12/28/2025
St. Rest Baptist Church - Shreveport
A Pastoral Letter on Fellowship, Covering, and Spiritual Responsibility
Dear Saints,
Let me share my heart. Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This letter is written not in judgment, but in love, clarity, and pastoral care. It comes from a burdened heart that desires to see believers walk fully in the blessings, protection, and accountability that God designed through fellowship with a church and spiritual leadership.
Scripture reminds us that the Christian life was never meant to be lived in isolation. The Word says, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” Hebrews 10:24 to 25. Fellowship is not optional. It is foundational.
The church is not merely a building we visit during seasons of convenience or crisis. The church is a living body. Paul writes, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” 1 Corinthians 12:27. To be a member means to be connected, accountable, present, and committed.
Likewise, Scripture speaks clearly about spiritual leadership. “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account” Hebrews 13:17. A pastor cannot give an account for souls he was never allowed to shepherd. Pastoral care flows from relationship, presence, and covenant, not assumption.
It is with humility that we must address a painful reality in many churches today. Some desire the benefits of the church in death but rejected the responsibility of fellowship in life. They were absent from worship, disconnected from leadership, uninvolved in service, and unaccountable in living, yet expect the church they left or abandoned to suddenly reappear in their final hour.
Beloved, the church is not a funeral home. It is a spiritual family. Families are built through time, trust, shared burdens, shared worship, and shared obedience to God. The Bible says, “Know ye not that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple” 1 Corinthians 9:13. Ministry is mutual. Shepherding requires proximity.
Jesus Himself modeled relational discipleship. He walked with His followers. He ate with them. He taught them. He corrected them. He loved them. Even at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus wept because He had relationship John 11:35. Presence mattered.
When believers disconnect from the body and live without pastoral covering, they remove themselves from spiritual accountability, counsel, and care. Proverbs 18:1 warns, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.” Fellowship is reciprocal.
This letter is not meant to shame, but to invite reflection and repentance where necessary. God is gracious. Churches are forgiving. Pastors are servants. But order still matters. Covenant still matters. Relationship still matters.
If you have been away, the call is not to wait until a crisis or death to reconnect. The call is to return now. Rebuild relationship. Reestablish fellowship. Submit again to godly leadership. Become planted. The Word says, “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God” Psalm 92:13.
To belong to a church means more than having your name on a roll. It means being known. It means being pastored. It means walking in unity, humility, and commitment. It means living under shepherding, not just expecting shepherding when life ends.
If you are without a church home, now is the time. If you left wounded, healing is available. If you left offended, reconciliation is possible. But do not live disconnected while expecting covenant benefits later.
I write this because we love you. I want you covered in life, strengthened in faith, guided in truth, and honored properly in death because you were faithful in living.
May the Lord lead you into deeper fellowship, sincere commitment, and restored connection to His body.
With pastoral care,
Rev. James A. Demery
