Why good preachers move

Why Good Preachers Move - Reason # 27 He had been there for nearly twenty years. He was evangelistic. His preaching was still powerful and moving.  He was loved and respected.  The church had grown. In fact, it had moved into a new building less than five years before.  On the first Sunday in May he got up and resigned, it seemed rather abrupt.  There was all sorts of speculation as to why he was leaving. Some of it speculative - he got burned out. Some of it coarse - he was having an affair.

It was neither and if people had listened, he told the truth when he resigned.  “I love this church and this town, but I feel that I can no longer influence or motivate the church and that it is time for someone else who can to preach here.”

If you’d asked the members what he meant I doubt many, maybe none, could explain what he meant.  A few weeks earlier he had announced an important meeting of any of the members who wanted to help the church grow.  The meeting would be at 4 on Sunday afternoon.  It was very important.  No one came.

If you’d asked no one would have said they weren’t interested in the meeting or in the church to grow. If you’d told them how deflated, defeated and ineffective no one coming would be there would have been a large group to come.  But he knew and he was just being honest. It was time - he loved them and they loved him. It wasn’t a divorce, it wasn’t ugly, it wasn't a better job, it was what it was.  His deep love for the church made him believe, even though many would have protested, that his time was done and someone else now needed to do what he could not.

Me, I’ve been there. I’m not sure if he was right or not, but most of us who preach can understand.

No one came. And he left.