Decatur ministry pampers New England-area pastors

Evangelist Phil Waldrep, a member of Central Baptist Church, Decatur, was first invited to preach at a church in Vermont in 1984. In the years that followed, he developed a love for the area that has led to 25 years of ministry to New England, including making financial contributions, preaching in churches throughout the region and hosting a special annual retreat for pastors and their wives.

In September, Phil Waldrep Ministries (PWM) hosted the 13th annual Pastor's Encouragement Retreat, an all-expense-paid weekend event held to refresh and encourage pastors and their wives through worship, music, good food, entertainment and a few surprises. Although the majority of the attendees are Baptist, the retreat is open to those from other evangelical denominations.

"We treat them like kings and queens," Waldrep said. "We don't try to teach them a whole lot; we just want to love on them and let them know how valuable they are."

Valuable indeed, as there are fewer than 250 Baptist churches in the six-state region, which has a population of around 15 million, according to the Baptist Convention of New England's (BCNE) Web site. Alabama, by contrast, has more than 3,200 Baptist churches serving a population of just more than 4.5 million.

"Pastors in New England are like soldiers who serve on the front lines in battle," said Jim Wideman, executive director of the BCNE. "They deal with a hostile spiritual environment at worst and indifference at best. In addition, they are often isolated from fellow Baptist pastors and do not have the fellowship and encouragement they need.

"The Pastor's Encouragement Retreat that Phil Waldrep Ministries provides for us is like an oasis in the desert for many of our pastors," Wideman said. "Several of them have publicly said they had come to the retreat ready to resign but the care and love they received at this retreat prepared them to go back to their field of service renewed and ready to fight the battle for another year."...