Pastor Bill Ivy

05/30/2026

AN OLD PASTOR'S POINT OF VIEW: How does a pastor grow his ministry?

After years in Christian service I've learned a few things and continue to learn. It has not been a dread to be a Pastor, but a pleasure and joy. Yes, discouragements come, but the fruits of labor and my love for the LORD Jesus Christ makes it more than worth it.

The following is a few things I have personally learned over the years and need to do better.

REMEMBER:

• You don’t need a better slide presentation. But a sincere heart.

• You do not need a big vision, yes a vision. Let God’s will be your vision, He is bigger than our own. Have tunnel vision on what God has called you to do.

• A pastor's vision should be his congregation first, not missions, not a evangelists ministry to other places, or a better internet ministry. Stay at home as much as possible, where your people see and need you. That is what I mean about tunnel vision.

• The best pastor’s may not be the smartest in the room. They’re the ones people can count on every week, and know they are there at their post of duty.

• Surround yourself with smart people in the LORD, it will not make you look littler than them, but it will enhance your ministry and make it stronger.

• Don’t just talk about what the church or individual must do, but always move forward yourself as an example to follow.

• The best of plans and people fail, so did Peter at the time the Lord needed him the most. Jesus never brought it up to him.

• Don’t hide from the flock, nor hide your failures. The people must see you overcome, it will help them do the same.

• Trying to have a consensus (majority approval) on every decision slows down or stops decisions that need to be made now and not later. Spiritual decision are the pastors responsibility. The others can be handled by the appropriate people that are given that authority.

• Tell the church often that they are the most wonderful people to pastor. They desire approval just like you do.

• Study everything you can on the subject you want to preach. Make plenty of notes, then cut them down to 2 or 3 pages of the main things you want to get across. The Holy Spirit will bring the rest to your memory.

• Brevity in your preaching will say more (short sermons). As a pastor you can always continue the thoughts in the next service.

• Church discipline is necessary - be long-suffering, and long-suffering and more long-suffering. Correct by Biblical counseling when it is possible. Let them see it comes because of your love for them. Be stern but kind.

• When things go wrong, own it. As the leader you are responsible as the Elder. Don’t pass the buck.

• End your day well, and be finished with it. You may have made mistakes, you are human. While in the line of duty there will be mistakes, the good and the bad. Regardless, finish the day and just keep moving on. There will be another day.

• Being a pastor isn’t about being impressive. It’s about being 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻. Just keep showing up. The pastor does not need to have a standing ovation. You’re the Ox of the team, no glory, just keep pulling the plow.

This is just a few, much more could be added.

Pastor Bill Ivy - Living Word Tabernacle, Campbell MO. USA

www.livingwordtabernacle.com

05/25/2026

https://vimeo.com/1195015409?fl=pl&fe=sh
Question and Answers from West Africa during our Mission Conference.

This is "Pastor Bill Ivy - "Questions and Answers" - 05-23-2026 Sat PM" by Living Word Tabernacle on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

05/20/2026

AN OLD PASTOR'S POINT OF VIEW
Before His ascension, Jesus told His followers; “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).”
The last commission to the believer, it is true for all, the preacher and laity alike. Your world may be next door, where you work or at school. We are all preachers, some live their sermon, others LIVE it and preach it.

The world has become smaller, and time is speeding up. It is the conditions of the end time it which we live. Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved…

As we begin our Annual Memorial Weekend Meeting and MISSION CONFERENCE, my desire is to fulfill that commission on our part at Living Word Tabernacle. I am looking forward to hearing the Missionaries from West Africa. There will be people and some churches in West Africa and other parts of the world joining us.

There will be live translating of the sermons into the French language, especially for those in French speaking countries.

This is our way of fulfilling this portion of the Word, which must be so important for the Lord to speak it before His ascension. “…Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).” Services will be live streamed and archived at our church website www.livingwordtabernacle.com – for more information about service times go to our calendar page there.

In this small way, may we at LWT be an encouragement to those in other parts of the world that need to be encouraged and strengthen by the WORD of God.

Pastor Bill Ivy – Living Word Tabernacle – Campbell Missouri USA – www.livingwordtabernacle.com

05/19/2026

05/16/2026

Eternal life is living for others - WMB

05/11/2026

An Old Pastor’s Point of View:

“Live well and hold firm, because it is necessary to either be rejected by men or God."
— Martin Luther

Galatians 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

- the Apostle Paul writing to a church that was forsaking his teachings for another Gospel.

He refused to please men to be popular, but to tell the truth and be unpopular with men.

05/06/2026

AN OLD PASTOR’S point of view:
A Church that is alive and on fire for God doesn’t require emotional manipulations; altar-calls that play on human feelings and motivational speakers.

A church that is alive and on fire for God only requires simply The Word of God preached and lived by those that hear it.

The Word preached will always bring the required results.

Pastor Bill Ivy

04/24/2026

An Old Pastor's Point of View - It has been said, "leave those dead churches" by many that don't know the Scriptures.

It has been made very clear in this age what a dead church is - the church that forms a denomination on a truth. www.livingwordtabernacle.com

04/21/2026

AN OLD PASTOR’S POINT OF VIEW
It has been told, many years ago, the Nicotani a religious priestly group among the Cherokee American Indians were a mystical group of whom the people stood in great awe. No one seems to know how they came to power, or how long they maintained it, but over a period of time, they became haughty, impudent, and overbearing to an intolerable degree. Finally, the priestly cult went too far.

A brave young warrior who was well liked by the tribe was married to a young lady of remarkable beauty. While the warrior was away hunting, his beautiful wife was forcible taken and sinfully violated by one of the Nicotani.

When the hunter returned to find his wife abused, he gathered the people together and they were in great anger to what had happened while he was away. However, many had suffered summarily but had done nothing for fear of the religious priestly cult that ruled over them. Therefore, nothing was ever done until this aroused this young warrior who encouraged the rest to stand for what is right and not allow this to happen ever again. He became a voice of opposition to how this great priestly group was harming the people.

Under the leadership of this brave warrior the people rose up and killed every NIcotani. Thus ended a hereditary secret society, (a priestly cult through family ties). After this, no hereditary privileges in the priesthood were tolerated among the Cherokee Indians. Therefore, the priestly functions were assumed by individual Medicine Men with a spirit to help the people.

Geronimo an Apache Indian was such a Medicine Man and a real warrior for his people.

WHAT ABOUT THE CHURCH TODAY?

Today in the church, the pulpit is not passed on by natural genealogy, but by a call of God. Otherwise, it will become another cult like the Nicotani who ruled the people religiously by fear. To lead the church by biological birth is the leadership of man and not the Holy Spirit. This reflects Catholic doctrine and is rebuked by scripture as the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which God hates. It is placing the priesthood between man and God, giving the clergy certain rights and all the while denying the common people their God-given rights. Nicolaitanism leads to the doctrine of Balaam which is denominationalism and substitutes other things in place of the Word of God. It is wrong no matter how gifted the leadership may be and God clearly hates it and so do those that follow His Word (Revelation 2:15).

THE CHURCH IS NOT CONTROLLED BY A FAMILY PRIESTHOOD.

Churches are not to be controlled by a certain family, politics, money or the strength and ability of a man or his family. We do not believe in Apostolic Succession. The church leadership is not to control the people by fear or political authority but by the Word.

The truth is that GOD, NOT MAN has set His leaders in the church to guide the people by the Word of God. God chooses them, the nobodies, the weak and the unschooled. That is the reason He chose the shepherds. The shepherds understood lambs, they could understand the God-lamb in their midst, the Word made flesh.

GOD HAS ALWAYS CHOSEN THE WEAK TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE.

Out of weakness and humility God chooses Pastor's and ministries to build up and strengthen the Saints of His Kingdom. It is those that have been weak and rejected and cast out by the world, and the know-it-nothings. That is why the Lord chose twelve ordinary men as the foundation for His Church, men that were different naturally and unlikely to be spiritual leaders. Yes, some of them were family and working partners, others were publicans and sinners, but none belonged to a priestly family.

William Branham speaking of Moses being called to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt's bo***ge had to meet God in a burning bush experience. It had to be more than a job, hobby or a call from grandma but something burning like a fire in Him. He first ran from it with all the qualifications to succeed and failed. But when he met Christ on the backside of the desert he could go and succeed.

Pastor Bill Ivy, Living Word Tabernacle, Campbell Missouri www.livingwordtabernacle.com

04/20/2026

An Old Pastor's Point of View - Every service is a deliverance service.