Pastoral Care

"The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ."(Ephesians 4:11-13 NRSV)

The pastor of a church is like a coach. The members are "the saints," a team equipped "for the work of ministry." The pastor is not the only "equipper." God makes use of a great many persons to accomplish the task. We are blessed with a multitude of gifted people in this congregation. God is good! We call out one person to be our pastor.

Peter Haynes has served this church in this capacity since April of 1990. In addition to his responsibilities in preaching, teaching, and overseeing the work of the congregation, he is available as a "friend" in time of need, someone to help share the burden. He is a trained pastoral counselor, a confidential resource who will help connect those who need with more advanced counselors if and when he reaches the limits of his abilities.

One of the most significant things he feels he does is connect persons with the spiritual resources they already possess. Praying together is a simple act, but it opens doors not yet imagined. Anointing moves in the same direction. Sometimes doing nothing but just sitting together is a significant ministry, especially in the face of illness or death. See our Metro Hospital page for area hospitals.

Pastor Pete performs weddings for couples who are members, as well as those who are not. He does require a period of premarital counseling. For more details. He is trained in "Enrich," a counseling tool for married couples who could use some help in their relationship. A similar tool he uses for couples middle-aged and older is "MATE." Other than a $30 processing fee, there is no cost for counseling for couples connected to the church. Please reach out for assistance!

An extra resource in this church are the active deacons who serve it. At present we have called out 10 persons to serve in this capacity. They assist the pastor as needed. Our fellowship is divided into 5 geographic areas, with 2 deacons responsible for caring for the people in each area. Deacons are often the unsung heroes behind the scenes. To find out more about the role of deacons in the Church of the Brethren, click here.