The Gift of a Pastor

After the Israelites left Egypt and were wandering in the wilderness, God gave instructions for the construction and use of the Tabernacle. Aaron’s family were put in charge of the sanctuary and its activities. God told Aaron, “And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting” (Numbers 18:5).

Although pastors aren’t exactly analogous to the priests and Levites of the Old Testament, they are still God’s gift to His Church.

“And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15).

“And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).

“Every good gift and perfect and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

The question is, do we recognize that pastors are a gift from a gracious God, and do we treat them as such? They aren’t perfect, but neither are we. Like any good gift, we ought to take care of them to the best of our ability. I know of pastors who’ve been worn down by petty bickering in their churches. Others struggle to make ends meet because church members don’t give regularly, much less tithe. Many pastors feel like they are alone in ministry and have no one they can talk to.

But many churches love their pastors well. They pray for them, encourage them, support them through their regular attendance and financial giving, and make sure they have the people and tools they need to lead the church well.

The author of Hebrews wrote, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17). We all have days of groaning, but I don’t think any of us want to be the cause of groaning for the people we love. If we contribute to the joy of our pastors, they multiply our joy as well.

As I was writing this I did a quick internet search and stumbled across an article that said “Your pastor is not your friend.” I understand that there are limits to what a pastor can share with an individual church member, but my gut reaction was “How sad!” I would not want to attend a church where I knew the pastor would never be a friend, and I can’t imagine anyone wanting to be a pastor if he had to keep himself distant from everyone. Jesus told His disciples, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). God-incarnate called men His friends!

The modern world has an anemic view of friendship anyway. The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity” (1 Tim. 5:1). We in the church should be closer than friends, because we are siblings in the family of God.

The pastor is not the CEO of a corporation, nor a hired servant, but a brother in Christ. “And this commandment we have from [God]: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21). All the “one another” commands of Scripture apply just as much to our spiritual siblings who are pastors as to anyone else. We are to love them, honor them, pray for them, encourage them, live in harmony with them, be kind to them, forgive them, serve them, show hospitality to them, and spur them on to love and good deeds.

Let’s not wait for Pastor Appreciation month to do so!

“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you” (Philemon 1:7).

© 2021 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

It happens all too frequently—a well-known Christian author and speaker is revealed to have serious issues with integrity, pride, and sexual sin. It’s not a new narrative. King David, the “man after God’s own heart,” is remembered for conquering Goliath but falling for Bathsheba. King Solomon, the “wisest man,” is known for his hundreds of wives and concubines. If they can’t get it right, who can? (And if Christian leaders have this much trouble, I hate to think what non-Christian leaders are doing behind closed doors.)

Back in 2015 Christianity Today published an article with the somewhat tongue-in-cheek title “Pastor Exposed as Faithful to Wife of 17 Years.” Thousands of faithful pastors and leaders rarely make the headlines. It only takes one bad choice to ruin a reputation. Our culture of celebrity Christianity is a problem. Although many people rise to prominence for the good things they have said and done, few can stand up to the long-term public scrutiny of every word and action. And when they fail, it blackens the reputation of the whole Church.

Similar things happened in Ezekiel’s day and God spoke His judgment against them—

“Ah, shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought… Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves” (Ezek. 34:2-4, 10).

The day will come when all of us will face the judgment of God. Pastors also will have to give an account for how they shepherd the flock (Heb. 13:17), whether their flock is twenty souls or many thousands. Some may be surprised to see much of their work destroyed by the fire of judgment. “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15).

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. By all means, go ahead and give them gifts and words of encouragement, but perhaps the most important thing we need to do for our pastors is to pray for them all year round. Pray for God to protect them from the temptations of pride, self-sufficiency, envy, lust, etc. Pray for them to be filled with God’s wisdom in all their decisions and for wise counselors to surround them. Pray for all the aspects of their ministry—sermon preparation, preaching, teaching, counseling, etc. As someone shared on Facebook, don’t put your pastor on a pedestal, but lift him up in prayer.

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16).

“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things” (Heb. 13:18).

 

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Women in Ministry

This is a subject I’ve studied and wrestled with for years, but one I’ve avoided writing about before because I don’t want to offend anyone. I’ll admit up front that I’m biased by the fact that my grandmother was an ordained minister. She was never the hired pastor, but she worked alongside my grandfather and filled the pulpit for him on occasion. She was well-respected and humble. My own educational background of Bible college and seminary led me to believe that women can have any and all of the same spiritual gifts that men can have. And from a purely personal perspective, I know the feeling that arises when someone says “You can’t do that because you’re a woman.” Call it pride or rebellion if you like, but for many people that’s a reality that is not easily dismissed.

On the theological side, I’ve read all the arguments for and against women in particular ministry roles. There are highly educated people on both sides, and it’s not my intention to say who is right and who’s wrong or to debate with anyone. (A few resources are listed below.) It’s an area that is far greyer than many people would like. The relevant Scriptures have been interpreted quite differently by each side with what usually appears to be logical support. God could certainly have inspired Scripture differently if He wanted this issue to be clear cut.

(As a side note, for those who claim “The Bible is our only rule of faith,” do you have deaconesses, trustees, a church board, property and facilities, and denominational structures? In many cases it seems like church governance is determined more by historical precedent than Scripture. So we’re carrying a double standard before we even get to the debated questions of deacons and elders, pastors, or women in ministry.)

Having said all that, I still find conflict within myself on the roles of women in the church. When the local Methodist church announced the new female pastor who was arriving, my first thought was, “I’m glad I don’t go there.” I would be uncomfortable sitting under the pastoral authority of a woman as a preacher or as a counselor. (I would have trouble being Methodist and accepting their denominational structure too, but that’s another issue.) What it boils down to for me is that while I think women can hold the same positions as men, that doesn’t mean they should do so in all circumstances. Every church body is different, and what works in one place may not work in another. I would also be uncomfortable attending a church where the pastor has visible tattoos and wears cut-offs while preaching, though he or she has the right to do so.

“‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (1 Corinthians 10:23-24). This is where the rubber meets the road. There are many people on both sides of the issue who are so adamant about their position that they’ve lost sight of the reason the Church exists. The purpose of the Church is not to espouse women’s rights or to subjugate women. It’s not about proper dress code or obeying the letter of the law. (Jesus had some choice words for the Pharisees in that regard.) The Church exists to spread the good news of Jesus Christ so that as many as possible may come to saving faith in Him, thereby glorifying God for eternity. God can use men, women, children, sunsets, and starfish to draw people to Himself.

The question we should be asking is not whether a woman should ever be allowed to preach, but whether our church body is prayerfully and humbly seeking God’s guidance as to how we should minister right now to the people and situations He has put on our doorstep. That’s probably enough to keep us busy until the Second Coming.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Beyond Sex Roles, Gilbert Bilezikian

Women in Ministry: Four Views

Women, Authority & the Bible, Alvera Mickelsen