Satisfaction

Yesterday I baptized the third child of a couple I married 12 years ago. It's one of the most gratifying rewards of staying in one church for a long time. I hope within the next year or two to marry a couple who were both born while I have been here. What a privilege -- to see young people grow up under your ministry, get married, and begin a Christian family -- knowing only one pastor all their lives. It's one of the intangibles of a long-term pastorate.