Pastor? Pastor? Where Did You Go?

This title may be the question we are asking ourselves as we have discussed church leadership in thelast few blog postings. Interestingly, this universally-used word for church leadership—”pastor” (Gk., poimen)—is used only one time in the New Testament as a noun (Ephesians 4:11), and there it is among a list, NOT OF AUTHORITATIVE OFFICES, BUT OF INFLUENTIAL GIFTS–gifts that are the men themselves, called by Jesus Christ and given by Him to His church. 

There they serve a specific function in the body of Christ, either locally or in the church at large—”to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). Whenever the word poimen appears in conjunction with the OFFICE of church leadership, it is used exclusively as a verb, describing one of the activities of that office! 

Then what is the “pastor” of Ephesians 4:11, 12? He is a gifted man with a call on his life by God, to primarily EQUIP THE CHURCH TO THEN, THEMSELVES, DO THE MINISTRY! He is himself a gift, given by God to church members, to prepare them for ministry! A pastor in the local church may not be ready to hold the office of elder (He may not as yet be biblically qualified). Indeed, he may never serve as an elder, but he will have a ministry in the church regardless because his pastor-gift naturally functions, spontaneously and unconsciously (NSU)! He can not help but pastor or care for people! 

This is a beautiful demonstration of the difference between gift and office. The gift of “pastor” flows from this man, completely NSU. His ministry is completely INFLUENTIAL, not AUTHORITATIVE. The elder, on the other hand, because of his maturity and qualifications, carries the AUTHORITY of his office, and the church is to submit to his leadership, although he may not be a gifted pastor (Hebrews 13:17)!. 

Hopefully, some of the elders ARE gifted pastors as well, because they are commissioned to “do the work of a pastor,” but that is not a qualification for the office of elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). This elder-rule is characteristic of presbyterian church government.

Does the episcopal model of one-man leadership express itself in biblical church government? Structurally or governmentally, it does not. All authoritative decisions are made CORPORATELY by the elders on the local level. There are no New Testament examples of one-man, local church government. Authority in the church never resides in one man. 

However, there is one-man leadership as a function of influential ministry rather than authoritative government—an extremely important distinction. It is crucial to differentiate between OFFICE (which carries authority) and GIFT (which results in ministry that is not based on authority, but influence). 

IMAGINE A CHURCH with a governing council of elders that includes a full range of mature men—gifted teachers, pastors, administrators, evangelists, mercy-extenders, prophets, etc.—each man recognizing his own strengths and the strengths of his brothers. As the church faces the daily problems of church life, these gifted men submit to the leadership of the man in the group, NSU, with the gift that addresses each particular situation. What a church that would be!

For example, when sound doctrine is expounded, the elder who is a teacher is called upon. If he is particularly gifted, and the church needs him to the degree that he must spend inordinate time in preparation, he is recompensed financially for his labors (1 Timothy 5:17). 

When the sheep are hurting and need to be comforted and cared for, the elders look to the man among them who is a pastor for direction as to what they should do. The elder who is a prophet (or visionary) gives the church its vision or overall direction. When the church needs to be organized and run efficiently the administrator steps forward. 

In each instance the other elders willingly submit to the leadership of the elder with the gift that is needed, making corporate, authoritative decisions based on that leadership. No elder thinks he must control the situation, trying to lead in every area of ministry. This spreads the responsibility for the leadership of the church on to shoulders designed by God to carry each particular load. When a man is naturally functioning in his gift, the ministry is effortless, because he is doing what God created and equipped him to do! Financial remuneration is not a factor unless time demands make it so. 

 Eventually, when the whole church is operating in this manner, they have become as “little children who always believe Daddy,” and who “walk in the light” together as to their sins. The Bible says they, will: 

“…(A)ll come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children (who don’t just ‘;rust Daddy’ and thus are), tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:13-16). 

Here, Paul’s specific application of this principle that teaches us how we need each other (that Christianity is not an individual sport but a team game) is addressed to the church as a whole. However, the principle applies just as well to each local leadership team in each church. No man has all the gifts necessary to equip the saints “for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12).

Obviously this area of gifts and ministry is not an exact science—of necessity there will be overlap as men function together—-but this pattern provides a track on which the elders can run as the Holy Spirit energizes the church.

Much confusion exists today in the church because of ignorance or misunderstanding of this distinction between OFFICE VS. GIFT and AUTHORITY VS. INFLUENCE.  As a result, men are attempting to minister in areas where God did not equip them to do so. When we understand these principles and begin to apply them, the church becomes an UNSTOPPABLE FORCE as we attack the Gates of Hell!