The Master’s Fellowship: An Interview with Harry Walls

When did The Master's Fellowship begin and what need was it created to meet?

 The Master’s Fellowship officially began in 2018. It was created by Pastor John out of the recognition that pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders need fellowship, leadership, and support from other ministry leaders who share their spiritual affections and biblical convictions. Thus, TMF exists to foster meaningful ministry relationships between like-minded pastors and spiritual leaders that will sustain personal and ministry strength and faithfulness. Our conviction is that brothers need brothers, pastors need pastors, and leaders need leaders. No matter how spiritually mature, leaders need each other in order to grow into all God has for them. This fellowship is meant to preserve and even enhance the investment of their seminary and ministry training. Lonely and isolated pastors are particularly susceptible to the schemes of the devil, failure, and discouragement. Our aim is to build a type of brotherhood and learning community where pastors can share the joys of ministry with one another as well as help sustain each other through a host of challenges and difficulties. TMF is meant to be a place to belong and a family of ministry brothers to support.

How are you encouraged when you interact with pastors across the country and around the globe?

 It is encouraging to see over 1,000 faithful men from over 60 regions around the world, with diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, unite and partner to strengthen the Lord’s Church and fulfill the Great Commission. We believe the sweetest fellowship and most meaningful partnerships are formed between pastors and ministry leaders who share core biblical convictions of doctrine and practice. Because of our common affections and convictions, we’ve seen the development of loyal friendship and missional cooperation play out in many Master’s Fellowship regions across the country and world. It is exciting to see what can be accomplished when the leaders of the Lord’s church are unified, supporting one another, and on-mission together.

 On the other hand, what's discouraging? What challenges are seemingly all pastors facing right now?

Pastors are experiencing many new challenges as a result of the rapidly degenerating culture. This is expressed in new pressures externally and, sometimes, growing immaturity internally, as cultural themes and demands slip their way into evangelical churches and homes. If there were ever a time for faithful men to link arms and push back with biblical courage and fortitude as they shepherd God’s people, that time is now. 

Friendship and fellowship are so important for pastors. But both seem to be scarce for so many ministry leaders. Why do you think that is? And how is The Master's Fellowship helping pastors find the friendship and fellowship that can strengthen their ministry?

Many pastors struggle to find like-minded ministry leaders they can trust and with whom they can be transparent and vulnerable. The Master’s Fellowship strives to make these connections through networking and to foster an encouraging culture where humility, winsomeness, and partnership are key priorities. The importance of friendship and fellowship in the ministry can also get lost in a sea of competing priorities as well as the busyness of pastoral ministry.

What are some examples of how fellowship and partnership with like-minded churches can make a local pastor and his church more effective for the cause of Christ.

Developing rich relationships is one of the sweetest parts of being in this ministry. These relationships can help keep the pastor spiritually healthy and provide appropriate accountability, as well as provide all kinds of practical support to them and their church.  There are examples of these kinds of partnerships through TMF in regions all over the country, from the mid-Atlantic to SoCal. Meaningful partnerships keep ministry leaders humble and aid in resisting the temptation to see fellow ministers as competitors. They also nurture a global mindset, where we are not only concerned with what is happening in our local context, but also with the Church Universal. 

What does the typical church member either not realize, or easily forget, about the pastor who leads their church?

The pastor needs to be pastored too. They are not immune to the deceitfulness of sin and to the temptation of discouragement. Pastors have limitations. They are not omni-gifted. They need support, encouragement, and strong teams for them to be healthy, maximized, and enduring leaders.    

What's next for The Master's Fellowship? Throughout 2023, what are some practical ways the fellowship will seek to support and strengthen local congregations?

The Master’s Fellowship will continue to expand and build out our 60-plus national and global regions this year and put new leaders in place so that we can offer support and encouragement to a wider population of pastors in closer geographic proximity. The heart of TMF is personal regional leadership, support, and connection. In addition, we want to offer strategic pastoral and leadership workshops across the country and world. They will be centered primarily on effective preaching, church polity and leadership structure, and marriage and family strengthening. We will also partner with G3 ministries for our second TMF pastoral pre-conference at the G3 national conference in Atlanta where we expect to exceed the several hundred we hosted in 2021.