The Role of the Pastor

By: Rev. Robert Vergeson D.D.

Introduction to Lesson I.

What does the word of God tells us on how to be a better Pastor (Elder)? First, before we answer that question, let be first speak of some basic definitions of the titles we will be using in this text.
Both the words Pastor and Elder can be interchangeable in the context of describing a leader in the Church. However, while a Pastor is an Elder of the Church, an Elder is not always a Pastor, but rather an appointed member who has reached a level of spiritual growth, and helps a Pastor fulfill various duties in the Church. While there may be only one Pastor (Senior and/or Assistant) there are several Elders. This team makes up the governing body of the Church, often called the Church Council, Leadership Team, Church Board, or any specific name that describes the group of people who have leadership control over the Church. Deacons are also apart of this leadership. In most situations, Deacons are below Elders, Elders below Pastor’s. Also, Pastor and Reverend (ordained title) are interchangeable as well, except that a Pastor is not always an ordained person (Formal seminary education or licensed by the church), but rather a person authorized by the church to preach sermons and messages of spiritual guidance.

Of course we must understand that different denominations (or non-) use a variety of titles and honors to denote rank and positions in their church. Often these ranks and positions separate leadership in regards to local congregations, state and national level leadership, by adding a higher ranking title such as Bishops, Arch Bishops, Cardinals, etc. For the sake of clarifications, we will use the term Pastor to denote the person who is the primary leader of a congregation, the person who has the most interaction with his flock, therefore the person we defer to as our chosen leader over the congregation. I may also note that Church and Congregation may in some cases be the same entity, but in fact the Church is a larger entity then the congregation, being that the congregation is those of a local church body, while in general terms the Church is a denomination ( or non-) of many separate congregations within the denomination, making up a state convention of denominations, and the state making up the national convention of that denomination. Never-the-less, it is the Pastor who has the day to day interaction with each member of his congregation or flock.

Therefore the role of the Pastor is in detail described in the scripture more so then today’s complicated structure of the modern Church. It is the Pastor who has the greater role of shepherding his flock, and the hierarchy of the church plays the role of assuring that the Pastor is equipped to lead his flock. This equipping comes in many packages from formal seminary training to support systems that assure that the Pastor is capable of leading his flock both spiritually, physically, and mentally. You will find that all these equipping tools are found in the Bible, the very word of God. Thus, through scripture can we also equip ourselves of the same benefits found in formal training and education others gain from seminary, and their Church hierarchy. If we are seeking a purity of the role of Pastor, we will find it in Scripture and no where else.

Now lets return to the question, “What does the word of God tells us on how to be a better Pastor (Elder)? Of course the answer is simple, in the Bible, the word of God. However, for sake of not requiring us to re-read the entire bible, I will narrow it down to a manageable level. Now the bible in its entirety is a manual which we should use each and every day of our ministry as a Pastor. It is there that we find many of the answers we need in our Pastoral work. For this lesson, we will spend some time in just a few books of the New Testament, Romans, 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and 1 & 2 Timothy, which will speak of how a Pastor should conduct himself, and some basic warnings on how we should not. In later lessons we will discover more books and verses that will relate to the role of a Pastor. I have chosen those we will read today as a starting point. All scripture here is NLT, which I felt easier to read and to understand. There are many aspects of being a Pastor. One is a joyful experience in life, while the other is the serious side of being a Pastor. The Pastor needs to know how to act and react to this serious side of the role of being a Pastor, much like a parent does when dealing with his children who have gone wayward or needs discipline. I shall speak of these first, so as to get it over with first. All discipline should always be done with the love of Christ.

Warning to Pastor’s, Disciplining is a necessary fact of the Pastor’s life.

Romans 16:15-18
Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the other believers who are with them. [16] Greet each other in Christian love. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings. [17] And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things that are contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. [18] Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.

We have just read regarding a warning Paul has given those who are Pastors over Christ’s flock. This warning is important that it teaches us that if we must always be diligent in keeping our eye’s and hear’s attuned to those who cause divisions in the church. This is a very important role as a Pastor, which we need to be prepared for when dealing with the teachings of Christ. As Pastor it is our role to be a person of sound scriptural knowledge so that we can stand firm in the teachings of Christ so that others will have the same knowledge. When the flock is grounded firmly in these teachings, afforded all the access to these teachings, and equipped with the same tools you as the Pastor have, then divisions that have caused others to fail in their walk will be avoided. Otherwise, if the Pastor is unprepared to stand firm in the Word of God, then they will be challenged by those who seek to upset people’s faith by teaching things that are contrary to what has been taught. Paul admonishes us to stay away from them as such people are not serving Christ our Lord but there own personal interests. When and it will happen, for no Pastor is entirely free of divisions, if you are firm in your knowledge of Christ, you will be able to deal with these people in a way that will not only correct them, but allow them to be encouraged in the Lord as well.

Forgive those before they become discouraged in the Word of God.

2 Cor. 2:1-7
So I said to myself, "No, I won't do it. I won't make them unhappy with another painful visit." [2] For if I cause you pain and make you sad, who is going to make me glad? [3] That is why I wrote as I did in my last letter, so that when I do come, I will not be made sad by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you know that my happiness depends on your happiness. [4] How painful it was to write that letter! Heartbroken, I cried over it. I didn't want to hurt you, but I wanted you to know how very much I love you. [5] I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt your entire church more than he hurt me. [6] He was punished enough when most of you were united in your judgment against him. [7] Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover.

Now in 2 Corinthians, we learn that it is regrettable that there are times when we must admonish, and even punish those who cause hurt in the church. This is often done when the Pastor, elders, and those who sit in leadership, must unite in judgement over another. Paul expresses in heartfelt sorrow over these judgements, and understand them as necessary. However Paul makes it very clear that the punishment is enough, and now it is time we forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise the person may become so discouraged that he won’t be able to recover. Now isn’t that what the Word of God teaches us through Christ. Forgive and Forget least we become discouraged and stray forever away from God in bitterness and hate.

Encouragement

1 Thes. 2:6-13
As for praise, we have never asked for it from you or anyone else. [7] As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but we were as gentle among you as a mother feeding and caring for her own children. [8] We loved you so much that we gave you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too.
[9] Don't you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that our expenses would not be a burden to anyone there as we preached God's Good News among you. [10] You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were pure and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. [11] And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. [12] We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you into his Kingdom to share his glory. [13] And we will never stop thanking God that when we preached his message to you, you didn't think of the words we spoke as being just our own. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it was. And this word continues to work in you who believe.

The role of the Pastor is often much like the role of a parent when we must punish a wayward child. It is our hope that as a parent we also learn that forgiveness and forgetting the sin, is an act of loving that child despite their wayward action. As Christian parents, this is a creed we should all carry, because it is Christ like, and God who is our heavenly Father forgave us of our sins, and least we become discouraged forgot our sins as well through his love. As a Pastor we will from time to time, deal with this issue in our flock. It is our hope that these situations will always be minor ones, rather then earth shattering events that can destroy the congregation. Another role of the Pastor is discretion and reverence to keeping confession a sacred office. Only those sins, that affect the entire flock should be handled by a united judgement of the leaders of the church. As Pastor it is often our role to be a intermediary between God and the sinner, guiding the offender to repent and change their sinful situation in prayer and personal counseling. It is not the role of the Pastor to treat all sin as a public forum to be openly discussed among elders and the leadership. Confidentiality is very important and should not be taken likely. Only in rare occasion will you find the need to discuss a problem member of the flock with elders and it is when the problem continues, the person is unrelenting, and refuses to change a lifestyle that is sinful. In these cases after much one on one counseling and prayer, you are required to seek the elders role in addressing this situation. Unfortunately by this time in most cases, the unrelenting soul is to corrupt to be of benefit to the flock and if allowed to continue will do more harm then good. Therefore, at these times, scripture tells us how to treat this person.

1 Tim. 5:20-21

[20] Anyone who sins should be rebuked in front of the whole church so that others will have a proper fear of God. [21] I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing special favor to anyone.

When this is done, it should never be done in anger or disrespect, but rather as a means to continue encouraging the person to forsake their sinful lifestyle. It is unfortunate, and I have seen with this type of matter, the person’s sin was so in control of the person, that they refused at all levels of counseling, correction, and encouragement to repent, that the church had no choice to publically remove that person from the churches membership role and actually banish the person physically. This rarely happens to this extreme, but it is supported by scripture to do so. Even in these cases, it is my hope that we can continue to pray for this person, and encourage through prayer that this person will come right with God.

Hebrews 12:5-9
And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his children? He said,

"My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you,
and don't be discouraged when he corrects you.
[6] For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes those he accepts as his children."

[7] As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? [8] If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all. [9] Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever?

Now that I have gotten the more serious aspect of Pastoral responsibilities out of the way, and I must remind you that these aspects are a necessary part of being a Pastor over our flock. I will in our next lesson speak of the more joyful aspects of being a Pastor. The lesson will be short in topic description and get right to the meat, for as a Pastor, we no longer need the milk of the word, but the hearty meat of the word.

The Role of being a Pastor (Lesson II)

Introduction to Lesson II.

Lesson II will be about the more joyful aspects of being a Pastor. Here we will read the scriptures that give us instructions on how we are to present ourselves to our flock. This spiritual personality is very important and it presents an image of us to our flock and the community at large. When we come to the Lord as are savior, we are asked to put off the old and put on the new us. I am reminded of a conversation, one that Shriek of movie fame, had when trying to describe himself to Donkey. Loosely stated he was trying to explain that like a onion, he had many layers of personality, and rightly so, as a Pastor we have many layers and each layer is created by our walk in Christ. The first layer is the part of our old self that is free of sin, and the many layers we build on that layer is our life in Christ. When we begin this building process, we are taught that we are to put the old us aside, and become knew on to Christ a new creature. The old personality we were is altered, changed by Christ. This new personality is like our onion, made up of many layers to which the best of our old personality is preserved, and the new personality we have in Christ is nestled among the other layers. Each and every layer is important to our role as a Pastor. The person who is unable to put aside old traits that are non-conductive to the role of a Pastor is counter-productive to the instructions we have regarding on how to be a Pastor as defined by scripture. The process of being a Pastor, from day one to end time, is also a process of changing our personality toward being more like Christ. Every waking day, and sleeping night, we should be like Christ in all we do. This is why we need to have a firm knowledge of Christ, what he taught, what God achieved through Christ’s death, and what his disciples, from Peter to Paul, instructed the early Church and those who held Pastoral positions over these flocks. So lets start with honor. I shall not give any commentary on the follow scriptures, for I believe they speak for themselves. We will continue in the same books of the NT as in lesson I.

Honor

1 Thes. 5:10-13
He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return. [11] So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
[12] Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. [13] Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other.

Always be Joyful

1 Thes. 5:14-16
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
[15] See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else. [16] Always be joyful.

Hold on to what is Good

1 Thes. 5:17-28
Keep on praying. [18] No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. [19] Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. [20] Do not scoff at prophecies, [21] but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. [22] Keep away from every kind of evil. [23] Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. [24] God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this. [25] Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us. [26] Greet all the brothers and sisters in Christian love. [27] I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters. [28] And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

Endure Suffering

2 Tim. 2:1-5
Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. [2] You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others. [3] Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. [4] And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. [5] Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize.

The Good News

2 Tim. 2:7-12
Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things.
[8] Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David's family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. [9] And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. [10] I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. [11] This is a true saying: if we die with him, we will also live with him. [12] If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.

Pursue Faith, Love and Peace

2 Tim. 2:13-26
If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.

[14] Remind everyone of these things, and command them in God's name to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. [15] Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. [16] Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness. [17] This kind of talk spreads like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples of this. [18] They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have undermined the faith of some. [19] But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and "Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness." [20] In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. [21] If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. [22] Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. [23] Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. [24] The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. [25] They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth. [26] Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

Patiently correct, rebuke and Encourage

2 Tim. 4:1-10
And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus—who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: [2] Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. [3] For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. [4] They will reject the truth and follow strange myths. [5] But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you. [6] As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return. [9] Please come as soon as you can. [10] Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.

How to Treat Others

1 Tim. 5:1-16
Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as though he were your own father. Talk to the younger men as you would to your own brothers. [2] Treat the older women as you would your mother, and treat the younger women with all purity as your own sisters. [3] The church should care for any widow who has no one else to care for her. [4] But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God very much. [5] But a woman who is a true widow, one who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. Night and day she asks God for help and spends much time in prayer. [6] But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead. [7] Give these instructions to the church so that the widows you support will not be criticized. [8] But those who won't care for their own relatives, especially those living in the same household, have denied what we believe. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
[9] A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. [10] She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers? Has she served other Christians humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good? [11] The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry. [12] Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge. [13] Besides, they are likely to become lazy and spend their time gossiping from house to house, getting into other people's business and saying things they shouldn't. [14] So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. [15] For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan. [16] If a Christian woman has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for widows who are truly alone.

Do Your Work well.

1 Tim. 5:17-18
Elders who do their work well should be paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. [18] For the Scripture says, "Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain." And in another place, "Those who work deserve their pay!"

Obey Gods Instructions

1 Tim. 5:21-25
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing special favor to anyone.

I hope these words have given you a firmer grasp of the role of being a Pastor. Now that we have been given a glimpse of the Words of God regarding being a Pastor I recommend that you read those books we have used here in lesson I & II. Never just read a solitary scripture without following up with reading the entire chapter & book, as this will give you a larger picture to view and understand.

Each and every member of our flock is our brother and sister in Christ. And the flock should see their Pastor as the head of their spiritual family. The closer we become to this family the closer we become to Christ in a personal way, because we, like Christ are apart of his personal family as well. How we deal with each member of the flocks needs in their spiritual life is equally important on how the flock meets the needs of their Pastor. This is a two way street we must deal with, with the full grace of God resting on our shoulders. This burden shouldn’t be taken likely, nor should it be a burden either. Bible studies, youth groups, adult groups, support groups, couples groups, singles groups, marriage counseling, getting married classes, getting old classes, grief counseling, substance abuse counseling, family counseling, weddings, funerals, social gatherings, celebrations, anniversaries, Church life, and community life. All apart of being a Pastor over a flock, and most of these duties are defined in scripture, and supported by scripture. The flock that can complete this circle of life is a church that does more then walk in Christ, it honors Christ, loves Christ, and obeys Gods law, and follow his instructions to the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.

Article Source: http://www.religionarticlelibrary.com

Rev Robert Vergeson is an associate member of the Universal Life Church and maintains a website at www.geocities.com/revdocrobert and can be reached at revdocrobert@yahoo.com.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated