I have been involved recently with some discussion on accreditation of Baptist Pastors. One of the questions for accreditation candidates is, “do you have any unresolved conflict with anyone?”

Interesting question!

If you had asked me that at the start of my ministry journey the answer would be no. But if you asked me that question now, after 20 years…well. The answer would be a lot more complex.

Let me make a few assertions. If you have not had conflict in your ministry, what have you been doing? Because to be a leader means you will rock the boat, provoke…and cause change. All of these will cause conflict. Some people don’t like to be changed, but sometimes that is your role as a leader. To be prophetic, to provoke, to challenge. Even when, and perhaps especially when, the people you are leading don’t want you to!

Do I have unresolved conflict with some people? Sadly the answer is yes. Sadly I say because I love people. I don’t want to have unresolved tension with anyone. But then, happily the answer is yes. Because I can be provocative, I will challenge, I do sometimes create tension.

I have journeyed with a group of mates now for almost 20 years.
All of us Pastors, or in ‘ministry’ of some sort.

We have seen it all in Ministry. That is not an arrogant claim, just a realization that our hearts need to refrain from cynicism or being comfortable in ministry. Because ministry is not comfortable.

We have watched many of our friends and contemporaries leave the ministry. Some for good reasons, others because they were forced out, others because their own issues disqualified them. Thank God none of us have ‘fallen’. I like to think one reason is because we have each other.

This morning I shared with them this verse with them from Exodus 4.1
“But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”

This verse goes to the heart of a Pastors insecurity.
Firstly that the people will not listen to him. They wont believe him.
This is something we all have had to deal with at some stage. In order to lead people, you need to have them listen and believe you. You need to believe in yourself as a leader if you expect others to believe in you. There are times insecurity is bound up in our hearts…and strangles the life out of us.

Secondly Moses expresses his concern that the people wont believe God is with him. You can’t lead people spiritually unless God is with you. Otherwise you are not leading them to anything. Without God’s power, you are powerless. And you can only fool the people for some of the time, for a certain length of time…without God.

Which goes to the struggle of being a Pastor. Without God, you have nothing. With God, you have everything. Its a unique job. Having people to journey with means its possible. Without my peer group I would not be in ministry.

Love this title track from Hillsong New album

Our Pastoral Team from Inglewood Community Church recently attended as a team this conference in Sydney.

It was a inspirational, reflective and challenging time. One of the key impacts on me personally was understanding that God is with me. I was personally following the devotions that the team put together on personal revival.

As Pastors we give out so much, and it was refreshing as a team to enjoy fellowship together. We stayed in a common house, eating, travelling and engaging with each other. A significant and fun time.

Our family have just returned from almost three weeks away.

A week with our pastoral team at the Hillsong Conference, and then almost two weeks in Tasmania. Tasmania has become a bit of a magnet for us, we have visited there 3 times in the past 3 years, for a brief holiday, for 2 months long service, and just now for ministry and holiday time.

Having good friends there helps. This time we stayed mostly with one of my Mighty Mens Conference mates and his lovely wife. They were very hospitable, and I think Melinda has made a friend for life.

The ministry time was significant, for me at least. I had the opportunity to speak twice at the God Squad Church, and then to a group of about 150 men at a midweek men’s gathering. To see that many men turn up on a cold Tasmanian night to a midweek meeting, to hear a bloke they did not know, was pretty extraordinary to be honest. I spoke on Hosea and Gomer. A sermon God dropped in my lap during the flight home last time I visited Tasmania. I think it was a significant time.

Since its inception, there has only been one game ever, that an Aboriginal player has not been on the field for the Dockers.

At one stage there were 7 Aboriginal players on our list.

That is something to be proud of. More than any other arena, the sports one is one where Aboriginal people have found acceptance, respect and equality. Of course it has not always been so, and there are still awful stories of racism pottering around the edges of the AFL. But in the main, AFL Football should be glad with the way it has advanced the cause of these original Australians.

As a Dockers fan, we actually named our son after a great Freo Aboriginal player, Clem Michael. His father, Stephen, was arguably one of the best players ever.

We have been thrilled with the skillful Fremantle Dockers players with an Aboriginal ancestry from Winston Abraham, Garry Dhurrkay, Jeff Farmer, Roger Hayden and Michael Johnson. What a wonderful bunch of men.

Now we look forward to Stephen Hill becoming all he can be and others as well. Makes you proud to be a Dockers Member.

Although it is well documented that the change of logo and jumper was not met with gladness by myself, I must say that the Indigenous Jumper that Roger Hayden has been involved with is a beauty. Might just consider getting one!

Psalm 1