Mike Johnson and the Apostle Paul Syndrome

The average pastor in America changes churches once every four years. Youth pastors last roughly three years before they move on to supposedly greener pastures.

Whereas it might be argued that youth pastors leave because they are hoping to have a church of their own someday, the career path of a senior pastor usually takes a different route. The first year of his pastorate is an unabashed honeymoon period where the proverbial “bloom is still on the rose.” Simply put, the pastor loves his new church, and his congregation loves him back.

That mutual admiration society often lasts well into his second and third years and together, much is accomplished for God’s glory. Attendance is up, perhaps necessitating a second service, and there is even talk about launching a building program.

And then it happens…

It could be the result of a hard-hitting sermon that steps on too many people’s toes, especially if one or more of them are elders or serve on the deacon board. Or it could be as simple as congregants realizing that their new pastor really isn’t the second coming of Billy Graham or Billy Sunday.

And so, the murmuring begins all the while the pastor is updating (and circulating) his resume, hoping against hope that a position will open up in a new church before his current one asks him to leave.

Wash… rinse… repeat.

This sad analogy came to my mind recently when I heard a well-meaning conservative friend say, “I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but time will tell. He may prove to be just another RINO who caves into the Washington establishment when the pressure is on and the going gets tough.”

Who was my conservative friend talking about, you ask? Try Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the new Speaker of the House.

In a chaotic and often clownish effort to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the GOP caucus took a page right out of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Just like a bowl of porridge, Jim Jordan (R-OH) was considered too hot, and Steve Scalise (R-LA) was considered too cold. So was Tom Emmer (R-MN) and a few other speaker wannabees whose candidacies lasted about as long as Brittney Spears’ first marriage.

Finally, the caucus members settled on Mike Johnson, a relatively obscure 4-term congressman from Shreveport. Confidentially, one member said that Johnson was elected to his new post because he had the fewest enemies. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

That being said, I have been extremely impressed by Speaker Johnson, who seems like the real deal to me. His acceptance speech was humble, even self-deprecating, and contained multiple references to the U.S. Constitution. It was also chockful of Scripture verses, which shouldn’t have surprised anyone because Speaker Johnson wears his faith on his sleeve.

And how could a true conservative find fault with Johnson’s 7 Core Principles of Conservatism – Individual Freedom, Limited Government, the Rule of Law, Peace through Strength, Fiscal Responsibility, Free Markets, and Human Dignity – all of which sound like they came straight out of Ronald Reagan’s playbook?

Nevertheless, there are still some “Doubting Thomases” inside the House chambers as well as in the Republican hinterlands. Just ask my conservative friend, who seems to be waiting for the other shoe to drop so he can say “I told you so.”

In evangelical circles, it is often said that some churches wouldn’t be happy if the Apostle Paul himself was their pastor. Sad, but very true, because Christians and conservatives alike often set impossibly high standards based on their own value system. One misstep and you are put out to pasture… and don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

Let’s just hope that people give Mike Johnson a chance to settle into his new position and prove himself before they start judging his tenure and lining up candidates to succeed him. He deserves that much… and more.

After all, there is no such thing as a perfect person, pastor, or politician.