The purpose of Rubber Meets the Road Pastoral Conversations is to discuss the joys, sorrows and tribulations of pastors serving their Call to the ministry while they live in the shadow of the Cross. The focus of this pastoral conversation is to discuss the meaning of the Office of the Keys from the perspective of serving in mission field in multiple locations and the challenges that come with that ministry.

This month’s conversation is with Pastor Danny Tutwiler. Pastor Tutwiler is a retired pastor living in the Chicago area. Pastor Tutwiler leads a team of ministry veterans who each have involved in the renewal and growth processes necessary to turn around stagnant or declining congregations.

The Four Horseman of the Ministry are Isolation, Alienation, Division, and Loneliness. The Third Horsemen of the Ministry, Division so often leads to Depression which is a mental health and wellness issue that so many in the ministry deal with on a daily basis. Division leads to Depression, that takes us to Loneliness. A 2023 Gallup poll found that roughly 17.8% of Americans had or were being treated for depression. With the extreme pressures that most pastors deal with it’s hard to imagine what our numbers would truly look like if we really faced this problem. Depression is a disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in things and activities that you once enjoyed. It can also cause difficulty with thinking, memory, eating and sleeping. Our episode will discuss the signs and symptoms of the different types of depression that people deal with along with some thoughts and ideas on how to more effectively deal with the issue of depression.

The purpose of Rubber Meets the Road Pastoral Conversations is to discuss the joys, sorrows and tribulations of pastors serving their Call to the ministry while they live in the shadow of the Cross. The focus of this pastoral conversation is to discuss the meaning of the Office of the Keys from the perspective of serving in mission field in multiple locations and the challenges that come with that ministry.

This month’s conversation is with Pastor Ray Smith. Pastor Smith is a retired second career pastor living in Oklahoma. Pastor Smith currently services as a Circuit Visitor and is assisting serving a vacant congregation in his circuit.