Many of our board members have been through difficult situations in churches. And we pledge our support to those who serve in the challenging and hard work of ministry. We will pour the water, we will hold the towel. We will kneel and we will wash the feet of those in need. Why? Somebody washed our feet and helped us start again. Because what we do for one another makes a difference, we are committed to quality ministry to ministers. Do you see now why our logo is so important? I keep thinking about that pastor who took his life. Things just got too crazy and he, in his confusion, did not know there were people who really did care. That's our goal and our purpose. Service. Caring, Footwashing. Even for ministers. Especially for ministers.
Roger Lovette is a charter member of MTM's Board of Trustees. He has lived through a difficult church situation and now serves as the pastor of the Baptist Church of the Covenant, Birmingham, Alabama.