In seminary you learn about burn-out in ministry and how "85% of seminary graduates entering the ministry leave within 5 years and 90% of of all pastors will not stay until retirement." Those are pretty astounding statistics! So one of the main thrusts of my seminary education was to insist that ministers make sure they take plenty of "me" time away from their church. I have separate issues with that approach which I will deal with in another entry.
But I realized something while I was sick and an awareness of it can only be helpful in the fight to stay alive in ministry. The pastor is not the Messiah!
As I laid there on the couch, going mad because I was missing programs and unable to be a part of the ministry of the church I finally realized, "This church has been here for hundreds of years before you and will continue you to be here long after you are gone (provided this doesn't happen). You are not their Messiah."
I think often times the problems that occur for pastors and for churches arise from a false understanding of the role of the pastor. The pastor is not the Messiah; their job is not to save the church from low attendance or financial difficulties or "stuck in the rut" programs and definitely not to save them from their sins. These are all things that only God can do. Now he can do them through the minister, but it is still God at work. So what does the pastor do?
Three Stories, One Theme
At my ordination ceremony, Pastor Peter Nenadov* preached my ordination sermon. In that sermon he said something that I have clung to during times of anxiety thus far in my ministry experience. He said "Nathan, you have nothing to prove, only something to proclaim." Many times I have reminded myself that I "have nothing to prove but something to proclaim."
The Rev. Kevin Neal moderated my first session meeting, in which I was really only an observer. In his devotions he read from 1st Timothy 4.11-16. He reminded the session, and myself, that my role was to preach and teach the gospel and to do so with boldness, despite my youth. The kerygmatic theme reappears: the pastor proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ--that is the pastor's job.
Finally, at my installation service the Rev. Jefferson Ellis preached a sermon on John 3.1-21 with special focus on verses 14-15. My role, Jefferson stressed again and again, was to point people to the cross. My role was to point people to the one and only one who could save them from their sins.
Maybe seminary education should focus more on what the role of the pastor is instead of focusing on "self-care." If we better understand exactly what it is we are called to do, then pastors are in the position to say "yes" and "no" much more effectively and decisively. So many problems arise for pastors and the church when the pastor says "yes" to far too many things which have nothing to do with the proclamation of Christ. The proclamation then gets watered down, distorted or minimized and their energy goes by the wayside.
Pastoral theology insight #2: The Pastor is not the Messiah. The role of the pastor is to proclaim the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and point people to the true Messiah. The role of the pastor is to teach about Christ and what he has done and not prove oneself. If pastors focus on their role as teacher and preacher more, and churches focused their expectations more on God and less on the pastor, we might be able to lower that turnover rate in ministry to below 50% while simultaneously leading people into a deeper, fuller and more meaningful relationship with the true Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"Acts 2.36 ISV
*I never reference something anyone said or use anyone's name without first obtaining permission from that individual.
3 comments:
Many people in the church, pastors included, are still trying to earn or justify their salvation. As I heard Gordon Robertson say recently, "God doesn't work on the brownie point system." We need to always be checking if we are within God's will instead of meeting the expectations which are either self imposed or of others.
Well said...
morethanair...that is a very good point. And I don't know if I brought it out fully enough in my entry but many times the Messianic drive comes from the pastor itself and is not a byproduct of the congregation. Pastors need to realize just as more, if not even more, that they are not the Messiah.
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