Shock! That’s the only word to describe it. Ineffective was the word he used. Ineffective! For an hour after he left my office I just sat, staring at the wall. I was in shock.

Two hours earlier a friend of mine, a very successful senior pastor, came to see me. After a few minutes of the normal chit-chat about weather, families, and sports, he dropped the verbal bomb. He felt the need to leave the ministry. Yes, he was positive God originally called him, but now he felt ineffective. I reminded him he was liked by his peers and church members. Yearly, he was at the top of the baptismal list. His churches always grew—numerically and financially. Ineffective? I don’t think so. I may have a right to feel that way, but not him.

The ministerial department of the church exists to help workers be effective. Providing continuing education, introducing new methodologies and technologies, and encouraging sensitivity to felt needs, cultural norms, and ethnic growths, will foster pastoral effectiveness. However, one of the biggest keys to effectiveness is the church working as a team. Working together, so much more is accomplished than when one works alone. Working together, so much more is accomplished than when one works and others cheer. Teamwork aids effectiveness.

Effective teamwork motivated the Hope for Our Day evangelism training convention in South Bend, Ind. The Hope for Our Day training convention in Merrillville, Ind., provided advanced training for those teaching seminars and holding meetings. Added to these was the Share the Light church ministries convention in Merrillville, which focused on little things churches can do to enhance outreach programs.

Share the Light is more than a convention. It is the evangelistic theme for the Lake Union, leading up to our Union Session in April. To provide additional assistance in this outreach effort, the Lake Union has made available major funding to our academies involved in evangelism. In addition, the Lake Union will reimburse pastors, who meet certain conference-established criteria, up to $1,000 for equipment purchased to conduct evangelistic meetings. This is, of course, in addition to the $2 million in evangelism subsidies distributed to the conferences from Lake Union operating funds during the quinquennium. We believe this kind of teamwork makes us more effective.

About my pastor friend—he is still a successful pastor, more effective than ever. He now believes effectiveness can only be measured when Jesus comes. I agree.

Rodney Grove is the Lake Union Conference ministerial director.