I'm a Christian Pastor in the Boy Scouts of America

This has been a tough trail to walk down. 
Actually it has been a tough decision as to which trail to walk down. 


I grew up in the Boy Scouts. I had an uncle that was a scout, but that is the only family heritage for me. I started as a Wolf and went until I was 18 and my wife said it was time to stop. (Yes, you read that right. Not all scouts are perfect.) I EARNED my Eagle Scout Award. I was a member of the Order of the Arrow. I was a Jr Asst Scout Master. I hiked hundreds of miles. I camped in countless rain and snow storms. I had great scout leaders who taught us how to be men, not just how to earn badges. In fact, for Troop 173, it was never really about the badges and awards. I had leaders that wanted to shape us and turn us into honorable, productive citizens.  


I will never be able to thank my parents, (who were also leaders),Vic, Tommy, Rich, Fred, Kathy, and Anne and and all of the other men and women who gave me responsibility, let me fell, and helped me succeed. They celebrated with me and corrected me. Not to mention the older boys in the troop that taught me the power of peer knowledge. Victor, Jack, Jamie and Mark taught me just as much as the adults did, (and a few things they probably shouldn't had.)

In fact I have done ministry, scouts, church, missions and camps with that same model of expectation. Teach, Show, Let them Do, refresh, let them do again. You have to try. I will be close by, but TRY!

When my boys got old enough scouts was a natural plan for us. I just wanted to drop my son off and let them learn and experience the way I did. I didn't really know how to be a leader in scouts. It seemed so different from what I did. It seemed so "educational". They finally talked me into being a leader of the WeBeLoS, that was 2010. 

I realized a few things really quick. Boys don't have dads much anymore. Boys don't have a moral standard they follow. The words of the Scout Law and Oath are foreign to them. They don't have a grasp on HONOR, INTEGRITY, and REVERENCE. RESPECT, OBEY, SERVE are not in the vocabulary today. Boys don't know how to use hammers and screwdrivers. They don't know how to read a tape measure. They don't know how to do dishes, fold cloths or throw their own stuff in a bag. 

As I looked at this rabble group of boys the words of God to Jonah came to my mind. 

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left - Jonah 4:11

They really didn't know their left from their right hand, so I became a scout leader. This was my mission field outside the church. I taught the boys respect to parents because the Bible says to Honor your Father and Mother. And that is how I taught them. I taught them to respect our Flag and the President (even though we don't agree with him); scripture says to respect those in authority over us because God placed them there. I taught them to take responsibility for your actions because the Bible says we are all responsible for what we do and accountable for our actions (Romans 3:18-20). And that is how I would teach it. 

A leader can do all of this in a teaching manner. One time a boy wasn't listening to his mom. She seemed tired and worn out, as if she had fought this battle before. LOTS. I very quietly asked him over in front of mom. Reminded him that he wears a uniform that says to the world he wants to be a man. Part of being a man is respecting and honoring our parents. I told him God puts a strong emphasis on boys learning to respect their mother and do as she asked. I reiterated that mom says it's time to leave and he needs to be a scout, gather his things and go with her. When he ran off to get his stuff Mom was crying. She thanked me, gave me a hug and said nobody has ever done that for her. 

"The sport in scouting is to find the good in every boy and develop it." - Sir Baden-Powell

That was the moment that sealed my desire to be a leader. That was the moment that said to me, these boys need Godly men in their lives. I will be the first to tell you that I am a messed up man. I can agree with Paul when he says the stuff I want to do I do not do and what I don't want to do that is what I do. I struggle with many sins and temptations daily, so I DO NOT think of myself as having it together or better than anyone else. (If I ever did start to think that, I will just ask my wife and kids and they will quickly humble me.) I am unapologetic in my use of scripture and prayer, and i do not ask permission.

I fully dove into Boy Scout leadership AFTER the 2013 policy release to not exclude "gay" scouts from the program. I agree with that decision. Just like I would not ask a "gay" kid to leave my church. Just like I would not dismiss a friend for telling me he struggles with alcohol or lying. It is my job as a fellow sinner who has found the right path, to help other people along it. My involvement as a leader was a purposeful calculated decision. Somewhere along the scouting line things got out of hand; I am now serving on a district level in a position (or three) I never knew existed. 

At that same time a group of Christian leaders began a new scouting program called Trail Life USA. I like their stuff. I like their purpose and mission statement. I like their handbook and it's focus on scripture and God. I like the green uniform (which I still have hopes BSA will bring back). I like the emphasis on character and outdoors over merit badges and awards. I like their ranks as a title of maturity and growth as men. I like it. I have a lot of their resources. I do not think less or down on anyone who left scouting to begin this fine organization. In fact I applaud your courage. 

But I have chosen BSA as a mission field. 

This week, however has challenged my decisions. BSA revised their adult leader policy to allow openly (I hear unrepentant) homosexual leaders in the scouts.

 Official BSA announcement as it amends Adult Leadership Policy

This goes against several moral, biblical beliefs. A Christian is to be above reproach. A Christian Leader is to be free from sexual immorality. A Christian is to be repentant of those activities the Bible calls sin. Do I have sin in my life? Yes. Do I have sexual sin in my life? Yes. Do I have emotional sin in my life? Yes. Am I repentant? If I were a catholic priest or monk I would have scars all over my back from self-flagellation. (that would be a YES) At the same time I can not applaud, support, nor encourage the sin of homosexuality.    

As of right now, I do not know of any homosexual, etc, leaders in the scouts. As of right now there is an openness and freedom to still be a Christian leader. I'm sure the time will quickly come when I have to make a decision; will I reach out the Left Hand of Brotherhood and Unity or hold back. Will I unapologetically hold out the words of life to everyone, like Jesus did, or will I step away. Will I treat another scout leader as a fellow sinner who is need of repentance and hospitality or will I leave them to their own demise? 

I hope I can live up to Paul's encouraging words in Philippians 2 "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life.

I hope I can remember I am there for the boys. To teach them and train them in the way they should go, using fun, skills, and games to encourage them into manhood as productive honorable citizens of a country who desperately needs them. I pray I can confidently and gently guide them into the path God has for them. I beg God to help me be the genuine example of God's grace for them to learn what a real Dad and Husband looks like. That I can live up to Sir Baden-Powell's words:

“There is no teaching 

to compare 

with example.”

I am a leader in the Boy Scouts of America. I may not be proud of how the National leadership has flip-flopped and seems to be controlled by financial influences. I am not crazy about the rules and standards in place within the scouting programming and planning. I don't like the emphasis on merit badges. I'm not there for those people. I'm there for the boys. And they need Christian/ Godly men to come along side them and SHOW them the right trail.

By God's Grace, 

I will do my best

to do my duty to GOD and my country,

 and to obey the Scout Law. 

To help other people at all times.

To keep myself physically strong, 

mentally awake, and morally straight.

More than a Backpacking weekend

So, I have to admit, right off the bat, this is a little weird for me.

I'm going to give you the background and history of what I am linking to.

We look good after hiking 10 miles.

Elijah and I have wanted to go backpacking for a long time. Katie has been wanting me to have "THE TALK" (dun, dun, duuuuun) with Elijah for a long time. So she picked up the Passport 2 Purity weekend kit produced by Family Life Today. It is Dennis Rainey's ministry similar to Focus on the Family.

I decided the hike and the P2P program would go good together. We would get away for a weekend, get to go back packing, get in the woods, just be the two of us. The hike was humid, the mountains steep, the views incredible, the food awful, the blisters hot, the water fresh and cold, the sleep was hard. All of the good stuff that goes into a great hiking trip. I loved it. Even the 5 mile detour we took on the second day. I loved every step of it.

Elijah, well, he might of thought it was tough. I haven't challenged myself this way in a long time, physically or relationally. I pushed myself and came out on the other end of the trail with jello legs and felt incredible.

But let me back up.

Eating breakfast and listening to P2P

We were doing the Passport 2 Purity program. It is a really good product. It is funny at times when it needed to be. It also gets series. It went into a good amount of depth and left a lot of unnecessary stuff out. From a Christian father's point of view, I was relieved and thankful for how it was made. Before we went, I sent a message to Family Life Today and asked them to pray for us as we were doing their program that weekend. They assured me people would be praying the entire time we were out and to let them know how it went.

A few days afterwards I did. I thanked them for their prayers and for providing a good quality, memorable weekend for us. They asked me a couple of questions, which I answered and that was it. Well, until a lady contacted us named Mary. She said they shared our story with their staff and everyone wanted to know more about it, because as far as they knew nobody else had done it this way. So a few questions turned into an embarrassing interview and that interview turned into an interview with Elijah, and all of that turned into an article written about our backpacking weekend. Which is right here.

"More Than A Backpacking Weekend" on Family Life Today "The Family Room" ezine

Now it says it's written by me, but it was written by Mary based on our interview. (I wrote what you are reading now, she wrote that, there is a big difference in the quality and refinement.) It also includes a blurb about how the program is structured. Which I am totally fine with.

What Eastern Kentucky Looks like from Pine Mountain on a beautiful June day. 

Now to the dads and moms out there.

If you are unsure about how to have "THE TALK" (dun, dun, duuuuun) this is the way to do it. It is a really relaxing and safe way to have the talk (dun dun duuuuun). It gives a guideline of how to relate your thoughts and experiences within it. It has suggestions (which I kinda changed to match us and hiking). It has a whole parent pre-weekend guide and cd/mp3s to listen to. It has books so you can stay on topic. It has music and stories, and interviews, and all the stuff that makes a good quality resource. It has separate guy/ girl sessions. AND it isn't full of any "Christian Cheese", over spiritualization, disgusting pictures, or other things that have made tools like this terrible. Don't try to be a tight wad and just get the student journal. Buy the whole P2P Getaway Kit. It's worth it. You will be glad you did. You will have more fun and they will remember it better.

If you have questions, contact me. I would love to encourage you in this little adventure, however you choose to do it.

Until then, try to stay on the right trail. Climbing back up is a whole lot of unnecessary work.

Still trying to be worked into something useful,
Mitch