“How Can I Be a Pastor?”
“If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.”
1 Timothy 3:1
When Meherman first came to our training in Dharan, he wasn’t a pastor. He was a deacon in a local Methodist church: faithful, thoughtful, and eager to learn.
Through two conferences and ongoing mentoring, he studied the Bible more deeply than ever before.
In Paul’s teaching on church leadership in Timothy, he saw something troubling: his church’s leadership was not aligned with the gospel. Others saw it too.
A group made the costly decision to leave, and they asked Meherman to be their pastor.
His answer showed his heart: “How can I be a pastor? My only training has been these EPW conferences and mentoring.”
No ambition. No entitlement. Only humility.
We encouraged him to depend on the Lord, stay grounded in His Word, and trust God to use him.
And He has.
Today Meherman leads a thriving church of more than 350 people, and it has planted several more. Children with disabilities are often abandoned where he lives, so local authorities bring them to him, and his care gives them hope.
He also helps organise EPW training in his region, equipping others the way he was equipped. He remains deeply grateful for the faithful supporters who made that possible.
What began with a hesitant deacon has become a growing ministry of gospel truth and practical compassion.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for lifting up the humble and building Your church through ordinary people who trust Your Word. Keep Pastor Meherman faithful, raise up more shepherds like him, and show me my part in equipping them. Amen.
Take Action
Read 1 Timothy 3:1-7, the passage that shaped Meherman, and ask where God is calling you to be faithful. Then help equip the next pastor like him at epwusa.org.