I’ve given it a bit more thought and I actually DID have more to say on this subject of what a Pastor should be.  Today, as I was reading through 1 Peter 5 in preparation for my next sermon at CCOL, I realized that it has a TON to say about what a church leader should be – and thankfully, my convictions mirrored what it was saying – so, I’ll babble on a bit more about this issue…

#4 – Humble

Let’s just walk through the passage from 1 Peter 5, shall we?

1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;

• A shepherd was one of the lowliest positions in the society of that day.  Isn’t it interesting, from that perspective, that church leaders are referred to as shepherds?  Shepherding was not/is not a glamorous job (does that sound like the pastors you know?  Pastors who come off as celebrities scare me a bit…).  Shepherding was dirty, difficult, and demanding.  That sounds like the kind of pastoral ministry that gets in the muck and mire of life’s difficulties alongside the sheep – not staying aloof…as I’ve mentioned before…  it takes a good deal of humility to be involved with people to that degree.  It takes a great deal of humility to not care how the people of the church view you because you are getting dirty with the other, perhaps-less-than-desirable-sheep.
• Did you notice that the flock is “under the care” of the shepherd?  Sounds pretty obvious but think of the implication.  The shepherd is supposed to actually care for the sheep.  People who are proud don’t typically care about others – their beliefs, concerns, feelings, attitudes, lives, etc.  How does that stack up against the Pastors you know?  I’m saddened to even have to imply that PASTORS perhaps don’t really care about those under their leadership – but it is a mournful reality in some cases.
• Serving – he mentions it twice.  Servants serve, rulers don’t.  There’s such a subtle but important attitudinal shift in realizing that fact.  If a person, pastor or not, has trouble serving – then they are having an attitude that is more akin to that of a “ruler” or “dominant” person in the relationship.  It’s a pretty natural tendency for us humans – to want to be the top dog, numero uno, big kahuna, etc.  But that’s NOT to be the nature of leadership in the church.  Read on… there’s a good deal more to notice…

3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

•  ”not lording it over” – Wow!  That’s a pretty strong mental image to me.  I imagine a dictator or tyrant, imposing his will or opinion on those who are under his control.  Does that sound familiar?  Any pastors in your past who would fit that description?  That is NOT to be the role, attitude, or method of a Pastor or other church leader.  If you ever hear church leaders saying something along the lines of “because I’m the Pastor” then an enormous, frantically waving red flag should pop up immediately!  A pastor is to serve the flock in humility – not imposing things or demanding things.  He should be working WITH people who need to be brought to a level of understanding or cooperation that may not be easy to get them to.  It’s kind of like what has to happen in parenting – somebody (the parent hopefully) has to be the adult and take the responsibility to work out things in the right way (not necessarily the easy way).  It’s no fun most of the time – but that’s what a pastor signs up for!
• “entrusted to you” – the job of a Pastor/church leader is a trust, a stewardship if you will.  A steward is a manager, not an owner.  He is not to possess or control the trust for his own benefit or ego, he is to manage it for the overall good of the Master.  A proud person can’t do that – he’ll want his fingers in every piece of the pie… and his initials monogrammed on it… and a copyright for the recipe…
• “being examples to the flock” – the implication is that the leader is to exemplify the way to handle relationships, leadership, teamwork, humility.  He’s not to put himself “above the law” or outside the realm of accountability.  I’ve known of pastors who would raise cain about a church secretary using the office postage meter to send out a few letters when he does it himself week after week – and thinks nothing of it.  The secretary was just doing what he had DEMONSTRATED was O.K. to do.  It shouldn’t be that way.  He’s supposed to embody what an everyday, average, common Christian is supposed to look like.  That’s a pretty tall order… but again, it’s what he signed on for…

 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

• Jesus – our example – is spoken of as the “Chief Shepherd.”  We just can’t get away from that imagery, can we?  If He’s a shepherd then how can we purport or expect to be anything more lavish or extravagant as church leaders? 
• Leading a church the way God instructs brings rewards on a God-sized scale.  We could (but won’t) debate if we’re talking about literal crowns here, but it should be enough to say that something big is ahead for those who follow the leadership guidelines that God has laid down…

Making it practical

We could talk about this all day and never really see our actions as church leaders change if we don’t stop and put these truths into some real-life situations so we can “try on” these concepts.  Here’s a couple from experience that come right to mind…

1. Some of the sheep bite – what should a humble shepherd do then? – People can be petty, weird, complaining, devisive, even plain old mean at times.  It’s not that they are always being antagonistic on purpose – many of them simply haven’t had that particular piece of their flesh trimmed away yet.  A shepherd who hasn’t gotten the humility thing going yet will respond badly – and I mean BADLY when a little lamb bites him!  Defensiveness, anger, rage, retaliation, pettiness-in-return, none of it is beneath a Pastor who has too much ego on the line.  Chew on this one my fellow pastors:  If Christ has called you to this role and He has told you to shepherd this flock and He’s shown you the RIGHT way to do it - isn’t HE sufficient to take up your cause when necessary?  If so, then why should you?
2. Protecting your position – is it really such a good idea? – I didn’t just start this Pastoral gig – I know that people can be vindictive at times and actually go for the Pastor’s job when he’s not done anything that would warrant such a response (nawww!!!)!  I know, hard to believe, but it happens sometimes.  A pastor who is too proud (can I say “full of himself” as opposed to “full of the Spirit?”) will begin erecting walls of defense to protect his position instead of humbling himself to learn, grow, and let the Lord use him – even in this difficult situation.  Sounds an awful lot like some Pharisees we are familiar with…  (Did I just compare a PASTOR to the Pharisees?  Hey, if the shoe fits…)
3. Appearances become way too important – Again our Pharisees are a good example of this.  Jesus said they worried a LOT about how they appeard to people but inside were not the real deal at all.   That’s what a lack of proper humility does to us.  It makes us focus on what is not important (what people think about us) and neglect what is truly important (what is really going on inside of us).   When a church leader is humble enough to admit (yes, even openly to his church family) that he doesn’t have it all together, when he’s humble enough to share the credit for ministry successes, when he’s willing to listen to the ideas of others and (gasp) actually implement the ones that are good - then he’s not only being an example to the flock, he’s also growing in HIS faith.  Pastors need that too you know…

O.K., that’s enough for today… I look forward to your ideas… so feel free…

A question James asked after the last post prompted this one – thanks James!

Number 3. A Pastor should lead the way in being authentic and genuine with those in his congregation.  In other words, Pastors should work hard to make sure they are not “aloof” from the people they are leading.

A huge part of the Christian message is the reality that we are sinful human beings, in need of a Savior.  Pastors are the same – no exceptions.  Too often a Pastor will work to keep himself in a place where he’s perceived as “having it all together” – when we all know better.

I don’t deny that many Pastors ARE in fact, much farther down the road of spiritual growth and maturity than those in their congregations (they should be – right?).  That’s a good thing.  That’s the very REASON they have anything to offer the people they lead – they are more mature.  But to come off as if you are somehow “above it all” and have it all figured out is another thing.  Authenticity goes a very long way towards establishing credibility and respect – it’s humility in action.  And Jesus said that in order to be the greatest (a leader) we would have to become the least (a servant)…

Another way this can be manifested is in a Pastor separating himself from the congregation – not socializing with them, not interacting except on a “professional” level, not being available outside of office hours.  Some people may be thinking, “What?  Pastors actually do that?”  Yep, quite a few do.  It’s a method of “self-protection” that is wrong, but somewhat understandable.  Pastors get hurt.  Pastors get hurt by people IN THEIR CHURCH!  Sometimes intentionally so!!!  So, often Pastors will respond by withdrawing.  BAD CHOICE Rev. So-and-so!

It’s EXACTLY in those times of hurt and pain that people need to see a leader trust God, even with the emotional hurts that may be on the way, and CONTINUE to be real, interactive, and genuine.  Faith is not just for the “easy” times – the times that feel good.  Faith is most important in the times when our instinct IS to be self-protective.  If we Pastors can get beyond the defensive reactions we naturally gravitate towards and trust God with the pain that’s inflicted on us, we might have a better chance of helping the people we are leading to actually see what it means to persevere, to love without conditions, and to live in a forgiving way.

Continuing with what I’ve come to believe a Pastor should be, Biblically speaking…

     2.  A shepherd, not a CEO.

This one is perhaps the most difficult to figure out simply because the size of some churches requires a more CEO oriented mentality.  I mean come on, a 2000 member church (or larger even) is so much like running a corporation that it’s not even funny!

In a church that size there HAS to be organization, strong leadership, compelling vision and direction – all the things a CEO would be the one to do were it a secular organization.  And people within a church naturally look to the Sr. Pastor as the one to do those things.  I’m not denying those needs at all.

Compound that with trying to apply the notion that a Pastor needs to “shepherd the flock” (a more personal idea) when he’s got a group of 2000 people to shepherd!  Even a shepherd has help when his flock gets that large!  He’s at least got a couple of dogs to help round up the strays and keep the group together!

Then throw in that many pastors, especially some of those who lead larger churches, are not “pastorally” gifted.  They are dynamic leaders, strong personalities that people naturally follow, great communicators and motivators – just not shepherds.

These are only some of many pertinent reasons that many pastors of larger churches have become CEO-mentality leaders.  I don’t deny the reality of the issues/needs that force them to that position.

I just don’t think it’s the PASTOR who should be taking on that role…

The very word “pastor” has the shepherding concept inherent in it.  It’s a more personal, nurturing, caring sort of imagery we’re talking about here.  How can you do that when you’re running things like a business?  How can you do that when you think of yourself as the Chief Executive Officer?

There is at least one distinct reason why I believe this is important…

• People’s lives are changed when someone (a Pastor?) takes the time to be WITH them, to walk through the junk with them, to DEMONSTRATE care on a tangible level.

Remember how Jesus trained His 12?  He was WITH THEM for an extended period of time. Every opportunity became a teaching opportunity – every day became a time to demonstrate what He was teaching.  And if we continue down that path to follow the example God sets for us, it is in the DEMONSTRATION of love that the real significance and power of it soaks in to our minds and souls (i.e. Romans 5:8).  I think the people of the church need to SEE the Pastor ministering in this way so that they can learn to imitate the same mindset and lifestyle.  It’s one of those things that doesn’t work very well if the Pastor is only saying, “Do what I say, not what I do.”  It’s basic human nature – people will not follow and example that is only encouraged, but not demonstrated.

What is the answer?

I think there are many approaches…

• Many larger churches, to their credit, have hired on an “Executive Pastor” or some such similar position.  This person takes on the CEO responsibilities (in theory), leaving the Pastor to be mindful of the spiritual health and direction of the church and actually BE more of a “shepherd” (in theory).
• I think one of the better options is for larger churches to give a good deal of consideration to multiplication – on a church-wide level.  Imagine the impact a church of 2000, in a major metropolitan area could have if they would send out groups of 200 to 300 people, with a strong Pastoral leader to establish new churches throughout the city.  BEGINNING a new church with 200 people – think of the possibilities.  Established givers, already in place.  The ability to start with momentum.  I think there would be greater impact in the long run on a greater number of people.  I know – there are all kinds of kinks in this one (people who are loyal to a certain leader and refuse to go to another group, etc.)  Yep, problems will come up – but I believe the Spirit of God will lead, even in them…
• Many pastors of larger churches, to their credit, have taken a serious look at this issue and have become “shepherds to the shepherds.”  Following Jesus’ example they are building into their paid staff or volunteer leaders as their “primary” flocks.  These people in turn, shepherd those within the greater church family.  It’s a good approach and very Biblical.
• Some church leaders simply need to take a long, hard, Spirit-guided look at their gifts in comparison to the shepherd’s role that a Pastor should be engaged in.  If they don’t fit, they need to listen to that tension and begin taking steps to do something about it – for the good of the church and the kingdom!  God has designed every person, Pastors included, to function within the body in a specific way.  Misplaced members need to be open to re-assignment.

In the end, I feel that if a Pastor is not being a shepherd, our congregations will not learn to shepherd each other.  Typicall, people only do what they see done in their leaders’ lives.

After 16 years of full time pastoral ministry, I’ve walked through many situations – both difficult and easy.  I remember early on I began with some pretty naive and “idealistic” notions about being a pastor. (more about idealism later)  But through it all I believe that there have been quite a number of things impressed on me about being a pastor that are of great importance.  This is “Part 1″ of I don’t know how many parts, because I know that I have a lot to say about this…

1. A Pastor should hold some of the highest personal standards in his church

What do I mean by this?  Well, it all goes back to the idea of being an example for the flock – and whether you feel like that kind of terminology is offensive or condescending or whatever – just remember that it’s the terminology Jesus used to describe a spiritual leader  – a shepherd.  We who are in positions of spiritual leadership in the local church are shepherds, like it or not.  As such we have to set an example worth following.

What does that entail?  Not perfection, that’s for sure.  But a consistency and growth and increase in personal holiness that is evident.  We can’t expect the people of our churches to live in ways that honor God if we are not carefully monitoring our own lives to make sure that OUR lives are!  It may have to do with what we allow ourselves (and our families) to engage in, in terms of entertainment.  It may have to do with the way we speak – avoiding things that might be misconstrued like sarcasm, cutting remarks, or course joking.  Does that sound a bit “over the top?”  If so, let me ask you THIS simple question… can you picture Jesus, our model, doing those things?

We’ve got to remember who’s standard we’ve been called to preach and uphold – it certainly isn’t our own.