Who's the pastor?

Review and insight from We Have This Ministry by Samuel Proctor and Gardner Taylor

In an age of declining youth and young adults desiring to be a part of organized religion, the church must evaluate what has caused this precipitous decent.  We must take a hard look at those who are charged with and aid our spiritual growth, the pastor.  Of course the pastor doesn't get all the blame, but he/she is the spiritual leader or undershepherd of congregations across the US and beyond thus necessitating the need to look at these spiritual leaders.  In The Last Dragon (click HERE to reminisce/remember), Sho'nuff asked Bruce Leroy the question, "Who's the Master?"  But Bruce was unwilling to acknowledge that Sho'nuff was the master.  Why?  Could it be that Sho'nuff did not exhibit the character of a master?  I also believe that Bruce Leroy realized that being the master wasn't about him, but those he cared about.  So I ask the question, "Who's the pastor?"

The questioned that is asked, “What does it mean to be a pastor?”  Samuel Proctor and Gardner Taylor in We Have This Ministry collaborate to share their insights on how to be a pastor who has integrity and character who embraces the many diverse roles God requires for shepherding His flock.  Together, they take us on journey to uncover the mysteries of the role of pastor beginning with the commission of the pastor and progressing to more specific roles such as pastor as intercessor, teacher, counselor, and administrator and reveal the pastor’s role in working with families in crisis, political realities, and the quest for community.

In the introduction the book opens, “Being appointed spiritual leader, undershepherd, and herald of the good news of the Son of God is an awesome commission from God (ix).”  This statement brings both thoughts of blessing and burden.  For some, this is only a job while others consider this to be a vocation.  The authors approach with informing the reader that the person assuming the role as pastor would be cautious with the desire to take on such a magnanimous responsibility to God and people.  Their caution is for the potential pastor to consider what all that is involved in this role.

The pastor must be one in constant fellowship with God for dependence upon God’s strength to carry out the responsibilities that go along with this vocation.  It is suggested that the person occupying this pastoral role must understand, foremost, that a lifestyle that reflects pursuit of God is required and yields more responsibly to minister accordingly to people in pursuit of the immense God.  With questions that can/cannot be answered, the person in search of God doesn't need an ill equipped, ill prepared, impostor that is unprepared to handle life’s difficult questions.

As stated by Proctor, “Those who occupy this position, enjoying the trust and confidence of the people, have the unparalleled privilege of carrying out the most important function permitted any human being.”  People in search of God are the most vulnerable people.  I believe this is essential for pastor when operating in this role.  Shattered trust and confidence can be devastating for the person(s) so much that can cause this one to fall from the fold and become lost.  I saw this first hand at a church I served before my most recent assignment, and the affects are still reverberating within the membership and family involved.  The pastor must be sensitive to the maintenance of spiritual unity by taking seriously this trust and confidence that the congregants place in the pastor’s role.

The life of this commissioned person is critical for these next areas of the role, teacher and intercessor.  Proctor suggests that, “…the pastor must teach who God is, who we are, and what our relationship with God should be (17).”  This can only be possible if one has spent time with God in their private world through prayer and reading scripture.  Pastors uncommitted to doing so perform a disservice to the congregants they’ve been given charge over.  As stated by Proctor, “…one cannot teach correct civic behavior while demonstrating the opposite (22).”  I believe that this is critical because of the availability of information that people are privy to in this information age, and one commissioned as teacher can complicate the message and become a stumbling block for the listener/learner.