8 | April 2026
SCBO Resources Available to Help Pastors. Just Reach Out! Testimony By Brian Naess, associate pastor, Violet Baptist Church, Pickerington
I do not know about you, but in my tenure of min- istry and my personal walk with God, I experience seasons of dryness. Those times in our spiritual lives when we read scripture, pray, and try to drink from the well, but, to be very honest, it is more like drink- ing from a sandbox. I was just in such a season. My routine with God had become mainly centered on listening to the Bible each day. I have had seasons when I have faithful- ly journaled, using the S.O.A.P. method (Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer), prayed, and studied, but it was almost all I could do to listen to my passages each day. I knew I needed a recharge, but was having difficulty doing it. This past November, I attended the SCBO Annual Meeting in Mount Vernon and heard that the convention is investing in us as pastors by providing opportunities to spend time with a counselor and a health coach. I said to myself, “Why would I not take advantage of these resources?” I have been meeting with a counselor since that time. He is a fellow pastor trained in biblical counseling. My conversations with him have been life-giving. We have poured over the book of Colossians, focusing on me going deeper in my intimate relationship with Christ. The things we discuss are things I use often to counsel others, but I need to hear them again. Since meeting with him, I have revived several of my daily routines with Christ. They have been rich times of fellowship with my Father. The other area in which I have been convicted is my health. It is not a news flash that pastors are not the picture of health. In addition, last November, my doc- tor gave me an ultimatum: either focus more on your health in the next decade, or “these” things are going to be in your future. In God’s perfect timing, I heard about the state giving us the opportunity to connect with a health coach. This has also been life-giving to me as I spend more time focusing on the only “temple” God has given
me. Pastor, if we are going to finish well, our health needs to be a focus. My encouragement to you is: do not ever get to the point where you say, “I do not need counseling or help from others with my health.” God has placed us in biblical communities for such purposes. I have heard it said that leaders who finish well are lifetime learners and individuals who have experienced repeated times of renewal. If you are stagnant in your faith or just need that time of renewal, my question is this: Why wouldn’t you take advantage of the resources that the SCBO is offering? Finally, thank you, State Convention, for investing in us! To God be the glory!!
Pastor Brian Naess and family.
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