Three Influential Shepherds

 It would seem that October is Pastor Appreciation Month. There are three Pastor's in my life that have had a huge impact. I want to honor the three of them today. During my youth days, I had the joy of having Bro. John Aoki as my youth pastor. He gave of himself to the youth. He took time to pour into us. It's funny all those years, I had no idea what he did for a living. I just knew him as the most amazing youth pastor in the world. I knew he loved us. He listened to us, and he always preached the truth to us. To be honest, I took him for granted. His wife Kim was a friend to the girls, and we loved on their kids. I have a deep love and respect for Bro. Aoki. I'm thankful for all the hours, prayers, tears and laughter that he poured into us. I truly believe it's because of him that I stayed in the church all these years. He was not just a youth pastor; he was a friend. The second Pastor who gave me deep roots is Dr. Daniel Butler. He gave me plenty of room to make mistakes. Always listened to my ideas and gave me the wings to give them flight. He taught me everything I know about the actual day to day things of the church life. I watched him ride through some very tough times. I watched him love his wife through some situations that many would not be able to smile through. He believed in me. Bro. Butler taught me the importance of having a relationship with Jesus first over all the "stuff" that comes with being Apostolic. He truly believed it was Jesus on the inside working on the outside. He taught me to love the soul of a person over everything else. I learned so much from his preaching , teachings and patience in my early years being developed in ministry. I am so thankful that he became my pastor. I have such a deep love and respect for his leadership role in my life.  The third Pastor I want to honor is my most recent Shepherd, Bro. Doug Davis. When I moved to NY, he was doing the music and pastoring Bethel. I remember sitting in the pew and watching him with Sis Vickie in awe. They were the most beautiful couple. Over the past 17 years, he has been my pastor. Every sermon he has preached has been a masterpiece. His dedication makes room for freedom of worship to flow forth. His heart for missions transfers easily to the congregation. He is wise, funny and anointed. I have watched him overcome heart attacks and get right back up and lead the church. Over the past two years, he has loved his wife through sickness all while doing the best he can to care for his flock. No truer Christian will you find than Pastor Davis.  I honor all three of these men today. Each and every one of them are not perfect. They are men who accepted the call of God to pastor in a church setting. Being a pastor is not a glamorous thing. Perfection is expected of you. When you make a mistake, people are not quick to forgive. Bro. Butler and Bro. Davis have both given their lives to this calling. They love people. They love the soul of a person. They are both ever reaching for that one sheep that has wandered away. I can't thank them enough for answering the call to pastor. Thank you for not giving up and walking away when things became tough. To, Bro. Aoki, Bro. Butler and Bro. Davis, I say thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed. I love and respect you all with the love of the Lord. I am who I am today, because of you. To the wives of these men, I honor you as well. They could not be who they are if you had not given the support they needed. You ladies were their rocks. Sis Kim, thank you for giving so much of John to us as kids. Sis Pam, you rallied behind your Dan in everything he did. You now walk in the joy of the Lord in heavenly places. Sis. Davis, you gave your life to kingdom work. The two of you were as one in everything. You are in the very fabric of all that is Bethel. Even now as your body is broken by ALS, you continue to love. Thank you, ladies, for supporting your husbands in a calling that can be cruel and thankless at times towards you. I honor you. To the Aoki children and Dane, there are not enough words to express my love for each of you. I have watched from afar as you have grown into wonderful children of God on your own. Thank you for giving your parents grace to be imperfect. Thank you for staying in the church in spite of the mess you saw firsthand behind the scenes. To the Aoki, Butler and Davis family. Thank you for giving your life to the calling of Pastor. God is good.