When I began my ministry nearly fifty years ago, I did everything. I did hospital and bereavement visits, and I counseled people. I swept the floor and kept the restroom clean. I took care of the offerings and the financial responsibilities. I ran the sound and recorded and duplicated my sermons, and I preached at least twice each week. I even worked in the nursery one Sunday. I did whatever it took, but honestly, I wasn't the best person for all those jobs. God soon sent others who were anointed to help, and I'm so thankful He did!
Pastors should Pastor
Ephesians 4:11-12 lists five ministry gifts. It says, And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.
What is a pastor? The Greek word for pastor is poimen. It means a shepherd. Peter addressed the elders, meaning the pastors, bishops, and deacons, in his first epistle. 1 Peter 5:1-3 describes some of the Scriptural expectations for pastors. It says, The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
A pastor is a shepherd over God's sheep and is responsible for feeding His flock. Isaiah 40:11 prophesied of the Messiah, saying, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Each local church may be called to do its own kind of outreaches. Some may minister to the homeless. Others, He assigns to serve in the local schools or with law enforcement. Still, others may serve at crisis pregnancy centers or in hospitals. But the primary job of the pastor is to pastor. His first assignment is to feed the sheep. In other words, God's first job for pastors is to teach the Word of God.
Churches Have a Business Side
The church is the body of Christ. It is a supernatural organism. We preach the Word with signs following, but there is still a natural side to running a church. Financial statements, budgets, giving records, and monthly expenses such as rent, power, and water must be managed. Many pastors have made serious mistakes in the way they've handled the business of their church. They don't do it intentionally, but they will make mistakes if they have no previous business experience or if their Bible school didn't prepare them to be a preacher, an accountant, and CEO. Some of which could end their ministry. So, pastors should seek God about finding a person who is anointed to serve God and trained with natural skills to handle income, accounts payable, and financial record keeping.
Don't Allow Pride to Limit You
Faith leaders should recognize what they are good at and what they are not. It's not a lack of faith to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses, so don't allow pride to limit you. God doesn't want you to do it alone. He will provide the help you need. The first step is to admit you need help and then pray to God about it. Ask God to send you the right people who will fill in where you lack. That's why He puts people with many talents and experiences in the body of Christ. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:12, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
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