Hey pastors! Are you a bridge builder?
Recently, I was at my parents’ home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They still live in the same home I grew up in. Their back yard has a creek that runs through it. About 30 years ago, my dad built a bridge over the creek to allow him to easily cross the creek with a lawn mower, or the grandkids to get to the swing set. Over the years, many of the planks that were used have become weathered and now need replacing. My brothers and I decided that as a gift for Father’s Day and my dad’s birthday, we would replace all the planks on the bridge with newer, weather resistant material. We got the work done and not only did it look nice, but it was safer too!
What does that bridge have to do with Carolina College of Biblical Studies? Here is the connection: at birth, due to sin, we are all in need of a bridge to connect us to God. Sin runs deep and overflows in all our lives at times. God provided a bridge in the person of Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him who is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), we were reconciled to God.
God has other bridges He uses also. He uses godly men and women to help others hear the Gospel. He uses pastors to bridge the gap between us and a proper understanding of God and His Word. In this sense, God’s servants are bridges too. Like the planks on my dad’s bridge, all are aging, some retire, others taste death and are ushered into the Lord’s presence. CCBS exists to train up another generation of servants for Jesus to bridge the gaps that separate people from a relationship with God or vibrant fellowship with and service for Jesus Christ.
To learn more about being a pastor bridge builder, consider minoring in Pastoral Ministry at CCBS.
Dr. Bill F. Korver
President