Fall
1999Fall
1999
According to Pastor Pagels, the director's responsibilities include providing vision and availability of men's ministries for all churches in the district. He is also responsible for men's retreat, fund raising and providing training.
The men's ministries director is responsible directly to the district
superintendent and he oversees the sectional representatives. The director's
relationship to the district royal ranger commander is a cooperative one.
The men's ministry director's term of appointment is two years.
Echoing HonorBound's Promise Keepers roots, Pastor Pagels believes too many men have abandoned their godly responsibilites. He issues a call to the men of the Montana district to take up again their godly roles in the church. "Christ is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle. Men, in the church, have been spots and wrinkles for a long time," he said.
What does this mean for Royal Rangers? Pastor Pagels says men's ministries seeks to provide for each man in each local congregation so he can minister within his congregation and beyond into his community. He says it is vital that HonorBound be in each local church, "godly men raising up godly families." This is where Royal Rangers comes to the fore. "Royal Rangers is an essential piece of men's ministries," says Pastor Pagels.
As for FCF, Pastor Pagels sees it as the glue that holds Royal Rangers and men's ministries together. As such, FCF is the catalyst for growth in the Ranger program. Because FCF means leadership among men and boys, Pastor Pagels would like to see an FCF member in each local outpost. He also believes that an outpost council is essential.
Pastor Pagels is, however, concerned about FCF's future. He says that many of those he meets who know anything about FCF view it almost as a fringe group who just go about in leathers, muzzleloader and tomahawk in hand. He believes that FCF needs to expand its focus beyond donning garb, making fulfilling its motto, Ad Dare Servire, (To Give and To Serve), a higher priority. "I would like to see FCF come into the mainstream of the church," he said, serving, as FCF members, their local churches and communities more. The deciding factor that should guide not only FCF but any ministry of the church, he says, is, "Does it glorify Christ?" If it does not do this it should be stripped away.
Does that mean there's no longer any room for the 'Frontiersmen' in FCF? No! but FCF can not afford to be seen as a self-serving 'ol' boys' club.' Pastor Pagels believes that as FCF increases its outreach into more visible areas of service, the ranger program will also gain vitality.
--Lodestone