The Real Pastors of the Midwest

Post Author: Melissa Meyers

I want my own reality show.  I’ve not made this a secret anywhere…I think my life would make a great reality show.  Maybe I’ve watched one too many episodes of the Real Housewives of Anywhere, but I know exactly the roles that need to be filled.  The matriarch, the hot mess, the young one, the voice of reason… And you know that in every season, there’s always an exotic vacation that happens.

Why do I think this is such a great idea?  Well, there’s the crazy things that happen all the time…Whether it’s an encounter with someone about why they think the church is terrible or hearing someone try to explain why they are (or aren’t) liberal. Or there are sometimes the meetings that we all have to sit through about the color of carpet or the scent of soap.  And of course, social gatherings whether with friends or (gasp!) dating!

Secretly, everyone wants to know what’s happening in a pastor’s life…Especially as a single woman, I’ve found that people will cling to every story I tell, no matter how small or short, just because it makes them feel like they know what happens in my life just a little bit more.

Can you imagine what life would be like in the church if there were cameras around all the time?  The drama queens would suddenly have more drama in their life…The hams would suddenly have more jokes to say…The people who put their feet in their mouth would suddenly have about 4 feet…Maybe the wallflowers would fade more into the background?

Let me tell you about the time that I met Andy Cohen, of Bravo creative fame…As I was hanging out with him & my closest 400 friends getting our books signed by him… I told him my life would make a great reality show. His response, “I hear that all the time, Sweetie!”  When I started to explain my genius show, The Real Pastors of the Midwest…His response then was an excited, “Let’s take a picture!”  Clearly, this idea made a huge impact on him.

In any case, my reality show would be the best thing on TV… For the Bravo fans, it’s Real Housewives meets LA Shrinks meets Jesus… For the non-Bravo fans… Well, maybe just picture your life & share a scenario that you thought, “This would make great TV.”  Who knows, you might just end up on The Real Pastors of the Midwest!

Rev. Melissa Meyers serves as the associate pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Orland Park.  She has grown up in the Northern Illinois area and attended school in the Midwest.  She earned her Associates in Arts Degree from Rock Valley Community College, BA in Religious Studies & Communication from the University of Dubuque (Dubuque, IA) and Masters of Divinity from United Theological Seminary (Dayton, OH). Pastor Melissa is passionate about youth & young adult ministry and connecting generations together in service for the Kingdom of God.  She loves to sing, read, share stories, and coffee!

Photo by Valerie Everett, https://www.flickr.com/photos/66742614@N00/ June 11, 2013. Used by Creative Common License.