Ask the Pastor 138

Is the Pastor the one in charge like a CEO?

There are times when people think that if they want something done at their church, they can just call the pastor and get an answer and go from there. It is like the pastor is the one in charge and he can give you permission for one thing or another. There are some pastors who are like that, they think that they are the one in charge like a corporate CEO and they have little patience with anyone who try to challenge them. And it is true that pastors are in a precarious position, because if things do not go well, they can be fired which is not true of a committee member. Pastors are very much like the quarterback on a football team, they get far more credit than they deserve for when things go well, and far more blame than they deserve for when things go badly. But what does the Bible say? In last week’s article we discussed how the pastor is given as a gift to the church and is a man who is especially gifted in shepherding and teaching. In another text found in I Timothy 3 we read of elders where we have the qualifications of elders and their wives and of deacons. In 5:17-18, we have the teaching that there will be at least one elder who will be full time in the ministry and that elder is worthy of his wage. The text states that he will rule well and will labor in the word and in doctrine. In today’s vernacular, this full time elder is known as the pastor and is worthy of his wage. Therefore, the pastor has the same qualifications as any other elder and does the work of an elder except that he is working full time and especially in the Word and doctrine. The model of leadership for all the elders is that of the servant leader, therefore, leadership will be by example and leading while serving. The pastor does not act as a CEO etc., but works as a fellow elder who all work together as servant leaders in prayer and in accordance with the Scriptures.

Have questions about the Bible? Send them to Dr. Greg Koehn at gak4850@gmail.com and read the answer here in this article.