My Friend Alan & A Blog Break

I'm overdue for a blog break, but before I get there let me share some words about my friend Alan.   I was in my native Kentucky last weekend at the gracious invitation of a pastoral colleague for whom I have the greatest affection, respect and admiration.  Alan Chamness has been faithfully serving in pastoral ministry for 41 years and nearly all of them at the same church!  He's been doing this so long he has grandkids in youth ministry!   I'm not kidding.  I mean children who grew up in Alan's student ministry have grown up, gotten married and now have there own  children.  So many of his kids from student ministry have gone on to serve in pastoral, music, and student ministry, missions and other places of service in local churches.  He also has "kids" who've gone on to be leaders in industry, law, fine arts, education and much more.  He has to be among the top five local church leaders in the state of Kentucky who have had a significant number of students  surrender to God's call to vocational ministry as a result of his ministry and influence.  Many of them came and brought their children this weekend.  It was a privilege just to be asked to be part of this annual ministry weekend.  

At 60, Alan is indeed a rare bird in student ministry.  An accomplished worship leader, musician and minister of music he could've given up  student ministry a long time ago, but he didn't.  The reason?  He is called and he absolutely loves young people.  He has an incredible ability to communicate with them.  He understands teenagers.  He did 30 years ago and he still does today.  I am continually amazed just how open and free students are with Alan.  What a gift.  

Alan has forgotten more about worship and pastoral ministry than most of us will ever learn. He's never been big on self-promotion.  He has a great sense of humor and the fact that he was behind the scenes of his own event nearly the entire weekend speaks to his humility.  He's not going to be happy that I wrote this, but he knows the way I'm wired so he'll accept it.  He's quite comfortable at getting the right people together and turning them loose to live out of their gifts.   The alternative is usually a control freak in pastoral ministry circles.   Alan's theology is solid, but instead of engaging  in those mind-numbing theological discussions that are nearly always full of hot air and lack the simplicity of the Gospel, Alan lives his out through: unconditional love; grace; and self-less giving.   I'm not sure Alan will be allowed to die.  He has influenced and reached so many people for Christ that God may not want him to leave earth until Jesus comes!  There's still people he can reach for Christ.  :) 

Thanks Alan ("B.B.") for the invite and First Baptist Church, Henderson, KY, is awfully blessed to have you on staff.  Sure you don't want to move to South Carolina?  

I'm going to take a blog break for at least a week as our faith community prepares to move to new facilities, well uh, new to us.  More on that later.