Of Pastors and Teachers

We recently had a consultant speak to our executive staff about ways to manage church growth. This man had a number of interesting and helpful ideas and observations. He also had one idea, though, that did not sit particularly well with me. More importantly, this idea did not sit particularly well with Pastor Dan.

The consultant observed, correctly, that as the church grew PD could not spend the kind of personal time with our partners on an individual basis as he had in the past. Common sense tells you that is true. He then observed that PD will have to prioritize his time differently, which common sense also tells you is true.

And here is where the train fell off the tracks for me. The consultant suggested that the areas PD should leave to others included weddings, funerals and hospital visits.
This suggestion immediately reminded me of a story I had heard some time ago about a pastor from another church who announced to his congregation one Sunday that they should hope to never see him in their hospital room. This pastor said if anyone ever saw him in their hospital room it meant that they were dying, because he did not have time to make hospital visits for anything less serious.

This particular pastor is by no means alone. I have heard many pastors express the same attitude. In fact, I am afraid that there are many pastors out there who think that when their congregation becomes big enough that they can no longer personally do weddings, funerals and hospital visits it is a good thing -- it means they have arrived.

As an executive staff we have recognized for a long time that as Heartland Church grows Pastor Dan will not personally be able to make every hospital visit or officiate over every wedding or funeral. He cannot even do that now. So, we have prepared for that reality by spreading those responsibilities among all of our pastors.

The difference, though, is that instead of feeling a sense of freedom from being relieved of some of this responsibility Pastor Dan is pained by the thought. Why? Because PD truly has a pastor's heart. He wants to be there to celebrate the most important events in our partners' lives. He wants to be there when our partners get married and when their children are born. He wants to be there in their moments of crisis. He wants to be there when our partners are sick and in need of prayer or to bring comfort to grieving families who have seen loved ones go home to be with the Lord.

From what I can gather, Jesus spoke to some pretty large crowds. And maybe I missed it, but I just don't remember reading anywhere of Jesus telling any of these crowds that he no longer had time to minister to them individually, and that if they had any questions or needed prayer and healing they should see one of the twelve.

What I do remember is that after He gave His sermon on the mount large crowds followed Him. And yet, when a man with leprosy emerged from the crowd Jesus not only spoke with that man but healed him. I remember reading about disciples being surprised that Jesus would take the time to minister to a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. I remember Jesus washing the feet of His disciples shortly before going to the cross.

I am not at all suggesting that pastors of very large congregations take on impossible burdens. There are obviously practical limitations on what one person can do. At the same time, I believe there are very real dangers when even the most "successful" pastors remove themselves from the flocks they serve.

First, there is the very real danger that the pastor will lose the ability to relate to the realities of life faced by their congregations. How can you effectively minister to people if you no longer understand their worries, their pains and their frustrations?

Second, success can be a very dangerous thing, and I think the problem is compounded when pastors decide that their time is too important to spend time with the people that God gave them to shepherd. I think the enemy often takes advantage of that situation, and convinces some pastors that their success is, well, their success.

Maybe it's just me, but arrogance in a pastor is just really hard for me to take. Jesus spoke often of the importance of humility and of having a servants' heart. I don't remember Him ever exempting pastors with large congregations from these critical virtues.

I apologize. This has become somewhat of a rant. But it is a subject that has been on my heart of late and it's one of the important reasons why I choose to worship at Heartland Church.  I hope you value your pastor's heart.




<sup>Luke 14:7-11


7</sup> When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: ⁸ “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. ⁹ If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”