By Gary Brouwers

(First appeared in the Fall 2005 issue of the Forum) 

We were five different individuals coming from five very different careers trying to be obedient to God’s call. We came knowing that God wanted us at seminary but not at all sure how we were going to get through it. But God blessed us, we graduated, and now we are a group of five different pastors fulfilling five different callings. And of all the gifts we received from our seminary education, this group of friends is one of the best. We need each other.

We met one another through our classes at the seminary, but it wasn’t just mutual class assignments that drew us together. There was a passion in each person that was attractive to the others. Each passion was unique. One saw the theme of worship running through each class, for others it was missions. One saw the freedom that Christ brings and another consistently applied pastoral care.

Those themes determined, to a large extent, the type of ministry we took up after seminary, and these differences continue to make our group stronger. Without the balance of one another, we tend to become myopic. When we communicate, we know that we will be inspired toward missions by some, toward worship by others; and each person’s tendency toward one aspect of ministry brings balance to us all.

But our group is more than simply a ministry resource. Our lives are open to one another. We can trust each other. We’ve taken risks by opening up to each other, and we each have been received with love. We try out ideas on each other, knowing that even absurd ideas will be handled honestly but gently. We can share personal struggles easily with one another, because we know that the others have also had their share of personal challenges.

Our group is now separated across the United States, and being together physically is becoming more difficult. We’ve been able to participate in each other’s ordinations, for the most part. We’ve been able to attend conferences and classes together once a year since we graduated. E-mail has been an effective way to stay in touch, but nothing substitutes the real-time connection of seeing and hearing individuals or the group as a whole.

But we still need each other, and that awareness keeps us diligent in maintaining contact. When one member has been silent for a while, others in the group will check in. It’s wonderful to know that there are others watching out for us, making sure we don’t slip away into isolation or unhealthy habits. We stick together. We have to. We need each other.