It is in my nature to be positive. I’m an optimist. And not only that, I’m a man who always believes things will work out, given enough time and some good decision making. And of course prayer—lots of prayer!

But in recent days we have witnessed some tough situations as pastors have come under assault. Sometimes from outside the church, and sometimes from within. Some of the assaults are from the enemy, and some from the sinful nature of the pastors themselves. Some are false. Some, sadly, are true.

• One pastor has been accused of financial misdeeds
• One pastor has just left the church he planted (still waiting to hear the details)
• One pastor was accused of sexual sin
• One pastor was accused of drunkenness
• One pastor has allowed his church to incur massive debt
• One pastor just left the association that has helped train him

Now these are not just random pastors we have heard about. These are our friends. These are pastors we have worked with and prayed over. They have attended conferences, built buildings with us, and we have shared their pulpits—every last one of them.

So it’s personal. And it’s devastating. And it’s part of the reason we are here.

I’ll be honest, the day I started on my doctoral studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, I wondered if it would make more sense to return to the U.S. for the next three years. But then we saw so many of our brothers and sisters struggling. And they are asking for help. They need us to stand with them and weather these storms. They need our counsel, our testimony to their integrity, and our training.

So as long as God wants, and God’s people will be generous enough to keep us here, we will hold down the fort and help as many pastors as we can. Please pray for us and for the pastors we help.

An update (May 2017)

As of May, the pastor accused of financial misdeeds has been exonerated, and the two accused of sin have humbled themselves and are on a path to ministry and personal recovery. The church in debt has new financial leadership from a member in the church, and it’s working wonders.