InFaith has an amazing ministry led by Ed Lochmoeller, called Pastor-in-Residence (PIR). It’s all about finding people who have been exited from their churches for any reason and restoring them back to ministry. It’s for those pastors and their families who have been broken, embarrassed, and need a safe place to rebuild their lives.

PIR was started by Chuck Wickman because he realized that a pastor is a terrible thing to waste, and with all the exited pastors in our country, he wanted to make a difference. He is making a difference. Yesterday, I visited Chuck and Faith in their home in Phoenix. Chuck is now in advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease and isn’t quite as mobile as he was.

When I was graduating from seminary in my early twenties, Chuck and Faith hired me as their high school pastor for a church in Walnut Creek, California. That experience changed Robanne’s and my life. It was so affirming, so trusting, so accountable, and so positive that it set our life in a very, very positive direction for ministry. As I left the Wickmans’ house in Phoenix and was driving back to southern California, I thought, If you take Chuck Wickman out of RobAnne’s and my life, we would be different people. We owe him a great debt. He discipled us, he cared for us, and he and Faith made a huge difference.

What I like is that through PIR, Ed is taking those who don’t have the experience I have and allows them to be restored back to a positive view of ministry. I look forward to watching how PIR will grow, and I am very thankful for the ministry of Chuck and Faith Wickman.