Every COG pastor has probably pastored a people that have…

Every COG pastor has probably pastored a people that have gone through what J.D. Vance calls; ” the hillbilly school of hard knocks.” That means your challenge as a pastor is harder and more frustrating than most. Going through the school of hard knocks means that they have been * yelled at, humiliated, cussed at and even had things thrown at them by their own parents. * lived in a home where the parents were divorced or at least fighting. * where there was substance abuse. * where one or more parents were depressed, had financial difficulties and were generally dysfunctional.
Now add to that the COD’s culture where we thought that we were supposed to yell at them some more, to humiliate them some more and generally to ” skin their hides ” little wonder that their emotions are raw and touchy and that those who mature, often leave.