Preloading

What Would Jesus Do?

Season 1 Episode 102
CC | tv-pg
It's Grace "Gigi" Greenleaf's first day on the job at Calvary Fellowship World Ministries. Once a promising young pastor of the Greenleaf line, Grace left Memphis 20 years ago to pursue other interests. Today, she's back, and instead of standing behind the pulpit, she's working in an office, taking calls and requests from Calvary's massive congregation.

Bishop James Greenleaf, her father and the church's head minister, doesn't want Grace to take on her new role without a little expert advice. "Now, we both know you were a heck of a preacher," the bishop begins. "You were on the path to be my equal, or surpass me. And who knows; it may come to that. But this isn't preaching. This is ministry."

Grace, slightly confused, says, "But Jacob [Grace’s brother] tells me it's pretty much just directing people to the right program or auxiliary."

"And that is not untrue," the bishop says, "but what your brother, as usual, fails to comprehend is that when you're the response pastor, you are the face of the church with a capital C. You are the first person these people down here experience when they're looking for help from above. That's not as glamorous as preaching, but it's more important."

"So, what's your advice?" Grace asks, leaning in.

"Before you pick up the phone, before you dial a number, before you set an appointment, before you feed a dollar into that machine at the end of the hall, before you do anything, check your heart and make sure that you're acting from love, because Jesus never did anything, Grace, that wasn't dipped down in and dripping with love for human beings," the bishop says. "We are his beloved."