Shepherds, Sheep, and God
I found out this week that the Senior Pastor of the largest church in Nutley has been reassigned to another church. I am sorry to see him go. I have always appreciated this particular man's preaching and heart for God. I am blessed to pastor here in Nutley. Though there are many churches in town of all different denominations, we do share some unity by all of the pastors working together in a "Clergy Fellowship" to keep a Christian presence in the town through combined services, prayers, and events throughout the year.
So I started thinking about the departure of this man of God, and I realized something: of the ten congregations that have been represented in the fellowship since I have been involved, five of them have had changes of pastor, one more than once, and one of the churches has closed. I have been in the fellowship for less than four years. Am I the only one who sees a problem?
Now, I am not saying that the changes these churches have gone through are wrong, I am not saying there is any fault to be placed, or anything like that. Perhaps all of these changes of pastor were needed and warranted. All I am doing is stating a fact: six out of ten churches in the fellowship are not being led by the same pastor that led them four short years ago. That is a lamentable fact. I always hate to hear that a pastor has left his church, no matter the reason. But all too many times, it is for the wrong reason...
Maybe it is the fact that I am, relatively speaking, green as a pastor and I am seeing pastoral ministry through rose-colored glasses. Maybe. But I see myself pastoring Reason for Hope well into my golden years - say another 40 or 50 years.
But of course, that isn't up to me. It's up to God.
Or is it?
Since we are non-denominational, there is nobody above me to reassign me or remove me (as an aside, I believe that the lack of accountability that this can cause is the biggest potential problem with the non-denominational church model). And as I am not too familiar with that process in the Roman Catholic Church or the mainline Protestant denominations, I can't speak with any certainty how that process works, but I can't help but wonder: is God included in making such decisions?
Now, I can certainly be thrown out on my butt by the members of RFH, and this has certainly happened to plenty of pastors in plenty of other churches. But I can't help but wonder: is God included in making such decisions?
And, of course, I can up and leave RFH any time I want to. Pastors have done that to churches far more than they have been removed by denominational or congregational decision. But I can't help but wonder: is God included in making such decisions?
In an age when churches are run like businesses and many pastors function as CEOs rather than shepherds, and when the unity of a local body is not what is was even 50 years ago when your church was the first place you'd turn to for help or comfort, and when we can listen to sermons via radio, podcast, or television any time we want and get Christian teaching on websites and (ahem!) blogs in an instant, and when it is very common for Christians to hop from one church to another and not uncommon for pastors to do the same, the local church, and especially the relationship between pastors and the congregation, is weak.
What has changed? Certainly not God! Certainly not His idea of how a local body should function. Certainly not His designed role of pastors. Certainly not His designed role of church members.
So what has changed? We have.
Most of all, I blame pastors. I read the blogs and the books, I watch and hear the sermons and the interviews, and I see my own struggles against pride. I see pastors who use the "my way or the highway" approach to pastoring. I see pastors who have "grown" beyond needing to be taught themselves. I see pastors who push instead of lead. I see pastors who want to put in their 40 hours and be left alone. I see pastors who have a "me against them" attitude. I have seen pastors who see disagreement with him as sin. In other words, I see pastors who have left God out of their decision making and out of the real leadership role, and therefore almost completely out of their ministries.
To a lesser degree, I blame the congregations. Because there are far too many Christians that leave God out of their decision making, too. Was God involved in the decision the last time you stayed home from Sunday service? Was He involved in the decision the last time you criticized your pastor behind his back? And too many leave God out of the real leadership role, as well. You shouldn't respect and submit to the leaders of your local church because they tell you to, you should do it because God tells you to.
And that is the point. Pastors and congregations alike need to repent of our "me" centered approach to our church and take a God centered approach. A house divided... well... you know.
Pastors, lead the flock God has blessed you with. Love them. Pray for them and pray with them. Be patient. Be committed to staying no matter how difficult it is, no matter how much you are hurt by some of the people you shepherd, and no matter how much you want to leave. It was God's decision to make you a pastor, it was His decision to place you where you are, and it is His will that you faithfully fulfill your calling where He has placed you until He decides otherwise.
Christians, love your pastor. Follow him. Pray for him. Be patient. Be committed to him. If criticism is due, and it will be, do it lovingly between you and him. It was God's decision to place you where you are under the leadership of your pastor, and it is His will that you faithfully fulfill your calling where He has placed you until He decides otherwise.
God has decided to work through the church until Christ's return. We need to be just that - a united church under God. Jesus Christ is the Head, and we are the body. He wants the entire body to commit to working together for His ends - shepherds and sheep together. And any lack of commitment to each other in our respective roles is nothing less than a lack of commitment to Him.
Now let's do work...
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