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!