#16 The Pastor as Outsider

Last week I wrote about how pastors are storytellers. Today I want to look at the nature of being a pastor from a different angle. In a few ways, I feel like an outsider as a pastor. This might strike you as a weird thing to say. Isn't the pastor the ultimate insider at the church? In some ways that's true. I know more about what is currently going on at the church than most people. But at this point in my ministry, I've been at the church for less than time than almost everyone else. There's a lot I'm still learning about how things work in this congregation. Plus, in my setting, a large portion of members grew up in this congregation or grew up nearby and have been members for decades. Even after years of ministry, I would be the new kid on the block compared to a lot of these members.

For another thing, in this rural setting, a good number of the church members have relatives at the church: parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, etc. And many of those that don't have family members at the church did at one time or have nearby family members outside the church. Like a lot of pastors I know, I don't have family members close by. That makes holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas a little bit different for me. Now, please don't feel sorry for Tess and me. We aren't feeling incredibly lonely. We get vacation time to visit our family at other points in the year. Plus, the church has been incredibly welcoming. We have some church members who took us in for Thanksgiving. Our situation is just a little different from most other church members.

Overall, I feel a little like an outsider around the church, but not too much. Where I feel more like an outsider is in the community. In a small town like Kanawha, it's pretty obvious that I'm the new guy, that I'm not from around here. I didn't marry into a local family or anything like that either. For the most part, the community has been very friendly. But I have a lot to learn. I'm not familiar with all the surrounding towns that come up in conversation. I don't know a whole lot about farming. And let's face it, pastors just seem a little different to a lot of people. It's not a job that a lot of people consider. I'm sure that people will get a lot more used to me as time goes on. After a few years here, I probably won't think much about being an outsider. But for now, being the outsider isn't such a bad thing. It makes me more attentive to others who are entering the community and may feel a bit out of place, and it also motivates me to spend more time in the community and learn as much as I can about this community where God has called me to serve.

Grace and peace,
BMH