Role of a Pastor.

The folks that I pastor know that I am available anytime they need me, day or night. Many times I have gotten up in the middle of the night, driven to town and worked through a difficult time over a cup of coffee at the 24 hour truck stop. (50% or more of our congregation are recovering addicts, so 2 a.m. phone calls are not all that uncommon) They have no doubts about my availability if I'm needed.

They also know that they never have to worry about me showing up at their house unannounced. I don't go where I'm not invited. Maybe my guys are different, but not having to worry about me showing up at a bad time is something they seem to appreciate.

 

I thought this was more of a innercity problem and one you rural folks didn't deal with much. I know your call and encourage you to hang in there, it'll all pay off after while.

 

Cix,

Why do you want the pastor to visit you? Do you have a specific need? Are you wanting to gripe and complain about something? Do you not have a life? Have you invited him over? What is the deal?

Joseph Botwinick

 

The details of the role of a pastor is not spelled out in the Bible. The only thing we find in the Bible about functions of a pastor is the definition of the word itself (shepherd, tends a flock [literally and figuratively]). A pastor is one of the gifts that Jesus has given to the church (Ephesians 4:11).
The Bible describes two offices of a church--bishop and deacon. "Bishop" always means "overseer" and "deacon" always means "attendant," "waiter," "minister," or "servant." A deacon is simply a person who follows the bishop's orders. Common sense tells one that if a group has no leader and no followers, it is a mob.

Some things to think about concerning the defined and undefined terms:
1. Pastor and bishop are never the same word but usually each are their own same words.
2. Bishop and decon are the only two positions described as "offices."
3. No where does the Bible say where deacons had any authority in the church (we do see where deacons such as Stephen did many signs and wonders before the people).
4. This does not mean that a bishop and a pastor must always be the same person (most Baptist churches), nor must they never be the same person (most Catholic churches). People are not limited to one job.
5. The Bible is not clear as to how many bishops, deacons, pastors, teachers, etc. should be in a church. Perhaps some churches had one pastor/bishop, several deacons, and several evangelists. Perhaps some churches had one bishop, several pastors, several deacons, and several apostles. Perhaps some churches had several bishops, several pastors, and several deacons. We do not know. The Bible and the Holy Spirit alone guide people with differing opinions to do wonders for the cause of Christ. Where the Bible leaves open, the Holy Spirit fills in the gaps. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible will be too long to read in order to spell out every detail.

 

Deacons in the early church had no authority in the church--they waited on tables--but they went out in the town and preached boldly. Maybe deacons in churches today should do the same.

I don't see the "pastor"-(bishop)-preacher model defined in the Bible. I don't see the assemble together and sit and listen to the same guy every week model defined in the Bible. It seems that anyone who served in the church preached the word, mostly outside the confines of the assembly.

 

Pastoral Visitation

I like to visit the members and frequent attenders of my congregation at least once a year. I learn more about them and the state of their walk with the Lord that way. We (pastors) are charged with knowing the state of our flock. The larger the congregation the less likely that will be accomplished. There are dangers in as well as benefits of home visitation. In particular, I do not like to visit single women or women alone, no matter how old they may be. I always am uncomfortable doing so. If possible I take a deacon or elder with me.

Does your pastor visit any? Perhaps you are way down on the list and he just hasn't got around to you. I tend to visit and interact more with those that have problems than those that appear to be doing well. The squeeky wheel gets greased. Even though I do visit and even though I like to visit, I also try to spread visitation out to others in the church. You happiness should not be dependent on your pastor.

I agree with those that suggest you ask your pastor to dinner — or coffee, or desert, or .... and have something significant to talk about. Pastors are not called to be social butterflies.

 

We're not innercity, but we're probably not nearly as rural as you might think. 42k people in an 8 mile ring around our church, and that demographic is 2 years old now. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

I'll just agree with what's been said already.

It's not the job of the pastor to visit the thoroughly churched. As a pastor, I'd love to be invited over to a parishioner's house for lunch. Take that first step, oh and have some other families there too which will lessen the awkwardness of just yours and his...and let him know this ain't an ambush.

 

Too many pastors let themselves be controlled by the one who holds the purse and not the one who owns the universe.

 

Too many pastors are called when not truly needed.

For years I have done the same thing for students. When I was pastoring, a funeral needed to be done. The time was set without consulting me first. Then I was asked to do the funeral. My daughter was a competitor at a regional event in which she was the winner at the previous competition. The event was at the same time as the funeral. I turned down the funeral and asked someone else to do the funeral. Some were not very happy about that. My daughter was glad I was there. My wife took time off of work to be there as well. My daughter has not forgotten my love for her and the trouble some made for me in that church. Her memories of that church are not positive. We had good experiences at a previous church. There was a time when she enjoyed being a pastor's daughter but not after that church though.

When I was not a Christian I had a friend from high school whose dad was a pastor. When we started talking about going to college. He decided to go to a Baptist college. I asked him if he was going to be a pastor. I will never forget his response, "No, my dad is never home." His dad was a local Baptist pastor.

All pastors children should know their mother and father are in love and that the family comes first. Pastors will often pastor more than one church and his children will only have one father and mother.

If a pastor does not take care of his own home then he has no business pastoring. If he cannot take care of his own home then he cannot set an example of how to care for a family. If he cannot care for his family how can he care for the church of God. Pastoring a church is much easier when your family is behind you. Pastoring is not just an office, but a role and responsibility which starts and is perfected in the home.

 

Nailed the lid shut there, brother. Thanks for the edifying post.

 

This is the most important thing we could ever learn. God called us to be husbands/fathers long before he ever called us to be pastors. The worst thing that could ever happen to a man is for him to spend his life winning his community only to lose his family.

About 4 years ago my youngest daughter came to me one night wanting to do something (wasn't major - play ping pong or something like that) I was busy working on Sunday's sermon and declined the invitation to go play. I didn't know until the next day (when my wife pointed out to me what a jerk I was) that she spent the rest of the night in her room crying. It wasn't about playing a game, it was about needing "daddy time".

My daughter and I had a long conversation about how most of us guys are dumb jerks who don't read signals from the special females in our lives very well at all. We came up with a system where she now has a code word. If I'm busy and she really needs "daddy time", she uses the code word and no matter what I'm doing, I stop immediately and we spend some time together.

I've made a vow to my family that I will always be there for them. They know that the ministry that God has called me to is very important, and that the nature of the ministry means that it will not always be convenient. But they also know that when the chips start falling and I have to make a choice, I'm going to choose them every time. Assuming I'm not having a dumb moment and misreading the signals

 

Me, too, GuitarPreacher! Me too!!! There's not a church meeting on this earth I'd trade for time with my family!!

 

I told my congregation that I did not want to come to their homes unexpectedly. I realize that many do not have the time nor do they appreciate unexpected visits. I told them that if they wanted me to come visit, just invite me. There were no problems with visitation.

 

Agreed!:thumbs:

Joseph Botwinick

 

Of course I do because of the grace and mercy of God. Sola Deo Gloria.

Joseph Botwinick

 

You mentioned that it is the Holy Spirit who softens the heart. I agree. Howeverdid you consider Acts 20, Mt . 28 and Romans 10. You have contradicted what scripture teaches and what Jesus and Paul taught. God uses people as his instruemnts under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the deliverer of the message, nor the overseer. What you have stated is a major practical problem in the church today. That is the reason why the majority of churches in America are dead or dying. Too many leave the work up to the Holy Spirit, when God commanded the believers to make disciples and be overseers in Acts 20 and Mt. 28. I prefer to believe Romans 10, Acts 20, and Mt. 28.

Show me one place in scripture where anyone comes to Christ and spiritual maturity without a person and just the Holy Spirit alone. If that could have happened then Jesus was a liar and and not needed on earth.