By Ryan Lawrence, Malvern Baptist Church
It would be misleading if I told you to come to Assembly because it is fun. Yes, there are fun parts. Pastors Day is fun from start to finish, as you get to spend the whole day with other pastors; people who understand your world and your jokes. Also, it doesn’t hurt that the catering is excellent. The rest of Assembly also has its moments: catching up with an old friend who lives far away, running into an acquaintance at the book table and bonding over book recommendations, heading back to a friend’s hotel room after the day is done to order a pizza and unwind. There’s a lot of fun to be had.
But it’s not all fun. Anyone who thinks a multi-day business meeting is fun is probably in need of pastoral counselling. There are minutes to be accepted, budgets to be approved, and motions to be voted on. It can be boring at times; that’s probably why they keep the coffee flowing. Also, truth be told, the discussions and debates can get contentious and that’s probably not something we should enjoy.
Not everything at Assembly is fun. But that’s ok. Because it’s all meaningful. The business meeting is important because we are conducting God’s business. The debates are worth having because they matter to the life of His church. No matter how boring or unpleasant Assembly might get, it is worth attending because it all matters immensely. But the best part is that the fun parts matter too. Because so much of the fun centres on us connecting with each other, building the kinds of relationships that lead to mutual support. And few things are more important for pastors than that.
So come to Assembly. It’s fun… at times. But it is meaningful from start to finish.
