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Honoring Five Pastors Who Shaped My Life and Ministry

Honoring Five Pastors Who Shaped My Life and Ministry

Last updated on: September 16, 2025 at 12:52 pm by Jeff McLain

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Honoring Five Pastors Who Shaped My Life and Ministry 2025-09-16T12:52:32-04:00 Jeff McLain

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Honoring Five Pastors Who Shaped My Life and Ministry. Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash.

If you’ve been part of a church community in recent years, you might be familiar with October as Pastor Appreciation Month. Throughout October, we celebrate National Clergy Appreciation Day, with the second Sunday designated Clergy Appreciation Day. While not all churches observe this occasion, many take the opportunity to encourage and bless their pastors or pastoral leaders with thoughtful gestures, such as cards, gift cards, or even a little time away to recharge. In this blog post, I want to practice honoring five pastors who shaped my life and ministry for National Clergy Appreciation Month. This Lead a Quiet Life on Patheos explores embracing simplicity, slowing down, and cultivating a life of reflection and gratitude. Inspired by Paul’s call in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 to put our hands to work in faithful ways, this blog also emphasizes living our call faithfully in ordinary ways – and in this blog we see five people that do or did that well. I believe that gratitude roots us in the reality of here-and-now, helping us recognize who and where we are, and from that grounded place, joy emerges—a quiet, active resistance to a world of excess. I want to Lead A Quiet Life from a place of joy, because I know where I am and who has helped shape that.

The history of National Clergy Appreciation Day.

From what I’ve gathered, this celebration began in 1992 with the aim of uplifting and encouraging those engaged in ministry, particularly in missionary and pastoral work. While we are all called to collaborate with the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom as the priesthood of believers—discipling and sharing the message and mission of Jesus to the ends of the earth—it’s valuable to also take time to celebrate those who have spiritually encouraged and supported us along the way.

Scripture calls us to be a people of encouragement and honor.

As a pastor, I’ve often received cards during National Clergy Appreciation Month that provide much-needed encouragement. It’s humbling and uplifting to hear how God has worked in, with, or through us, especially during seasons of exhaustion and discernment. Though we must recognize that our abilities come not from our own authority or power, it builds faith to here when God has planted a seed or encouragement in our attempts at faithfulness. We could all learn to be more devoted to one another in love, honoring each other above ourselves (Romans 12:10). Paul tells the Thessalonian Church to continue finding ways to encourage each other and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Time and Time again, Paul models naming something that he appreciates about someone else (See Philippians 1:3-5). These are important and good practices.

However, I’ve also received cards that I think are going to be encouraging, but the words written inside focus more on what people don’t appreciate about my leadership rather than expressing gratitude. Those messages can be less helpful. As we were told growing up, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. The wisdom of the Proverbs remind us that the prudent hold their tongues and to keep our tongues with restraint (Proverbs 17:27-28).

It is good to reflect on who has shaped us.

This month, I’ve been reflecting on how the leadership of others has shaped my own journey. In this blog post, I want to take a moment to honor those who have invested in me and influenced my ministry during National Clergy Appreciation Month. The author of Hebrews encourages followers of Jesus to remember the leaders who spoke the word of God to us and to consider their lives as examples to imitate (Hebrews 13:7). Similarly, Paul instructs Timothy that those who invest their lives in preaching and teaching deserve honor (1 Timothy 5:17).

Honoring Five Pastors Who Shaped My Life and Ministry.

Over the years, countless people have influenced my life, shaping me in various ways and encouraging me to step into new opportunities. While I won’t have the space to reflect on all the authors and leaders who have impacted me from a distance—such as Michael Breen, John Wimber, Jack Deere, J. Robert Clinton and others—I do want to acknowledge some key individuals who have significantly shifted my journey through their surrender to God. I may not be able to remember everyone who has encouraged me, but I am deeply thankful for those whose influence and investment have helped me grow. Though my life has not yet fully imitated their example, I recognize how far I’ve come because of their guidance. This list is not in any particular order of importance, nor is it exhaustive as I simply don’t have the space to share all the ways they have invested in me and empowered me in my leadership journey.

Jerry Shannon welcomed me during a pivotal time in my life, while I was on my spiritual search, allowing me to explore my spiritual path at my own pace and to engage as I felt ready. With a compassionate approach, he gave me the freedom to wrestle with deep questions, offering not only answers but also a listening ear and invaluable guidance. Jerry was consistently attentive, pointing out gifts he saw in me and encouraging me to pursue and nurture them. His willingness to trust me with responsibility in our church community taught me that maturity often grows through accountability. Jerry’s dedication to integrity and relational equity has profoundly influenced my own approach to ministry, leaving an enduring mark on my journey. Jerry is the reason I feel a call to Jesus, the church, and Jesus’ cause. To this day, I am inspired look to call the giftings out in others and to make space for them.
Rip Wahlberg, a pastor from a different experiential background than myself, is a deep friend who provided a safe space where I could process the stresses and questions of ministry early on. Conversation through our differences taught me that we could disagree with respect and understanding, and he allowed me to remain true to my calling. Rip continuously encouraged me, especially in moments when I felt out of place, and he valued my journey with education and growth, engaging with me even while I was traveling or exploring other pursuits. Rip’s empathy and honesty reminded me to approach my own struggles with grace, recognizing when challenges may be projections of others’ issues rather than my own failures. His friendship and trust made room for me in leadership, which strengthened my confidence and helped me find clarity in my calling. To this day, I look to converse with those I disagree with, but even more like Rip, I look to encourage people from a place on being on the journey with them.
Lance Pittluck, though he never formally mentored me, or walked with me in any sort of way, I sat under his preaching when I worked at a café in the church he pastored, and I watched his authenticity and humility which spoke volumes to me. I remember thinking that it was unlike anything I had ever seen. Watching him preach with an attitude that conveyed his own need for grace profoundly influenced my approach to ministry. I remember once watching Lance get in line to receive healing prayer, rather than being “the guy” facilitating the time of prayer and that stuck with me. When I was working in the church café, Lance’s genuine interest in me and his encouragement felt like a quiet affirmation of God’s calling in my life. His calm, conversational teaching style—free of pretense or performance—offered a model that I have often looked to emulate. Lance’s leadership continues to remind me of the power of authenticity and the grace in letting one’s life speak. To this day, I still try to model a deep humility, conversational, transparent, and low-key approach to preaching.
My Grandfather, J. Marlin Rhoads, was neither an ordained pastor nor a formal mentor, but he embodied the power of prayer and simplicity with quiet resilience. Though not a pastor, he spent many years as a teacher and even preached in a church plant in a barn (and I still listen to some of his sermons). His commitment to prayer profoundly influenced me, and his gentle, straightforward way of answering complex questions in simple ways still echoes in my own ministry. Through him, I felt inspired to take complex theological issues and convey them in ways that resonate with everyday life—a quality I often hear people appreciate in my teaching. My grandfather’s example of a prayerful life, marked by consistency and integrity, has become a central inspiration in my spiritual journey and my studies, reminding me of the importance of grounding ministry in a life of faithfulness. To this day, I try to grow in prayer and relate things to everyday, ordinary and pop culture examples.
Barry Erb was an influence at a much earlier stage in my life, yet it left a lasting impact. When I was a young child, at the end of a worship gathering, Barry always took the time to engage with me, asking about my drawings, which often depicted scenes from church – on the back of bulletins. His interest in my small, creative expressions made me feel valued and respected, something I strive to pass on to children today. Although ministry wasn’t on my mind back then, Barry’s attentiveness taught me the significance of seeing and encouraging others, regardless of age. His example instilled in me a dedication to taking an active interest in others’ lives – especially small children who sit in sermons.

It may be a Hallmark holiday or season, but it can also be an invitation to pause and reflect in what is left of National Clergy Appreciation Month, to recognize and celebrate the leaders and mentors who have impacted your own journey. Each of us has been shaped by those who have walked alongside us, offering guidance, encouragement, and a living example of faithfulness. It is good for us take the time to express our gratitude, honoring those who have invested in us and helped us grow. In doing so, we not only uplift our pastors and leaders but also cultivate a culture of appreciation and love within our communities.

A Final Note.

Lastly, if you don’t have someone who can speak into your life in this way, I encourage you to seek it out. Reach out and explore your surroundings for a community of people who share a similar calling. Connecting with others who understand your journey can provide invaluable support and encouragement. Remember, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone—there are others ready to walk alongside you. That is the way God intended it. The scriptures tell us that two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). We are told that our calling is sharpened when it is around others (Proverbs 27:17). Paul tells us that we as followers of Jesus should learn how to help each other carry their burdens of which our calling can be at times (Galatians 6:2).

From A Liturgy For Those Who Desire Community in Their Calling from Every Moment Holy Volume III.

“O God who calls his people,
to shared pilgrimage,
I have often labored alone in my calling,
but I pray by your grace that I
need not walk this lonely road much longer.”

“Let me soon find others of like mind
and heart and of similar calling,
with whom to link arms.
Then bind us together, O Christ.”

“Let us find that when we are gathered,
you are indeed present and powerful
in our midst.”

“Let us enjoy the benefits of a good
companionship, encouraging and
carrying one another through any
hard and wearying seasons, joined
together in our mourning and in
our rejoicing.”

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About Jeff McLain

Through 'Lead a Quiet Life,' Jeff McLain explores his pursuit of simplicity in a tumultuous world as he serves as the Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission and as pastor at River Corner Church. Jeff's commitment to Jesus as been shaped by an unconventional journey from activism to hitchhiking, is reflected in his academic pursuits and throughout his involvement with various initiatives. Residing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jeff, along with his wife and three daughters, embraces family moments outdoors, while his love for baseball, boardwalks, beaches, and books adds depth to his vibrant life. You can read more about the author here.

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