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Volume. XXXI, No. 19 From the Pastors heart: What have you done for your pastor?I just started to prepare my teaching notes that I will use in Cambodia, next February. Rev. Koo has asked me to teach a course in Pastoral Ministry. This course will cover a range of topics from the pastor’s calling to various aspects of church ministries. While I have been reading different study materials, I came across lecture notes compiled by Bill Scheidler (I do not know him well enough to talk about him, but anyway…). In his lecture notes, Pastoral Ministry Teacher’s Manual, he mentions the challenges many pastors face. I found it amusing. He said something that most church goers may have heard about but don’t know much about. At the same time, what he says is not laughable because it does reflect the reality in many churches. As we have been praying for an assistant pastor, and we will also need a pastor to succeed to me when I step aside from the resident pastor’s office some day, we need to have right perspectives and attitude to the ministers of God’s Word in order to invite a man after God’s own heart to our pulpit. Read the following somewhat humorous and truthful descriptions of the challenges of a pastor. And see what you can do about it for your pastor. I am turning the table around here. Most of the time, the congregation demands their pastor to do things for them. Now, I am asking you, what you have done for your pastor? Enjoy the reading from Bill Scheidler.
If the pastor is young, they say he lacks experience; if his hair is grey, then he’s too old for the young people. If he has 5 or 6 children, he has too many; if he has no children, he’s setting a bad example. If he preaches from his notes, he has canned sermons and is dry; if his messages are extemporaneous, he is not deep. If he is attentive to the poor people in the church, they claim he is playing to the grandstand; if he pays attention to the wealthy, he is trying to be an aristocrat. If he uses too many illustrations, he neglects the Bible; if he doesn’t use enough stories, he isn't clear. If he condemns wrong, he’s cranky; if he doesn’t preach against sin, they say he’s a compromiser. If he preaches the truth, he’s offensive; if he doesn’t preach the truth, then he’s a hypocrite. If he fails to please everybody, he's hurting the church and ought to leave; if he does please everybody, he has no convictions. If he drives an old car, he shames his congregation; if he drives a new car, then he is setting his affection upon earthy things. If he preaches all the time, the people get tired of hearing one man; if he invites guest preachers, he’s shirking his responsibility. If he receives a large salary, he is a mercenary; if he receives a small salary, well, then they say it proves he isn’t worth much anyway. As a result, when a pastor is called to a church today, he is expected to have superhuman, almost supernatural qualifications. He must be a good speaker. He must be a deep Bible student. He must be a spirited evangelist. He must be a compassionate pastor. He must be a man with the wisdom of Solomon. He must be one who has a pleasing personality. He must be good-looking. He must have a wife who is com-patible with all the members of the church. He must be a good businessman. He must be an effective and efficient administrator. He must be creative and original. He must have the gift of dreaming up startling sermon topics to draw a large Sunday evening crowd. A good pastor must have: The strength of an ox, The tenacity of a bulldog, The daring of a lion, The wisdom of an owl, The harmlessness of a dove, The industry of a beaver, The gentleness of a sheep, The versatility of a chameleon, The vision of an eagle, The hide of a rhinoceros, The perspective of a giraffe, The disposition of an angel, The endurance of a camel, The bounce of a kangaroo, The stomach of a horse, The loyalty of an apostle, The faithfulness of a prophet, The tenderness of a shepherd, The fervency of an evangelist, The devotion of a mother, And even then, he would not please everybody! How have you prayed for your pastor? Galatians 6:6, “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.” What good things have your shared with your pastor(s)? What have you done for him (them)? What a good question it is! I’ll be waiting boldly for your answers with huge expectations. It is food for your thoughts. Lovingly, Your Pastor |
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