The Role of a Christian Pastor
I have heard that a pastor's job is to help people prepare for death. While there may be some truth to that it not only seems a bit morbid but also a bit simplistic. Just what then is a pastor's job?
Most people know that we teach and preach God's Word. For sure that is number one. To do this part of the job well one not only has to spend a considerable amount of time studying and learning God's Word, but also needs to know that make up the congergation. The more I know about the audience, the easier it will be to apply God's Word to their situations.
That brings me to the number two part of the job: knowing your people. This is most easily accomlished by spending time with them. Unfortunately that is not always so easy to do. Sometimes their schedules are full and they really just don't have time for you. Other times, they have misconceptions about the role of Pastor and assume that they shouldn't spend time with you because you have more important things to do.
Of course, to truly know your congregation you need to know the world they live and work in. Therefore, another important aspect of knowing your people is keeping up with current events and the media. Perhaps it isn't obvious, but a pastor needs to help his congregation process those events in the light of their Christian faith. That can't be done unless the pastor himself is aware of and wrestling with the events.
While there are undoubtedly other aspects of a pastor's role, I believe these to be the most important, for when a pastor is able to balance the need for both God's Word and God's poeple the result is that they are not only prepared for death but they are also prepared for life.
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
What about you? What do you see as the role of a pastor?
Most people know that we teach and preach God's Word. For sure that is number one. To do this part of the job well one not only has to spend a considerable amount of time studying and learning God's Word, but also needs to know that make up the congergation. The more I know about the audience, the easier it will be to apply God's Word to their situations.
That brings me to the number two part of the job: knowing your people. This is most easily accomlished by spending time with them. Unfortunately that is not always so easy to do. Sometimes their schedules are full and they really just don't have time for you. Other times, they have misconceptions about the role of Pastor and assume that they shouldn't spend time with you because you have more important things to do.
Of course, to truly know your congregation you need to know the world they live and work in. Therefore, another important aspect of knowing your people is keeping up with current events and the media. Perhaps it isn't obvious, but a pastor needs to help his congregation process those events in the light of their Christian faith. That can't be done unless the pastor himself is aware of and wrestling with the events.
While there are undoubtedly other aspects of a pastor's role, I believe these to be the most important, for when a pastor is able to balance the need for both God's Word and God's poeple the result is that they are not only prepared for death but they are also prepared for life.
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
What about you? What do you see as the role of a pastor?
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