serious and deleterious side effects, including confusion, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia and mental depression.
When the doctors were unable to come up with a satisfactory diagnosis, one suggested that she must be suffering from neurosis. Only after her medical condition had resulted in constant migraines, the loss of most of her hearing and a kidney and finally liver disease was she diagnosed with an auto-immune disease known as lupus. However, in spite of all her health challenges, she courageously carried on her responsibilities as a loving mother and dedicated pastor’s wife.
MY THIRD and LAST PASTORATE
The pastor of Stanley Avenue Baptist Church in west Hamilton had recently resigned after a long and successful ministry, so the church was looking for his successor. The pulpit committee had heard of a pastor in Barrie whose ministry had been very much blessed of the Lord. So the committee visited Emmanuel Baptist for a Sunday morning worship service and heard me preach. A point of interest was that the committee arrived late, and because our sanctuary was always filled to capacity, except sometimes the front row, the men (all dressed in dark suits) had to be ushered to the front. That caused my congregants to wonder what might be going on. After the service, the group of seven men asked to meet with me in my study. There they explained that their pastor had resigned and they were looking for a younger man to become the new pastor. I listened with interest, and then the chairman of the committee asked me if I would consider a call to be their new minister. I said I would pray about it, and after we prayed together for God’s guidance they left to return to Hamilton.
I had been feeling for some time that perhaps I should be moving on to a new challenge in my ministry. Four weeks after the visit of the pulpit committee, I received a letter from the chair of the committee stating that at a recent meeting of the membership, they had voted 100 percent to have me preach at a Sunday service, with a view to inviting me to be their new pastor. Marion and I prayed about it for a week and concluded that I should accept the invitation to preach at the church, and if they issued a call following that, I would accept.
The membership met and voted 100 percent to invite me to be their new pastor. I commenced my ministry in November of 1962 and saw the blessing of our Lord upon the work for 10 years. During that time we made major renovations to the building (which was 73 years old). These included renovating the washrooms and dividing the lower auditorium into Sunday school departments and a bright new nursery. We also completed the under-construction Christian education wing. During my ministry, the Sunday school tripled from 100 to 300, the youth groups tripled, and Sunday congregations grew, with many new people attending and joining the church.
MARION’S HOSPITALIZATION
Marion’s health continued to decline, so much so that she experienced her second nervous breakdown and a suicide attempt. She was rushed to St. Joseph Hospital, where she was admitted to the psychiatric ward under the care of the director of the ward, Dr. Isaac Sakinofsky. We could not have asked for a more compassionate and competent psychiatrist. These were incredibly painful days for the boys and for me. Here I was with a very ill wife, three boys (ages 16, 13 and 10), and a growing parish. As I look back, I’m amazed that I didn’t experience a nervous breakdown. The Bible truths I leaned heavily upon were “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV) and “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Marion was hospitalized for six weeks, and then came the painful transition for her to get back into homemaking and being a pastor’s wife. Before she was released from the hospital, the doctor requested that I meet with him. He made it clear that if I didn’t change my vocation as a pastor, Marion would be headed toward another nervous breakdown, and even worse. Of course the uppermost thoughts in my mind were What will I get into?, How does one make the transition from being a pastor to another kind of vocation? and Who would want to hire a former pastor?
I continued on as pastor of the church until I knew what God would lead me into. The elders of the church and the congregants were very understanding through all this challenging time. Once again it was a very painful time for our family. As I look back I thank God for the mature way my boys handled all this adversity in spite of their young age.
LOSS OF MY CHOSEN VOCATION
The decision I had to make to get out of pastoral ministry (which I loved so much, had been called to and trained for) brought indescribable emotional pain. Indeed it was one the most traumatic experiences of my life! It also caused considerable consternation among my former congregants, who didn’t know all the circumstances. Word even got around that “Pastor Nullmeyer had lost his faith.” In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. If ever I needed faith and to lean upon my Lord, it was now! Let me add here that this decision caused Marion very deep guilt feelings about being responsible for me having to leave the ministry. But it was a reality that had to be faced, and I put into practice the three principles that I have written about in part 2, chapter 1: accept, adapt, and advance. And more importantly, I leaned heavily on the promises of God as the prophet Isaiah articulates them: “Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you…I will help you…I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10, WEB) and “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand” (Isaiah 42:6). The Psalmist declares, “You hold me by my right hand” (Psalm 73:23).
How often we see children who panic about something, and as soon as a parent takes hold of their hand, they settle down and look up and smile at Mommy or Daddy. They know that they are in good hands. That’s how we should feel, knowing that we are in God’s hands at all times! “Don’t be afraid…When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:1–2, WEB). That deserves a “Wow!”
NOW WHAT?
Now the question became, what should I do for employment? Who wants to hire a former Baptist minister? I decided to lean heavily on a Bible passage I had memorized in my youth: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him [bring God into the circle and centre of your problem], and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6, NKJV). Another passage became a light in the dark tunnel of uncertainty for me: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). That deserves another “Wow!”
AMAZING PHONE CALL
While I was out of work, God was at work! He always is in His children’s lives. He is our Heavenly Father, and He will never leave us or forsake us. The Psalmist writes, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13). And here’s how I paraphrase verse 14: “Our Heavenly Father knows all about us; He remembers how fragile we can be, just like dust.” My Heavenly Father knew how weak and helpless I was feeling, as a husband and a father.
Yes, God was at work, so it didn’t take long for my prayer for employment to be answered. Another Bible verse came to mind: “Before they call I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24).
Some weeks after my meeting with the doctor—and with the employment aspect of my life in limbo—a former member of my parish in Barrie called me. He had had lunch with a friend of his, who was also a former member of my Barrie parish and a board member of Canadian Keswick Bible Conference, and they were looking for a new conference director. He said that he didn’t know why but my name had come to his mind. Of course I knew why! He then asked me if I would be interested in meeting to discuss the matter. Without hesitating I said, “Yes, I would be interested.”
A meeting was set up with the executive of the board of directors. I met with
