Appreciation

The first pastor I remember became a friend and encourager long after he was no longer my pastor

I remember being in second grade and hearing news about the arrival of a new pastor and his family. I was disappointed for two reasons:

First, the youngest of his two children was much older than me-a 5th grader. Second, both of his children were girls. To a second-grade mind, those were big things.

Even so, for the next ten years, Marvin was my pastor at our small church in Dallas, Oregon. I am sure that I cannot recall a single sermon he ever preached or any of the board discussions I sat through.

I do remember clearly church campouts, softball games after Sunday evening church, and lots of potlucks. I remember Marvin showing up for basketball games and taking me golfing for the first time (I still can’t golf worth anything, though).

Nearly every week from second grade through my senior year of high school, Sunday was my dad singing and Marvin preaching. Then, if we add in Sunday evenings, Wednesday nights, and various other activities throughout the course of ten years, the formational and foundational impact cannot be underestimated.

The thing is, though, Marvin’s impact on my life did not stop when I left for college, and he and…