The Work of Barnabas Ministries
– Dick Sochacki
Pastor
Dick and Dee Sochacki of Barnabas Ministries serve as gatekeepers or agents
matching hurting church leaders to the resources that can provide the ministry
they need, nationwide. If you are a pastor or missionary and find yourself
burned out, wounded, hurting, confused, weary, in a problem situation, or are
just in need of rest and refreshment, please contact them at 586.465.9072,
e-mail them at
rlsochacki@cs.com,
or visit
www.barnabas-ministries.com.
Beginning in the early 90’s, an unheralded move of God was happening. God was
planting seeds of concern in certain people, for the
physical, emotional, and
spiritual
health of those in the forefront of ministry. The Lord was gathering
people of varying gifts to reach out to hurting church leaders and their
families.
In those early days, I recall sharing with others our vision for Barnabas Ministries as an outreach to hurting, wounded, burned out, sinning, and troubled pastors. For many, it was it was a new revelation; yes, ministers really do hurt.
I teach a seminar on the church as a “school,
temple, and hospital.” This comes from
We live in troubled times. Economic, moral, cultural, and spiritual pressures overwhelm us. Stress seems almost normal and expected. Though we pretend otherwise, the church especially is filled with the ‘walking wounded.’ Suffering is far more normal than we will admit, (even in America).
It’s impossible to ignore Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” We forget that pastors and church leaders are also among the hurting. Their congregations take them for granted, rarely appreciating the truth that they are targets, and many are suffering as much as those to whom they minister. Despite facing the normal trials of living in a fallen world, their burdens are often multiplied by their people, who demand much more than they can give.
Marva Dawn,
in her book “The Sense of Call” points out that the church is unrealistic in its
qualifications for a pastor. She summarizes so many pastoral calls into:
intensely charismatic personalities, colossal skills for
preaching, supernatural abilities for attracting youth, zealous commitment to
growth, and an unflappable dexterity in getting along with everyone. She further
says that what the church truly needs is “a pastor who will model
godliness in suffering, who can teach people how to suffer, and who will
willingly walk along with those who are suffering.”
Chuck Swindoll recently said that when God wants to do an impossible task, he takes an impossible person, and crushes him. Sadly, church people ignore this. They just dump their hurts on the man or woman God has given them as a gift. These leaders need help and encouragement too. After all, where can they go? Many pastors have told me that their denominational bureaucracies are fearful places to seek help, because of the impact their problems could have on future appointments.
Focus on the Family recently gave some figures showing that over 1800 pastors a month are leaving their ministry. Reasons are varied; from poor financial support to difficult boards to embracing sinful acts to unrelieved stress. Few realize that ministry is a 24/7 activity. Pastors are hurting.
God
certainly knows this. As the world around us deteriorates, He is supplying a
spiritual medical core (Red Cross) to bring healing to His suffering servants.
Ministerial Care Givers have been around since the time of Christ. Early church
fathers seemed always available to those called of God into service.
However, this is the first time I’ve seen a united effort to coordinate this care. This year marks the 20th anniversary of CareGivers. Hundreds of people have identified and drawn strength from the group. Yes, the internet is a wonderful reservoir for ministry to ministers, but indifferent when it comes to trust. Focus on the Family’s Pastoral Care Directory is a huge help, carefully screening and providing lists of qualified resources. Ministries such as ours supply more personal referrals. The need is growing.
My wife and I are blessed to still be actively involved in the Lord’s work, encouraging pastors in their call. Barnabas Ministries of Michigan is a threefold outreach. We are a referral center for those in church leadership, in contact with both professional and personal helps to church leaders. Counselors, prayer warriors, vacation and retreat centers; all are available to ministers and their families. We also do seminars, retreats, and marriage encounters. Finally, we do much one on one mentoring.
There are many who believe we are in the last days. We need to seriously seek the Lord on behalf of our church leaders, and especially pray that the Lord will provide even more ministry to them.
If you need help call...
Barnabas Ministries 586.465.9072
Reconciliation Ministries 586.739.5114