How I Went From an Ex-Pastor to an Ex-Ex-Pastor

Or how I felt it was time to return to pastoral ministry

Friends of mine and long-time readers of this blog will be familiar with my transition three years ago from a pastor to an ex=pastor. Technically, I still considered myself a pastor, I just was not in a leadership position at a local congregation.

On the third anniversary of my last Sunday at my previous church, a new congregation called me to be their pastor. How did this happen?

Becoming an ex-pastor

I need to make it clear that I did not leave the ministry out of a bad experience. Woodford and First Baptist Church Meaford are wonderful congregations and in many ways, I never felt like I left the “honeymoon stage.” It was a completely positive experience and I am thankful that they have invited me back a few times to preach.

A large part of leaving was because our family had already moved to be closer to our daughter. I commuted for a year but it was not sustainable. Part of it was that I just knew it was time to go.

I couldn’t know it at the time, but this was a stage of our life that I needed a pastor for my family and that pastor could not be me. These three years were some of our hardest. It was during this time that our son went into a group home. It was also here that I got sick. I would not have been able to pastor during that first six months of sarcoidosis. One of our sons also spent a long period in crisis with mental health. There were many other difficult situations as well.

Being at Queensway Baptist Church and having Deane Proctor as our pastor was a great time of healing. It was a time of renewing and encouragement. At the time, I couldn’t imagine going back into the ministry.

But that would soon change.

Becoming an ex-ex-pastor

I want to make it clear that I am not returning to pastoral ministry  just because I needed a job. I know that this is the direction I am supposed to go. I can identify three major events that helped me to see that it was time to return.

1. This past summer I spent three months as an adjunct pastor at Toronto Chinese Baptist Church at the invitation of my friend Nolan Lee. I had done plenty of quest preaching but this was different. I was more connected with the congregation and was acting in the role of pastor and not just preacher. I was amazed at how much I had missed being a pastor. Something happened during those three months that changed the direction of my life.

2. Soon after I finished at TCBC, Amanda and I attended a pastors retreat with Kerith Retreats. Although I was in ministry, I was the only one who wasn’t a pastor. We attended for other reasons, but during that week I felt like I was being prepared for pastoral ministry.

3. I had never left Christian ministry, the question was always about what form that would take. Much of my work has been in teaching at Emmanuel Bible College. It was a good opportunity to reflect on whether I was to have a theological or pastoral ministry. Then I read the book, Pastor as Public Theologian and I realized I could do both. That does not mean that I will overload with numerous jobs. I will focus on my pastoral role. But my experience in the academic world will actually make me a better pastor. As I read the book, I felts as if the authors were writing to me. This book helped me tremendously.

All of these things came together to show me that it was time. I am very excited to start pastoring at Queen Street Baptist Church and I am confident that it is the right ministry role at the right time.

Liked it? Take a second to support Stephen Bedard on Patreon!