Journeys

© 2010 Marvin Wray. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 12/1/2010

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9971-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9973-6 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9972-9 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010917331

Printed in the United States of America

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter the First

The First Week

Chapter the Second

The First Decade

Chapter the Third

The Second Week

Chapter the Fourth

The Second Decade

Chapter the Fifth

The Third Week

Chapter the Sixth

The Third Decade

Chapter the Seventh

The Fourth Week

Chapter the Eighth

The Fourth Decade

Chapter the Ninth

The Fifth Week

Chapter the Tenth

The Fifth Decade

Chapter the Eleventh

The Sixth Week

Chapter the Twelth

The Sixth Decade

Chapter the Last

What Did I Learn?

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Nothing like this ever happens without the support and sacrifice and encouragement of so many people along the way. I owe a great deal of gratitude to so many people and I know I’m going to send this off and have it printed and realize I’ve left somebody off that deserved special mention. I apologize in advance.

I am very appreciative of the Northern California Conference for initiating a sabbatical policy that allows pastors the time to engage in some form of study, research project, or just plain renewal. I was privileged to be one of the first to take advantage of it. Unfortunately there was only a minimal amount of funding from the continuing education policy, but I was able to engage friends, church members, and a few other contacts that were willing to invest in a pastor who frequently has very strange ideas.

I am deeply indebted to my church family for giving me not only permission, but also encouragement to undertake this project in the manner in which I did it. I had many sweet mothers in the church that prayed daily for my safety. My associate pastors, John Grys and Sherilyn O’Ffill covered the duties at the church and all my terrific lay leaders did what they always do. In addition, my secretary, Sandy Holmes, really held everything together in the office.

Obviously I am appreciative of every pastor and church member I met with along the journey that gave me significant portions of their time and shared their joys, challenges, frustrations, rewards and every other emotion that comes with pastoral ministry.

I am so thankful for James Boyles, a church member, neighbor, but mostly just a great friend who helped me with so many computer technology issues and then read the manuscript not once, but twice and made many helpful suggestions. Mark O’Ffill also offered valuable editorial comments.

Family and friends who prayed for me every day were certainly the ones that really got me through some of the more difficult moments of the journey. I truly felt and absorbed all of those prayers.

What can I possibly say about my one of a kind wife, Ingrid, that would begin to express my appreciation for her patient support? It is certainly not fair to her for me to leave for seven weeks and go on this dream trip while she is left to deal with all of the issues at home. To make matters so much worse she had major foot surgery three days after I left. She has endured so many of my brilliant plans through the years and this was probably the granddaddy of them all. But she prayed for and with me every day. She sent along a bundle of cards for me to open along the journey. She always smiled when we were together on Skype and she even left the light on for me when I came home. She has encouraged me as I have labored through the writing of this book and has patiently endured the times when I felt frustrated and pressured because it wasn’t getting done fast enough.

So, to all of these and more I express deep thanks, but it is to my sweet wife of almost forty years now that I dedicate this book. She is truly the heart and soul of my life and my spiritual journey and I simply could not have done it without her.

Preface

OK, for one reason or another you have picked up this book. Perhaps you purchased it. Thank you! Perhaps you’re just browsing through it a bit to see if you even want to read it. Whatever the case let me just share a brief preface as to what it is all about.

First of all, let me state what will be obvious before long. I am a Seventh-day Adventist Pastor and have been for thirty-seven years. I grew up in the Church of God with headquarters in Anderson, Indiana. However, this book is not unique to Seventh-day Adventist Churches. I believe that the issues involved with church growth and pastoral health would be equally applicable in almost any church. This book is definitely not about Adventist doctrine in any way. Rather, it is about attitudes, flexibility, creativity, openness, and having a true heart to let Christ lead and shine forth in the ministries of our congregations.

I will admit it is a bit late in getting out. I launched the journey on June 8, 2009 and I am writing this preface in July 2010. Mind you, the rest of the book is done, but still that makes well over a year in delaying the sharing of information and the publication process is still going to take several more weeks. The good news, I believe, is that the things I saw and experienced are not fast changing. That also is a mix of good and bad news.

I almost feel that the delay in getting the project completed was God’s plan as well. As I write this morning, July 3, 2010 the 59th General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church has just finished and I see many things that can tie into where we may be headed from here.

Please keep in mind that the opinions expressed in this book do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all church leaders, of all my local church leaders, of all my colleagues, or even my lovely wife. In fact, my own opinions are subject to change. And that, my friends, is the hope of the church for the future. Changing needs, methods, and opportunities can influence us. If we refuse to consider change in methodology and even in our theological understanding and application we will cease to be relevant. Make no mistake; I am not talking about doing away with or changing our fundamental beliefs. I am talking about keeping our priorities straight and keeping our eyes firmly on Christ and Christ alone. He is the message. He is the way, the truth and the life.

I think what I really wanted to find out on this journey was what drives the pastors and the church leaders in their ministry. Where is their passion and perhaps the real question is do they have one? What motivates them to continue to worship in their particular church of choice? What are their real and personal core beliefs?

Everyone seems to ask me how I came to choose the particular churches I did. I started with some very specific spots in mind. I definitely wanted to see what was creatively being done in Salt Lake City. I wanted to see what the lasting effects were in Waco, Texas. How do you reach people in a place like Las Vegas? And what do our churches look and operate like in the Adventist ghettos like Loma Linda? I knew of some churches that were experimenting with contemporary worship styles and I knew some pastors that I have long admired and wanted to visit with. I also hand picked some churches that I had pastored previously. Finally, there were some churches with just so much history I couldn’t miss them, such as Battle Creek.

Other than that, most of the churches were picked somewhat at random to fit a reasonable riding distance for each day. It turned out to be a lot of fun because some of the random choices were the most enlightening. I found nearly all pastors to be interested in the project and not only willing, but anxious to participate. So many were hospitable enough to offer lodging and meals to help cut expenses. I made a lot of great friends and felt a real camaraderie with men and women who are all facing the same great challenge of somehow connecting people with Jesus.

What I found was a pocketful of churches and leaders that seemed to be purpose driven. I found another pocket of churches and leaders that seemed to be struggling to find a common purpose and were often more engaged in debating doctrinal correctness and positioning themselves to protect issues, the institution, and personal views. In reality, I believe we need to be presenting Jesus over and over again and allow Him to lead and guide those in whom we are privileged to plant seeds and then allow the Holy Spirit to bring them to fruit bearing followers of Him.

We are not in the business of changing lives. We are not in the business of establishing the personal standards of the person sitting next to us in church. We are not in the business of minutely defining the wording of doctrinal beliefs. We have been called to simply go and make disciples, to preach the gospel, and to prepare people wherever we find them to walk with Jesus through the final days of this earth’s history.

We need called and gifted church administrators, but I am weary to death of administrivia. We need a solid organizational structure in our world church, but that structure will never finish the work God has called His church to do. We need policies and principles that bind us together in a church that operates in 200, more or less, countries around the world, but surely we cannot pretend that those policies and principles will be applied exactly the same in every culture. We can’t even expect that within the boundaries of a Division as broad as the North American Division.

Let’s attempt to be real here my friends. We do have a common calling and goal with every believer from every nation, tongue, and people. We need to gather at the foot of the cross where Jesus’ blood flows down to cleanse us from every sin. Having done that we need to take up our cross and follow Him. He is a God of great diversity and He welcomes worship in many forms and practices. His only requirement is that we are truly and humbly worshipping Him and not putting on some kind of performance. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s not about us. It’s all about Him. He came. He lived. He loved. He died. He is risen, and He’s coming back to take all His children home.

So, I rode nearly 12,000 miles over a period of six weeks and talked to many pastors, and many more church members, and I sought to understand where we are and what we are doing as God’s specially called church in these last days.

Intertwined with the reports of those conversations I will share with you some insights into my own personal journey with Jesus. That, too, has been a journey that didn’t take the most direct route. But, the journey is not really about the route. It’s about the destination.

How about you? Where are you in your own personal journey? What have you learned along the way? Are you closer to the goal that you believe God has for you or are you lost in a storm on some country back road? All I can tell you is that wherever you are, if you cry out for Jesus to be with you, then you are home.

Saddle up friends, it’s time to be riding on.

Chapter the First

The First Week

After months of dreaming, planning, preparing and praying, the morning of June 8, 2009 dawned, so full of mixed emotions. I was actually about to leave on a 12,000 mile motorcycle journey all around the U.S. This was a dream of a lifetime. I grew up loving motorcycles ever since my dad would take me for rides on his big old Indian Chief. I raced bikes indoors in Canada and outdoors on flat tracks, enduros, and TT courses in Northwest Washington way back in the 60’s and 70’s. I had always dreamed of just taking off and riding all over the country, but family and ministry and time just made it seem that would never be a practical idea.

In June of 2008 the Northern California Conference announced a sabbatical opportunity for a few pastors that would submit a plan and purpose. It didn’t take me long to initialize my concept. I had, for some time, wished that I could personally visit a wide variety of our churches around the country to see first hand what methods were being used, what passions were being pursued, and whether or not we were really making progress or were we just barely treading water? What, if anything, was really working to reach hearts for Christ?

My project was approved. It was then that I had my revelation. Why not make the journey on my motorcycle? That leads to the rest of the story.

It was very difficult for me to leave Ingrid, my sweet wife, knowing that it would be three weeks before I would see her again. That was made even harder by the realization that she was going to have significant foot surgery two days later, a complication that had come into the picture long after it was possible for me to alter dates, but that fact didn’t lessen the anxiety I felt.

She left for her work at the Northern California Conference office where she is the Administrative Secretary to the Treasurer, John Rasmussen. It was easier to have her leave first than it would be to get all my gear on and try to say good-bye. I still had a lump in my throat. It may seem strange to some, but even though we have been apart due to numerous extended trips throughout our ministry we still find it hard to separate. I think that’s a good thing!

Other emotions felt that morning were anxious anticipation and just plain excitement. I had waited for this day through months of preparation and was more than ready to get underway. However, the longest rides undertaken before were several trips up to Seattle and back. Each of those entailed either two or three days of riding each way although I did come back one time with our daughter in one day. That was 850 miles and I’ve never been anxious to repeat it. The prospect of riding between 11,000 and 12,000 miles over a period of seven weeks was filled with unknown challenges, with weather being a dominant one.

Now the last minute items had to be stored. Obviously there was a lot of time spent thinking and rethinking what to take along. Then I had to decide where to put it and once on the road there were many moments spent trying to remember where I did put it! You might be thinking that there aren’t that many options on a motorcycle, but rest assured that with two saddlebags, a trunk, a trunk bag, and a tank bag there are many options especially when you consider the multiple outside compartments on the trunk bag and tank bag.

Finally, everything was aboard and it was now about 8:00 a.m. and time to head toward my first appointment, which was with Dan Appel in Auburn, California. The morning was surprisingly cool for June. We had already had some triple digit temperatures, but now it was quite cool and overcast. The first part of the ride is not particularly interesting heading through Fairfield, Vacaville, Dixon, Davis, and Sacramento, but the sheer excitement of actually being on the way overshadowed the lack of scenery. Dressed in full leathers I was very comfortable and just rolled along while a jumble of thoughts and feelings ran through my mind.

The full itinerary had been set well in advance and I had gone over it so many times. My longest days would be around 550 miles. Today would only be around 470 miles, but there were still many unknowns considering road and weather conditions. Thinking further down the road thoughts surfaced about how accumulated fatigue would factor in. I have a great saddle by Corbin and a gel pad on top of it and that would prove to be important as the trip wore on and my backsides just plain wore. One thing I was not worried about was the dependability of my trusty 1999 Honda Valkyrie. With more than 40,000 miles on the bike already it had never given me a moment’s concern. Of course, you never know what can happen, but I can tell you that it performed perfectly for the entire 11,393 miles.

I also had purchased a Dainese full-faced helmet with built in Bluetooth technology. It was difficult to hear when I was going at highway speeds, but remember, I have a six-cylinder engine and six loud pipes coming out the back. It does get noisy! One footnote that should be added here is the great service and help I received from two sources. First of all, Fairfield Cycle, my local Honda dealer, did a fantastic job of servicing the bike and getting it all ready. They even gave me a nice discount! Then there was Cycle Gear. Their shops in Sacramento, Fairfield, and Concord all gave me lots of help and great service as I worked through the trial and error phase of getting equipped. On my second day out the face shield on my helmet broke, but upon arrival the third day in Las Vegas the Cycle Gear manager there fixed it perfectly and it gave me no more trouble the entire trip.

AUBURN, CALIFORNIA

Now, let’s get back to the ride. Sailing through Sacramento and arriving at my first destination in Auburn I did experience some challenges in finding the church via Google Maps. I had purchased a GPS device, but found it hard to view clearly, particularly when I placed it under the clear plastic cover of my tank bag for protection from moisture. My second choice was to print out directions, but as anyone who has ever done that you can find that these are not always foolproof. One thing I would encourage every church to do is to make sure that visitors can find your facility easily. Large and attractive signs are a valuable asset. However, having found the church I must say that Auburn has a beautiful setting and a beautiful facility.

Dan Appel has been in Auburn for just a year and a half. He pastored the Pleasant Hill, California Church for about eight years prior to coming here. I loved sitting and visiting with this big Teddy Bear. It was a good choice for my first visit. I’ve known Dan for several years and have found him to be warm and creative. In fact he has authored a couple of great books. He wrote A Bridge Across Time and, most recently, The Choice, a commentary for laymen on the book of Revelation.

The Auburn Seventh-Day Adventist Church purposes to be a dynamic church, exalting God in worship, proclaiming His Word, upholding Adventist beliefs, and continuing the ministry of Christ through:

Fellowship with God and one another


Restoration of the love and truth of God


Interceding for God’s kingdom to grow


Evangelizing our community for Christ


Nurturing one another to be like Jesus


Discipling others to win hearts to Christ


Serving God as we bless and help others

As we sat and chatted about his first year and a half in Auburn we talked mostly about challenges, perceptions, and misperceptions in pastoral ministry, not necessarily related directly to his current assignment. We’ve both been in ministry about the same length of time and have seen and experienced many similar challenges and opportunities.

Noting some significant changes he has observed, he talked about the fact that respect for the position of pastor is not a given any longer. This would hold true for churches of any denomination I believe. We have seen too many celebrity pastors fall and make headlines. Additionally the pastor is often expected to be the CEO of the church and for many, if not most, of us that is not really high in our gift mix.

Dan noted another significant change in ministry is that we are finding increasing diversity in our congregations. This diversity is often ethnic, but even more so it is cultural and generational. With longer life expectancies we find ourselves ministering to and leading worship for a wider age range and that can be a big challenge without going to multiple services, which brings its own challenges.

Yet another factor contributing to the lack of assumed trust of pastoral leadership is the fact that within the Seventh-day Adventist Church, particularly, we have created an expectancy of pastoral moves every 3-5 years.

That is changing more recently, but the effect remains. How can we expect the church body to simply turn over the function and the vision of the church to the pastor when it will take him or her a year or two just to get to know the congregation and the community and then be moved in another couple of years?

Throughout my summer’s journey many pastors opened up and shared that they were discouraged with the reality of having their creativity and dreams stifled and sometimes even undermined. Having experienced that myself I can openly share that there have been times it nearly took me out of ministry.

In my concluding time with Dan we looked at the bigger picture of the Adventist Church. He shared his passion for building relationships first and sharing doctrines once those relationships have been established. The phrase he used was, We too often make the envelope more important than the letter. Dan is involved in Rotary and several other community activities and makes it a point to establish a personal friendship with community leaders.

WINNEMUCCA & ELKO, NEVADA

Now it was time to get back in the saddle and get in some serious travel heading for my evening appointment in Elko, Nevada. Riding east on I-80 out of Auburn you very quickly get into absolutely gorgeous country. I don’t particularly enjoy riding on the interstates, but they do, obviously, allow you to gain the greatest distance. However, I-80 from Auburn on into Reno is a very pleasant and scenic ride. You pass through Gold Run, Emigrant Gap, and up over Donner Pass with an elevation of 7,240 feet. The views are just awesome as you roll on through Truckee. In fact, it was difficult to have to roll through, or by, Truckee because it is one of my favorite towns reflecting the old west. But, there were many miles to go before I slept and so I just twisted the throttle and cast a longing eye for my destination and was thankful for no road construction delays on this first day of the journey.

Once you’ve passed Reno (and I did pass it without stopping for casinos) there’s not a lot of scenery to talk about. Everything pretty much flattens out and turns to boredom until you approach Salt Lake City and that wouldn’t be until tomorrow afternoon. It was about 285 miles from Auburn to Winnemucca where I stopped to take some pictures of the church. The membership here shows at just over 100, but the attendance averages much lower. It was a pleasant surprise to find the church very attractive both in the building itself and the landscaping. Michael Hope is the pastor of Winnemucca, Elko, and Ely,