When a former solo pastor met a current solo pastor at a midday prayer service, Fellowship of Lone Shepherds was born.
A bleary-eyed morning at Crossroads Missions in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
The Heart of a Solo Pastor
My name is Everett Miller, and I was a Presbyterian pastor for 12 years. One Sunday morning in 2014, while the solo pastor of a 250-member church, I thought I was having a heart attack—the ER doctor would inform me it was a severe panic attack. Stress, grief, and isolation had built up over the years until my body, mind, and spirit said, “No more!” I later realized that a major contributing factor was that I lacked close friendships with people who understood my struggles.
In December 2016, I left full-time ministry for higher education advancement but couldn’t fully let go of the pastorate. For 2.5 years after changing fulltime jobs, I also served as a pulpit supply pastor in Oklahoma City. Eventually, in September 2019, I left pastoral ministry altogether. Leaving the pastorate broke my heart. Thankfully, I’m still able to teach Sunday school, help with men’s ministries, and engage in a theological study group at the nondenominational church my family and I attend in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
I still think and feel like a pastor—it’s simply who I am. I hope to return to pastoral ministry one day, but for now, I feel called to support solo pastors, offering friendship and connection to others who share their journey.
Note: Fellowship of Lone Shepherds is a professional service of Christian Ministry Alliance and is completely separate from and in no way affiliated with my fulltime employer—Oklahoma State University Foundation—or with Oklahoma State University. When I am participating in and facilitating these friendships, I am not, in any way, acting as a representative of OSUF or OSU.
Midday Prayer and a Latté
During Lent 2024, I attended a small church’s midday prayer service near my office. The solo pastor introduced himself, and when he learned I had pastored for over a decade, he invited me for coffee. We met soon after and have continued meeting ever since.
In our conversations, he often says, “I can’t say these things to anyone else. You understand because you’ve been where I am.” His words affirm that our friendship matters—not just for us, but for the Church and God’s Kingdom.
After a few months, I wondered, “What if I could befriend other solo pastors like this and then connect them to one another?” Frederick Buechner’s words resonated: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” That’s when Fellowship of Lone Shepherds (FLS) was born.
FLS launched informally in August 2024 and became a Christian Ministry Alliance program in March 2025. We look forward to seeing how God works through this ministry and connecting with more solo pastors!