The Pastor's Call
The Importance, Meaning and Mechanics of Church Leadership
The First Year
My first year as pastor would be a year of careful examination,
community connecting, and goal-setting. I strongly believe the
Word of God provides guidance for all areas of my life. My view
of ministry for a new church comes from the Word of God. In the
Book of Nehemiah, we find that this cup bearer for the king went
about his task of rebuilding the city walls carefully. He first
surveyed the city to assess the work needed to be done. In my
first year as pastor, I would, through prayer, take a careful
look at the congregation so the Lord can show me the flock,
their needs, and how to minister to them. Nehemiah didn't make
any major changes immediately. I firmly believe that it is
important for the pastor not to come in making major changes in
his first year. The focus should be on getting to know the
people and loving them.
This time of examination would include getting to know the
Deacons, Trustees, and Ministry heads so we can come together as
a leadership team. The ability for a church to accomplish its
mission is in the hands of the leadership, so they must function
as a team and not individuals. Once God reveals the heart of the
people, he will open the door for ministry to meet
their needs. I am a pastor who desires to know the people. I
want to know them by name. This will be the burden I will bear
in the first year as I carefully examine things.
I would work on connecting myself in the community. It is my
desire to return the church back to its rightful place in the
society. The church was once a strong force in the neighborhood
and many programs flowed from the church to help those in need. The pastor was a
known, recognizable figure in the community. His name was called
when he walked into the 7-Eleven. People waved when he stopped
for gas. He walked the neighborhood streets. He was a man who could
get people out of trouble by giving his word. He was known in
the school system and visited classrooms. It starts with the
pastor getting connected in the community and its activities. I
would want people to know that I am the pastor and that I
represent God and His people. Through a strong connection in the
community, I believe the church will grow and resources will be
made available to ministries which address the needs of the
people.
Finally, I would begin to set goals for myself and the ministry
of the church. My personal goals remain the same but are adapted
to the setting in which I am serving at the time. The goals I have are
to maintain my connection with God, guard my study and prayer
time, nurture my family, build the church from the inside out,
and stay aligned with God's Word. In establishing goals for the
church, I would gather information from the leadership team and
membership. I would seek the Lord for a vision and direction to
the vision. Once the vision is set, I would share the vision
with the leadership team. We would then develop immediate, short
and long-term goals to support the vision.
It is important for me to keep at the forefront the mission of
the church given by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you:
Luke 4:18-19 : The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the
acceptable year of the Lord.
These scripture bring into focus for the church a holistic
ministry that will meet the needs of the saved and unsaved.
I believe God will move us as he did the remnant
that was in Jerusalem. He will rebuild relationships and
reestablish ministries. God will bind us in His love. He will
send the workers we need to do His work. I firmly believe that
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, remain in
prayer, and walk in faith. I have done this in my ministry and
know of no other way. As I walk in Jesus' footsteps, I am able
to perform a careful examination, make community connections,
and set goals for the success of His church.
The Pastorate and the Deaconate
The Bible clearly states that there are two biblical officers in
the church. They are the pastor and deacon. I believe that there
is no work of a pastor more imperative to his ministry than that
of “equipping” and partnering with the very men who have been
appointed by the church to serve the congregation with him.
Deacons, according to Acts 6:3, are assigned the task of caring
for the Saints. This work should never be taken lightly, the
responsibility for their training rests primarily with the
pastor.
Through this partnership, I believe there has to be a good working
relationship between the Pastor and Deacons. There must be an
understanding of roles. The Pastor is the spiritual head of the
church. He functions as the shepherd for the flock. The shepherd
must be involved in the lives of his sheep but this causes him
to be spread thin, so the work of the Deaconate is to come
alongside and assist the Pastor.
This role of the Deacon has been blurred by tradition. It is
important to understand the reality of just what makes up a
Deacon. A Deacon is not the director or controller of the
church. He is in a position of Servant Leadership which requires
him to be led by sound spiritual guidance that comes from the
Pastor and the Deacon's own personal relationship with Christ.
Deacons are not the Pastor's “Yes Men,” This type of treatment
of Deacons degrades their position of Servanthood. As pastor, I
encourage the Deacons to partner in ministry with me and be
active participants in the various ministries of the church.
Through our partnership, we serve the congregation and by being
examples of holiness. We serve together to administer ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. We visit the sick,
the widows, and members who have strayed from the flock. We
join together in carrying out God's vision for the church.
Without a good partnership with the Deacons, the Pastor is
destined to fail and the church is crippled.
In my current position, the Deacons and I work hand in hand. Our
focus is not on power but on building people and God's kingdom.
We meet monthly to discuss the business and needs of the church. We come together to pray prior to going out
to serve God's people in worship on Sunday. The Deacons and I
work together to strengthen the ministry of the church. There is
a Sheepfold ministry in place to care for the spiritual need of
families in the church. This ministry has been designed to
minister to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the
congregation. The membership should be divided into equal
groups, and a Deacon assigned to each group. We meet quarterly
to discuss the Sheepfold ministry. I assign members to a
Sheepfold once they complete New Members Training. The Deacon
who is the Sheepfold leader then takes the responsibility for
staying in contact with the members of his Sheepfold and keeping
me informed of their needs. This partnership has helped in caring
for the congregation and fosters good communications.
I view the Trustees as a part of the leadership team. They are
important to the success of the church because they ensure the
ministry is financially stable, the church property is well
maintained, and they protect us from loss or damages. The
trustee ministry is very important in helping the church reach
its goals.
The Trustees are not a biblical office but, like the Deaconate, are important
to the overall operation of the church. The mixing of these two
offices of the church often causes problems because it takes the
focus off of their primary responsibilities.
The Trustees are to be people of good character. They are to be
committed to the Lord. They are the people to whom the church
has entrusted the church's business administration. They develop
the policies and procedures associated with the business side of
the church for approval by the church body. They are the
people to whom the Pastor can look for guidance on tax and budget
issues, and the overall financial health of the ministry.
As Pastor, my interaction with the Trustees is important. The
overall operation of the church is the responsibility of the
Pastor so there must be a good relationship between himself and the
Trustees. I feel this relationship must include mutual respect and
good communication. They have been placed in position by the
church. My responsibility as Pastor is to respect that choice
while monitoring their function to insure they are operating
within biblical covenants and the will of the church as stated
in the by-laws.
There must be good communication between the Pastor and
Trustees. As Pastor, I should know the financial position of the
church and the giving patterns of the membership. This doesn't
mean I am over their shoulders telling them what to do. It does
mean that I am provided reports each week, a report of
individual giving, a budget, and a monthly budget analysis. In
our communication, I would expect the Chairman of the Trustees
to update me on the progress of projects as well as projects the
Trustees want to present to the church.
In my current position, the Trustees and I work hand in hand.
Our focus is doing what is best for the congregation and the
Kingdom of God. I meet on a regular basis (normally on Friday)
with the Chairman of Trustees to discuss the business and needs of the church. We discuss giving patterns
as published on the weekly report. He provides input on the
projects and possible issues. Our conversation is not limited to
finances. We discuss the physical, emotional, and spiritual
needs of the congregation since he is a long-standing member
with great in sight. The Chairman of Deacons, Chairman of
Trustees and I meet to discuss ongoing issues and projects so
when we go to the church family the Deacons Ministry and Trustee
Ministry are supportive of each other.
The body of believers must recognize the New Testament as the
Basic Foundation and guide for the church. The Bible is the
foundation of my belief so I would have a problem with bylaws
that would prevent me, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to
lead the church. I do understand that we are also bound to obey
the law of man as long as it doesn't come against the Word of
God.
The bylaws of many churches were written years and often decades
ago. Some were written around the turn of the century. Many
churches' bylaws are copied off of other churches' bylaws
without scrutinizing those rules or adjusting them to the Word
of God and to the specific community these bylaws will
ultimately serve.
The bylaws of many churches are created around a legal mindset
moreso than a spiritual mindset, and democratic majority rules
are often the central basis of many church bylaws. While church
voting is not, in and of itself, a bad thing, proper teaching
should go forth, reminding us that, with very few exceptions,
most every scriptural example we are provided for God's people
to determine spiritual matters by democratic majority vote has
led to dire consequences. Our right to express our opinion by
vote must be tempered by our trust, first and foremost, in God,
and second in the undershepherd God has placed in leadership.
Not every church member is on the same spiritual level, but
every church member has a vote. The majority rule, therefore,
logically leverages most any church vote in favor of the
statistically least spiritual, as the congregation at large
embrace this process as reasonable and rational, when
it is, in fact, legalism and, by the very examples set forth in
scripture, not usually the wisest way to administrate the
spiritual path of a body of believers.
In this view, a church's bylaws should not be the same kind of
document as a country's constitution, bill of rights, or even
city charter. Approaching a church's bylaws the same way one
might draft articles of incorporation of a city or bylaws for a
lodge or Elks club, is wrongheaded.
Many churches use an evaluation process for employees and
volunteers. I feel evaluations are good because they help a
person improve their performance. I believe the standard for
evaluating a Pastor must be from the Word of God.
I certainly feel that, through prayer, bylaws should be in
place to make the church focus on operating within the will of
God. If I am sure in my spirit of that intent, I can be sure my ability to function and lead as Pastor would not be
hindered by the bylaws.
Sound biblical counseling adds to the spiritual health of the
church. There are five principles I hold to when counseling. They are as follows: (1) pray so that I may be used
by the Holy Spirit to touch lives, to offer hope and spiritual
maturity, (2) strive to counsel in practical,
result-oriented, holistic ways, (3) recognize the
combination of the infallible Word of God in conjunction with
current proven ethical and psychological applications can
provide positive, practical solutions to problems, hurts,
stresses, and frustrations, (4) practice Biblical
requirements of love, care, support, and restoration, (5) practice confidentially as required by law and report issues as
required by law.
I believe that counseling must consider (1) it
must examine and evaluate all human ideologies and
counseling theories and methods, first as to their consistency
and agreement with the infallible Word of God, and then with
their conscience, social law and professional codes of
ethics (2) should work for the temporal and eternal well-being and redemption of human
communities and social institutions, (3) individuals in
counseling ought to submit themselves to their local church
body and to the highest standards of professional education,
practice, and ethics, and, (4) using the
insights of the Christian faith in helping people to treat everyone
as Jesus Christ would have them treated them as set forth in
scripture.
I approach counseling very seriously. I will not conduct a wedding
without counseling the couple for three or four sessions so they
know my convictions and the biblical stance on marriage. In the
event a couple has a marital problem, I will not counsel them separately. I require they both attend
counseling since issues tend to come out in a proper perspective
with the husband and wife both attending. I will not counsel a
woman alone. I will have my wife or a mother of the church with
me. This avoids the appearance of evil. In conducting family
counseling, I bring the individuals who are struggling in first
to work through the issues followed by the entire family since
it has had an impact on them as well.
I have a degree as a social work technician. This degree
required the study of various therapy theories and techniques.
In bible college, I was required to take Pastoral Care and
Counseling. Through my education and experience, I have learned
that there are issues that arise in counseling that are deeper
than my abilities so I refer the person or persons to a
therapist who is qualified to help them. I don't feel this is
failure on my part, but wisdom God has given me so I am not in a
position to further cause damage to the person, couple, family,
or situation.
In the King James Version of the Bible the word pulpit is a
raised platform reached by steps, or a desk used for preaching
and teaching in a service of worship. This is found in Neh 8:1-4
which says, “And all the people gathered themselves together as
one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of
Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. 2 And Ezra the
priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and
women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the
first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read therein before the
street that was before the water gate from the morning until
midday, before the men and the women, and those that could
understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto
the book of the law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit
of wood, which they had made for the purpose.” (KJV) The pulpit
is a scared and powerful platform to be use by pastors and
ministers to proclaim God's Word.
I believe it is a place that God meets and anoints his servant
for the proclamation of His Word. Those who stand in this place
need to stand with a high standard of holy living, preparation,
and dignity. The pulpit is not a place for doing anything other
than proclaiming God's Word under the anointing of the Holy
Spirit. I have been embarrassed being in the pulpit with pastors
and ministers who treat the pulpit in a disgraceful manner. I
will share three examples I have witnessed:
First, I was visiting a church in Alabama. The pastor was
preaching. The Word of God was going forth then all of the
sudden the pastor, in his preaching, began to cuss. I have never
been so embarrassed. I could not help but to wonder what came
over him and how can blessings of the Word of God come out of
the same mouth as profane language. This certainly is not
behavior I would want in God's house let alone in His pulpit.
The second example occurred when I was sitting under a pastor
who was on the verge of being voted out. He was using the pulpit
to strike out at various member. The pastor took a text that was
interesting but took it out of context so he could whip those
who had reported his behavior. As I stated earlier, the pulpit
is a scared and powerful platform to be used to proclaim God's
Word. It is not a place to push agendas, settle scores, to bully, or to prove a
point. The pulpit is for the proclamation of the Word of God to
His people.
A final example is of a minister who was on staff under me. I
scheduled him to preach the 8:00 AM service. He selected a
passage of scripture and a subject. After that, no one had a
clue what he was doing. Needless to say, this brother was sat
down until we did some one on one counseling and training. I do
not believe in standing for God to proclaim His Word unprepared.
A preacher who is called has the responsibility to pray, study,
and be prepared to preach. Anything less is unacceptable. I will
not tolerate it under my leadership.
These three examples are among the things that are hurting the
church. Men of God called to preach must give reverence to the
pulpit and their calling. We owe it to God and His people to
live the life we preach and to be well-prepared to stand
before his people.
Reverend Dr. Henry Johnson
18 May 2004
doctorj@praisenet.org
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