Don’t Fight the Pastor’s Battles – Future 2

The future is an idea that is as open as the sky. It has no direction, and has no limitations as to what to do and where to go. Before you get angry and say something like, “Stay in the will of the Lord;” I think you need to understand that the future is not dependent on our obedience to the Lord. He has allowed us (his people) to go astray countless times before, and has been faithful to redeem us when we run back to Him. However, He allows us to make decisions and reap the consequences of those decisions.

The decisions that we make today will lead us down a specific path, and from time to time the path we choose is not easily exchanged for another.

There are times when a lay leader or staff member assumes far too much of the pastor’s duties that the path that is being trod by their church is so unique and focused that the next pastor is unable to fit the mold supplied for them. In cases like these, the pastor is either going to have to make a noticeable break with the goals and focus of the church or make a noticeable break with the church itself.

Pastors who only survive 12-18 months in a new position are seen as worthless or lazy when more often than not, the goals of the church are so specific that there is no pastor who is able to fulfill the position requirements. And, if a pastor is willing to stick it out long enough to make a change, the community begins to see factions form within the church and even church splitting due to the rise of alternative leadership within the congregation.

Members of the church are forced to choose sides. They are forced to weigh the value of serving the pastor or the lay leader or staff member. They are often cornered in the back of some room and asked where their loyalties lie. This sort of conduct will only cause members to seek a place of peace, which will not be among your own fellowship.

Do not be the instrument of division within your church, nor should you be willing to stand by and watch others hack away at the unity that should exist within the church.

Your paycheck is not worth the loss of even one of the flock!

Don’t Fight the Pastor’s Battles – Future 1

The primary mission for the church wile without a pastor is to find one. However, a lot of what goes on in searching for a pastor and persevering in ministry without a pastor doesn’t take in consideration what will need to take place after a pastor is found. We, as humans, tend to fix problems with the easiest and most available solution. This is a process most apply described by the term Occam’s Razor which, at its most basic definition, indicates that the simplest explanation for a particular result or hypothesis is the most probable. The same type of mentality is used in churches when presented with a problem, especially when there is no pastor.

Vision is the fundamental element of the role of the pastor. The pastor is the one who searches the word, spirit, and hearts of the people for ministry that is effective both inside and outside the church. The role of focusing a church on a particular ministry, activity, or issue is something that is the unique duty of the pastor; as is preparation of the church for the future. Many programs, ministries, and other aspects of the church tend to be cyclical and contain many steps prior to completion. With this in mind, it is understandable that the pastor must be capable and willing to address future issues now to ensure the survival of their particular church.

When other individuals, namely you, are attempting to provide leadership to a church throughout the searching process, it is critical that you understand that a pastor will be found and that what you do now will have to be overcome when the new pastor takes office.

I say overcome for a reason. It is likely that some of the things that are needed as a group while the pastor is out will not be necessary after a pastor is found. Search Committees, Interim Pastors, Some Lay Leadership, and other programs may not survive the natural transition from pastor to pastor.

However, if your plan for the future supersedes that of your new pastor, you rob pastoral leadership and impede his vision for the future of your church.

We must remember that the solution for a particular situation without a pastor is most likely not the same solution with the pastor.

One of the most detrimental activities that can happen before the pastor takes office is that the future will be so constricted by the actions of the church that the pastor’s vision is rendered useless.