Pastor Jim McCaffrey was struggling with life issues that didn’t make much sense - job losses, relational and social road bumps. “Early on, I always struggled with being able to keep a job, was horrible with interviews especially, just could never get he right words and things out to make a good interview or impression during an interview. So, ministry jobs, just regular employment, all those kinds of things were very difficult. Relationships-wise, it was hard making friends, understanding people, different things like that. So, yeah, it was definitely a struggle.”
At age 35, he knew he had to understand what he was dealing with. “I was sick of moving. I was sick and tired of having to pack up the house (with his wife and five daughters) and move after two years, uproot my family, my kids from schools and friends. This really got to the point of frustration not understanding what was going on at that time.”
Then there was a revelation. It took time and considerable research, but Jim was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. And that has opened the door to beneficial workarounds and has even led to new forms of ministry to help others.
He believes the autism is something God allowed so that he can reach out to others with knowledge and faith. (Full podcast is below)
Jim explains that autism caused him to be focused - heavily focused – on different things, like reptiles and drums. “I’m a drummer and musician and I love it. And I would just dive right into learning as much as I can. It consumes a lot of my time and energy and so forth. And this is one of the things that happens with those on the autism spectrum, you just get this crystal-clear focus on it and that’s what your emphasis goes to.” Pastor Jim acknowledges “I had a lot of weird quirks and my wife can definitely tell you they’re weird, and that’s okay (he laughs).” On our podcast, below, he explains some of those quirks. He still misses cues at times. “I am not good with small talk and things like that” and “reading people is not a good area for me.” But now, knowing it’s autism he’s dealing with, he has been able to understand relational gaps and work on improving. Life is better. Not perfect.
Having experienced what autism can bring, Jim, the pastor at Gunpowder Baptist Church in Freeland, Maryland, is active in helping churches find ways to minister to people with all sorts of special needs. He has even worked on a project with the Tim Tebow Foundation, a Night to Shine, held in Puerto Rico. Jim believes special needs have often been “overlooked” by churches, but is seeing considerable interest taking place. And, with two Master’s degrees and life experiences, he’s willing to do what he can to help foster better understanding and serving people in Christ’s name.
Please share in our full interview with Pastor McCaffrey on the podcast below:
