Back in January of this year, I began the search for a new call in ministry. At that time I was working at a PCA church plant in Trussville, AL. Because of the lack of funds it became necessary for me to search for a new call. I reached out to many mentors and friends to let them know about my search. In February I reached out to Bebo at the suggestion of a friend, Wayne Herring. It was his opinion that Bebo could be of great help to me because of how well connected he believed Bebo to be!
The first thing he had me to do was to describe for him my strengths and weaknesses, my theological convictions on important issues, and what kind of ministry/ church I desired to be apart of. What I found most helpful was some of the “homework” he gave me to complete. The most helpful was when he had me form three categories…
- The Perfect World.
- The Possible World.
- The “NO” World. Under the Perfect World, I had to list the ministry situation that would, in my mind, be perfect. This included the size of church, the pay, the city, the job description and anything else that might make up this perfect situation. The Possible World included things that I would accept but would not be my first choice. The “NO” World, obviously, were things I did not want to be apart of my new call. This was a very helpful exercise because it allowed me to see these things on paper. It was certainly not difficult to make and Bebo worked through these things with me and as ministry positions became available we would see how they fit into these areas. All along the way, Bebo was tough on me. I mean this in a good way and I am very thankful that he was. He was honest with me about some of my unrealistic expectations and pushed me to be more open to certain calls because “a job is better than no job.” In other words, this was more than just trying to help me find a job. He helped me understand what to look for in a call, how to approach and prepare for interviews and to understand that my perfect situation is probably not out there. I needed to find a place in ministry where I could learn and grow and ultimately a place where I “fit.” This was a word that we used very often. He believed that both me and the church needed to be convinced of the fit. I certainly felt(and continue to feel!) that I fit at First Pres Macon.
I checked the PCA website each and every day to see if there were any new job postings. However, Bebo always seemed to know of ministry positions well before they made it to the PCA website or that were never posted on the website. In fact, he believed that most churches did not want to bother posting on the website and instead use word of mouth to find candidates. This was the case with First Pres Macon. Bebo, emailed me in March and said that he had found a position at First Pres and believed I would be a good fit. It helped that Bebo was good friends with the Senior Pastor, Chip Miller and one of the assistant pastors, John Kinser. However, Bebo seems to be good friends with just about everyone in the PCA! This speaks to his being well connected and his unique ability to help young men like me find ministry positions. In each step of the process with First Pres Macon, Bebo was willing to speak to me or email with me to give me advice on what to say or how to say it. He seems to understand these search processes very well and his advice proved to be accurate each time. It was comforting to have someone in my corner as I went through this difficult and stressful process. There were several times I needed his encouraging, calming or challenging words. I am thankful for his help and will forever be grateful for him.
— Trussville, AL