Septic Tanks and Leadership in the Rural Church
Carole and I arrived on our first field in Finchford , Iowa on a beautiful afternoon in July. About thirty people gathered that day to greet us and help us unload our belongings. We would grow to deeply love and care for those people and others in the church and community.
As the folks helped us unload, they would make comments about our things. It was obvious that they were trying to learn about their new pastor and his wife through our possessions. Bob commented about my fishing pole and asked me if I liked to fish. Another commented about some antique furniture of ours. I am not sure exactly what our “stuff” said about us but we could tell the people were interested in learning everything they could.
The first few months were a whirl of activity in the midst of acclimating to our new role as Village Missionaries. Two weeks after we arrived, the church celebrated its 110-year anniversary. Several former pastors returned to help celebrate this special occasion. The congregation graciously allowed me to bring a message about the future.
The church held its annual adult canoe trip on the Cedar River . I foolishly announced the trip by saying, “Come see if your new pastor floats!” Near the end of the trip, our canoe became trapped sideways on some brush. I still marvel about how fast a canoe swamps in that position! The current swept me under the brush and I had to fight my way to the surface, losing my glasses in the process. Some of the men rescued Carole from a nearby stump. For years afterward, when I visited in the area and introduced myself, people would say, “Oh, you’re the pastor who almost drowned on the canoe trip!”
At some point during that time, the church’s septic tank failed. I remember helping the guys find the tank and dig down to the cover. After we removed the cover, we used a local farmer’s “honey-wagon” to pump out the tank. Some of you folks will know what I mean by a “honey-wagon.” I think I had to get inside the tank at some point to work on it but you’ll understand if my memory is unclear about such finer details.
What does all this have to do with our theme of leadership in the rural church? I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was earning the right to lead the congregation of the Finchford Community Bible Church . Although I was “Pastor Brian” from the moment I opened the door of our Ryder truck and, to their credit, they allowed me to lead because of my title, I still truly wasn’t their shepherd until I earned the right to be so. The right to lead slowly came as they observed Carole and me in a variety of situations, learning that they could trust us and that we loved them.
I found out later that the septic tank incident was more significant than I realized, at least in one man’s thinking. He told me that my willingness to do the worst of all jobs and pitch in like everyone else impressed him. I thought all I was doing was helping but evidently, I was also doing something else.
This need to earn the right to lead, so often found in rural and small churches, tempers any grandiose visions of change until they develop out of genuine love and concern for people. By that time, God has used people to mold and shape your character. True servant leadership occurs, where the pastor seeks the best for the people God has given him to lead. In such environs, more leadership occurs by example (cf. 1 Pet. 5:1-4) than by manipulation.
I am so glad that Village Missions stresses earning the right to lead. Such leadership is Biblical and is in evidence even in the larger churches served by our Mission .
I am thankful for the army of Village Missionaries over the years who patiently waited until the people they served were ready to follow.
I am thankful for our partners who financially support such leadership and help ensure that we can continue to provide Village Missionaries to churches who might otherwise close.
