On Sunday July 6, 2008, Praise Assembly of God in Pueblo, Colorado honored Pastor Bobby and Alvena Wilson for 40 years of pastoral ministry at Praise AG. My wife, Loretta, and I had the privilege of attending the evening banquet. What a wonderful celebration. Upon reflection I noted several lessons on effective pastoring in evidence that evening. The fact that I have known Bobby and Alvena for over 40 years accentuated the significance of what I observed.
In spite of the holiday weekend there were several hundred in attendance which was indicative of the significant growth of the church through the years. We sat at the Wilson’s table with their family and a community leader who is a personal friend of Bobby’s but not a part of the church. This gentleman sat by Loretta and me, and we engaged in fascinating conversation. His language was colorful and his opinions sometimes contrary to a Christian point of view. It was evident that Bobby built bridges to people in the community and invited them into the experience of the church.
I was also impressed with the spirit of the people. The entire church family exuded a joyful spirit and great respect for their pastor. There was a sense of safety and well-being under the care of this shepherd. The banquet was well planned and executed efficiently by the staff and congregation. The effectiveness of the event and the well-maintained condition of the facility indicated a culture of solid administration and a desire to do things with excellence. They knew how to put their best foot forward.
There was a couple assigned to serve our table and their comments about Pastor Bobby were revealing. They talked about their pastor hearing from God and providing effective ministry and leadership under God’s anointing. Clearly they saw him as a man of God. And to top it off, when Pastor Wilson was invited to conclude the evening he said “I don’t know how someone can make so many mistakes and be loved by so many people”. His humility and openness was evident to a church family that knew his admission of mistakes was sincere but overstated. His statement was reassuring of his attention to integrity and expressed his deep appreciation and love for “his” people.
Psalm 78:72 says “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart, with skillful hands he led them.” Pastor Bobby and Alvena Wilson shepherd Praise Assembly of God and the Pueblo community with integrity of heart, with skillful hands they lead them. Thank you Pastor Bobby and Alvena, and congratulations!
In spite of the holiday weekend there were several hundred in attendance which was indicative of the significant growth of the church through the years. We sat at the Wilson’s table with their family and a community leader who is a personal friend of Bobby’s but not a part of the church. This gentleman sat by Loretta and me, and we engaged in fascinating conversation. His language was colorful and his opinions sometimes contrary to a Christian point of view. It was evident that Bobby built bridges to people in the community and invited them into the experience of the church.
I was also impressed with the spirit of the people. The entire church family exuded a joyful spirit and great respect for their pastor. There was a sense of safety and well-being under the care of this shepherd. The banquet was well planned and executed efficiently by the staff and congregation. The effectiveness of the event and the well-maintained condition of the facility indicated a culture of solid administration and a desire to do things with excellence. They knew how to put their best foot forward.
There was a couple assigned to serve our table and their comments about Pastor Bobby were revealing. They talked about their pastor hearing from God and providing effective ministry and leadership under God’s anointing. Clearly they saw him as a man of God. And to top it off, when Pastor Wilson was invited to conclude the evening he said “I don’t know how someone can make so many mistakes and be loved by so many people”. His humility and openness was evident to a church family that knew his admission of mistakes was sincere but overstated. His statement was reassuring of his attention to integrity and expressed his deep appreciation and love for “his” people.
Psalm 78:72 says “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart, with skillful hands he led them.” Pastor Bobby and Alvena Wilson shepherd Praise Assembly of God and the Pueblo community with integrity of heart, with skillful hands they lead them. Thank you Pastor Bobby and Alvena, and congratulations!
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