Harbour Featured In Pastors’ Conference

By Eva Wilson

November 2009

In a world of “incredible change,” pastors need to “incarnate” the gospel, Brian Harbour said during the KNCSB Pastors’ Conference.

The annual event was held Monday, Oct. 12, at Country Acres Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan. It preceded the KNCSB annual meeting.

Harbour, who is retired after 42 years in the pastorate, was the featured speaker. He retired two-and-a-half years ago as pastor of First Baptist Church, Richardson, Texas. Harbour now leads SeminaryPlus. Visit the Web site at http://seminaryplus.org/

“The change also is coming into the church,” he said.

Pastors have two choices in dealing with change: “bury our heads in the sand and long for the good ole days” or “incarnate” Christ in the culture.

Harbour cited the book, “Preaching as Local Theology and Folk Art” by Lenora Tubbs Tisdale. This book says a pastor should be an “ethnographer.”

“Exegete the text and exegete the people,” he said.

When Harbour went to a new congregation, he read the last five years of the church’s newsletter. He met with community officials, such as the mayor, police chief and superintendent of schools.

“Intentionally get to know the people themselves.”

Harbour gave these suggestions for effective preaching in the rapidly changing culture. Pastors need to:

  • “Reflect more humility.
  • “Reveal the process by which we reach our conclusions.
  • “Limit the number of ideas we introduce into each message.
  • “Live what we preach.”

Pastors must earn the right to lead, Harbour continued. This comes through being:

  • Competent
  • Consistent
  • Caring
  • A communicator

The conference also featured a question-and-answer session with R. Rex (Peck) Lindsay, KNCSB executive director. KNCSB President Steve Holdaway interviewed Lindsay, who is stepping down on Dec. 31 after a nearly 40-year career with KNCSB.

Lindsay emphasized that KNCSB works as a partner with Kansas-Nebraska churches and associations:
“[You are] the people who know most how to reach your community.”

He deflected praise, telling Holdaway, “The real heroes, Steve, are the men and women who have stayed in tough places.”

 

Send this Article to a Friend






Return to top