The Role of the Senior Pastor in the Average Church

A few years ago I met a man from our church for coffee. This man was critical of my leadership in our church and believed that if I took his advice our church would explode numerically. In the course of our conversation this man looked at me and said, “You are the most powerful man in our church.” That very week I was bombarded by fliers in the mail and some e-mails which also led me to believe that numerical success was just a program or starter kit away.

Because the average churches that I have served have not had a lot of “numerical explosion” I have spent hours grappling with the issue of my role. I have spent hours feeling guilty that my church wasn’t growing and moving into the kingdom of the large church. Aside from house churches, most churches in America own some property and have regular meetings scheduled. The very definition of the Greek word for church [ecclesia or called out ones], implies that there are some people in this group. If you are the pastor of any church you face the reality of people and property.

As we find ourselves in this information age we also face the reality of expectations. The numerical success stories of churches in every state of these United States are well known. In my state of Colorado it seems that several large churches started a few years ago as a Bible study in somebody’s basement. The very strong unspoken message that is communicated through these stories to the average church and average church pastor is this: “What is wrong with you?” If Bible studies in basements result in churches numbering in the thousands, why isn’t this church larger numerically?

A senior pastor or a solo pastor must face the reality that he likely is the most powerful man in that particular church. I don’t throw these thoughts out as a recognized authority, but as a pastor who struggles to honor God and do his best. I submit these thoughts to you based on God’s Word and some of the experiences I’ve had. How should a senior pastor think about his role? What are the categories that pastors should use to gauge success?

#1   Pastors are shepherds.

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eargerly;” 1 Peter 5:1-3

Within 5 miles of the church that I serve there are several large churches with over 1,000 attending each weekend. These churches have all the latest ministry bells and whistles. One of these bodies recently hired a former recording artist as their leader of worship. Each of these bodies enjoys a sprawling church campus [or 2] and a multi-million dollar budget. If I am honest I must admit that there have been days I have envied certain aspects of these huge ministries.

Something strange, however, happens each year that I serve in my present church. A family or maybe two families, migrate from one of these huge churches to my church. They come in and find a few friends and get involved in a ministry opportunity. As I approach them and let them know that our purpose is not to take people from other churches they insist that they want to switch churches.

The reason that families migrate to the average church I serve is because they are shepherded in our church. We don’t have 1,000 people to watch over and we can pay more careful attention to individuals and individual families. When someone is gone from our fellowship they are usually noticed in a few weeks rather than a few months.

I encourage you today to think about all that you are doing as a pastor. You may even have some janitorial responsibilitiesJ Who are you shepherding? Who are you guiding spiritually? God created people with a need for spiritual guidance and God through his Word clearly tells you and me that we are to shepherd His people.

#2   Pastors are stewards.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace;” 1 Peter 4:10

It is significant that just before Peter gave these instructions in the 5^th chapter of his first letter, he talked about stewardship. God’s grace is “varied” and leaders that God has put over His church are also “varied.” We have all preached messages to our congregations from Matthew 25. You remember the passage don’t you? A man going away on a journey entrusted his servants with “talents.” The servants did not all receive the same number of talents. The point of the passage is to use the “talents” God has given you, even if He has only given you one solitary “talent.”

I didn’t start a Bible study in my basement with 2 other couples resulting in the planting of a mega-church. I have, however, been playing basketball on Monday nights with some men. Over the years guys have drifted in and out of the game and I have had numerous opportunities to talk with them about spiritual struggles, marital difficulties, and problems with their kids.

Playing Monday night basketball may not result in hundreds of people coming to Christ and subsequently coming to the church I serve. It is an example of God’s varied grace. I’m not responsible for overseeing the people of any other church or the “talents” of any other pastor. God has given me some gifts to use and I need to use them.

Not every church or pastor has five “talents.” Some churches and some pastors have only one. Use the resources and gifts you find God has given you and stop comparing yourself and your church to others.

#3   Pastors work

“…exercising oversight” 1 Peter 5:2b

I’m tempted at this point to grab all my John Maxwell books for illustrations of great leadershipJ I think that Peter is talking about the leadership of pastors and elders in these verses, but it is a different kind of leadership. This is more than “CEO leadership” that is concerned with the bottom line. This is shepherding-leadership that is concerned with the bottom line and so much more. A CEO doesn’t need to guide the people under him through their personal struggles.

Episkopeo is the Greek word that Peter uses in 1 Peter 5:2b. Peter is saying to pastors, “exercise oversight as a shepherd of the flock that God has put under your care.” Peter is saying, “fill the role of an overseer/shepherd in the church God has placed under your care.” This is the work of a pastor.

Pastors lead. Pastors guide. Pastors love. Pastors decide. Pastors encourage. Pastors prepare people for service in the Kingdom of God. All these verbs represent hard work and Peter tells pastors that in this action they are to “exercise oversight.”

It is probably true to say that most of you reading this article are the most influential person in your church. Don’t be afraid of that, don’t be intimidated by that, embrace it and be the shepherd/overseer God has created you to be. That is the work of being a pastor. Going to the hospital and visiting the sick, preaching at funerals, and preparing for a children’s sermon can all serve to wear us out. In that work pastors are to “exercise oversight.”

#4   Pastors are joy-filled believers

“Though you have not seen him, you love him, ‘Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy this is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.’” 1 Peter 1:8&9

A great book that I would recommend to you is Liberating Ministry from the success syndrome, by Kent Hughes. In the book Hughes talks about a dark time in his life when he was having trouble believing. His wife comforted him by telling him that she had enough belief for the two of them at that point in time. I’ve gone through times like that and so have you.

I occasionally schedule a day in which I am inaccessible to anyone but my immediate family. I may go to a hotel or to a public library for a day. I will spend that day reading my Bible, talking with God and journaling. I need to be a joyful believer if I am going to be shepherd in God’s church. I need to do whatever is necessary in order to be that joy-filled believer.

I concluded with this area because as the pastor of an average church for 23 years this is the area that I struggle with most often. Joy-filled belief can be a rare commodity in an average church. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t give up my belief in God or my faith in Jesus Christ, but I sometimes find it hard to joyfully believe God is working in my church when there isn’t much ministry fruit. When the offerings are low and when 7 people show up for a prayer meeting, when an Easter message falls flat and a Christmas outreach doesn’t, it’s just plain hard.

Pastors are joy-filled believers. We need to be. If you aren’t, immerse yourself in the Word and pray. If you have no one to pray for you or with you, e-mail me, I want to pray for pastors who are slugging it out every day for the glory of God in an average church.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 e yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
f I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
g he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me h tread on my i high places.”

Habbakuk 3:17-19

In Christ,

Steve

stevekalb@calvaryefree.org