When I began a ministry-at-large with World Vision to clergy around the country, in 1983, followed then by John Mark Ministries focussing on clergy-in-distress, a former Australian denominational leader sent me a letter with a ‘not on our turf’ warning in it 🙂 So I’ve been very good – I’ve not served on any of their committees since then, rarely attended their assemblies, occasionally spoke to pastors’ conferences, but not much else….

Meanwhile, in the last week, I heard of a former Australian Baptist pastor who didn’t get a farewell when he left the ministry at his church – and no one in his State’s ‘Baptist Union’ has contacted him to find out how he is. Another story: a month ago I had coffee with a Baptist ex-pastor at McDonald’s. He got there early to find a used coffee-cup and asked for a ‘refill’ because he was too embarrassed to confess he had no money. Ordained by the Baptists then dumped, forgotten, ‘dead wood’… I’m going public on all this one day, responsibly I hope, without mentioning confidential details or names. But the whole thing’s disgraceful… Talk about shooting our wounded!!!

However, the Baptists generally have a better track record in some respects than most.

Name one denomination or group that prays for its ex-pastors! I haven’t heard of one yet…