If you want to learn about faithfulness in ministry and the pastorate in Montana, look no further than Pastor Paul and Myra Roueche of Butte. Paul and Myra have just completed 29 years of devoted servanthood and pastoring within the Treasure State Baptist Association (TSBA).
On Tuesday evening, September 18, the TSBA, Butte Area, Pastor’s Encouragement Network celebrated the retirement of Paul and Myra from Floral Park Baptist Church, Butte. Paul’s last Sunday as pastor to that church family was August 26th, 2018. The Roueches served at Floral Park for 19 years (1999-2018) and at Beaverhead Baptist Church, Dillon from 1989-1999. Myra has also retired after working for the Bureau of Land Management in Butte for 16 years.
Paul was happy to tell me he graduated from Criswell College in Dallas, TX, in 1989, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies. While pastoring in the TSBA, he was a Board Member of what is now Yellowstone Christian College. He has also served on the Executive Board of the MTSBC and most recently he was the LeaderCare/Church Health Team Leader for the TSBA.
Pastor Paul shared some ministry/pastor lessons with me that I’d like to share with you:
- God has been faithful, always bringing Paul and Myra to where He wanted them to be. As their Abba Father, He loved them, were called to Him, and could lean on Him. When ministry was hard and people hurt Paul and his family, God taught them that He was always with them. Paul says, “There were many times that I wanted to just give up, but I couldn’t. God’s call was on my life to be His servant.”
- Even though He graduated with a Master’s Degree, Paul states he did a lot of on-the-job learning by listening to and ministering to people in the congregation. “Everyone has problems, and many of those problems I didn’t know how to handle. I was learning on the job. I had to fine-tune my listening skills. I learned, and am still learning, that I can’t fix every situation, but I know Who can. The Scriptures and prayer were my go-to sources.”
- Ministry partners seem to have been crucial to Paul. “I learned that, as a pastor and co-laborer in the ministry, there were others in the TSBA and MTSBC that I could talk with and be encouraged by. We all need someone in ministry that we can go to for encouragement and prayer. I have been surrounded by a faithful few and wonderful, what I call close pastor friends, that I could depend on when things got rough. And I hope they could depend on me as well.”
Paul’s son and his family live in Clarkson, WA, and Paul and Myra will be moving there to be close to their children and grandchildren. One of their grandsons will graduate from high school in 2019 and they want to be able to spend some time with him before he goes off to college.
Pastor Paul said, “I am thankful to God for the years He allowed me to serve in this wonderful state of Montana and to serve alongside other faithful men of God these last 29 years. I saw people saved and their lives changed. I saw people make outward decisions but no inward changes. I spent time with families as their loved ones were dying and was able to minister to them. I was involved with funerals for those who were part of the church and to those who never went to church. These are all people Jesus came to give His life for.”
“My prayer is that in some way I was able to impact someone’s life for Jesus and to help them grow in Him. I want to thank everyone that I have pastored for the role you had in helping me grow in my relationship with Jesus and with you.”
Paul and Myra, the TSBA thanks both of you, in the Lord, for being a godly example of following Jesus, marriage, friendship, as well as in Associational and State leadership. Well done.
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