Arizona Mission Offering: Support for a pastor during a hard season

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Aug. 2, 2024. We’ve updated it to re-share in August 2026.

Two are better than one… For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV)

Meet Jeff Vanderford, 12-year pastor of Authentic Life Church in Tucson. Happily married for more than 20 years to his wife, Jessica, father of four children and known as “the extrovert’s extrovert,” one would think needing help when falling would be the least of his concerns.

Vanderford says differently.

God had taught Vanderford a difficult lesson back in 2011. His life was a whirlwind of church activity that he describes as “being done for God instead of His doing it through me.” It was an existence filled with anxiety and stress.

One day, his body said, “Enough.” Sitting alone in his church office, a side of his face went completely numb. Not able to call for help and not knowing what was wrong, he thought he was going to die. The terrifying experience resulted in his taking a short break from the ministry while he sought medical treatment.

The lesson about ministering alone was learned.

Move the clock to 2020 and a different church. Many churches closed their doors that year. Praise God, Authentic Life Church actually grew! It was a time of tremendous blessing.

However, much like the disciples who were instructed to feed 20,000 people right after returning from an action-packed mission trip, Vanderford got tired.

His church noticed and offered a five-week sabbatical: A week with God in a cabin, LeaderCare (a support ministry provided by Arizona Baptist Children’s Services), a marriage retreat with his wife and a vacation with his family. With batteries fully restored, Vanderford returned, ready to dive back into ministry.

Jeff and Jessica Vanderford

Ministry was waiting for him. 

Vanderford described it as, “Crises in people’s lives happened. I was grateful to be their pastor. Loving them and serving them in times of crisis is what I’m called to do. But I walked right back into a very heavy and hard season of ministry.”

Then, his final living grandparent died. Being a tight-knit family, Vanderford was devastated.

A familiar anxiety reared its ugly head. Recognizing it immediately, Vanderford quickly moved to counter it. He urgently sought the prayers of his wife, his mentor, his leadership coach, a pastor friend and his associational leaders.

As an answer, God sent a big help. Vanderford called David Johnson, then executive director of the Arizona Mission Network, to inquire about pulpit supply while he traveled to officiate his grandparent’s funeral. After one conversation with Johnson, he was soon receiving a pastoral call from then Associate Executive Director Monty Patton. Then other local pastors started checking in. Finally, Johnson and Patton utilized the Ministers in Crisis fund from our Arizona Mission Offering to come alongside Vanderford with counseling services.

Vanderford recognized he was in trouble, and God reminded him quickly that he wasn’t walking alone.

All ministers go through times of overwhelming crisis. One of the resources available is the Ministers in Crisis Fund supported by our Arizona Mission Offering.

“It’s designed to help ministry leaders in situations where they or their church may not have the resources to meet pressing needs,” Johnson said. 

Though there’s no formal application process, the state office hears requests directly or through associational mission strategists. Requests are then evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Requests have ranged from counseling services to help with devastating expenses in the home.

Thanks be to God for churches that contribute to the Arizona Mission Offering. With them, no pastor is alone. There’s help.

“Many times it’s doing what God has called us to do that places us in a place of dependency,” Vanderford said. “We’re always deeply dependent on Him. And we need each other.”

Learn more about the Arizona Mission Offering at azmn.org/amo

Fred Harris, a freelance writer living in Winslow, is senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Winslow.