Comments on: Practical Thoughts on an Enduring Ministry (Part 2)

By: Ten Tips for an Enduring Ministry at PastorResources Blog - Beta

Ten Tips for an Enduring Ministry at PastorResources Blog - Beta — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 15:56:31 +0000

[...] Read the posts at Pulpit Magazine: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. [...]

By: Steve Stewart

Steve Stewart — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:31:12 +0000

“You are not primarily an event coordinator, a financial analyst, a vision-caster, or even a leader. Your ultimate responsibility is not to innovate or administrate but to disseminate divine truth.”
Amen! The sweeping influence of the seeker sensitive movement has caused a major shift in emphasis among many pastoral leaders today. Many seem to have bought into the idea that pastors are nothing more than corporate leaders and not pastoral care givers and undershepherds. We are called, first of all, to know God personally and maintain a consistent desire for spiritual growth and development, and second, to lead our flock to feast on the green pastures of His Word! Biblical truth is the dire need of the hour, and so many are being fed nothing but ‘feel good faith’ which teaches nothing about the sovereign grace of God!
Thanks for this great advice. Keep up the good work!

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:29:09 +0000

Morris, thanks for your comment. I think you have appropriately analyzed the focus of a lot of instructional leadership material. However, I agree with Chris that many authors may assume we know the “why” of ministry and need assistance with the “how”.

Also, I think its important to note that John MacArthur said “You are not ‘primarily’ an event coordinator, a financial analyst, a vision-caster, or even a leader”. I agree that these things are not the primary responsibility of a pastor; however, in many cases they need to be secondary responsibilities of the pastor or the pastoral staff. Pastors must often wear many hats, and coordinating events and casting vision is often beneficial to the church as an organization. The challenge for Pastors is to delegate or perform these responsibilities while maintaining the primary goal of disseminating divine truth.

Also, I would challenge you to examine that for some pastors, the reference to being “cultural architects” and “creating the future” is not always a smokescreen of pride in themselves (though it may be) but an expression of the wonderful originality and creativity that can be inspired only by our creator God.

Lastly, I feel that John is correct by saying a pastor’s “ultimate responsibility is not to innovate or administrate but to disseminate divine truth”, but should also acknowledge that innovation and administration are sometimes neccessary in order to disseminate divine truth.

Thanks, John, for the wonderful blog and great topic.

Jon
http://www.TheMinistryCafe.com

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:41:43 +0000

“The churches will never be any better than the pastors who lead them, and these points from John illuminate why so many churches are spiritually malnourished because they are being fed “vision” instead of doctrine.”

Amen Morris!

This is refreshing to hear from others.

I’m glad to be reading these points from John.

By: Tom Lawler

Tom Lawler — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:36:37 +0000

From 1970 to 2005 [35 years!], I read the scriptures as a textbook, not saved! While I had incredible orthodoxy, there was no orthopraxy! My dominant characteristic was self-righteousness with heaping doses of contempt for any and all. Clotfelter’s Sinners in the Hands of a Good God was the introduction needed to sovereign Grace. On his page 183, he called for a response to sovereign grace, and I responded! Praise God! I responded! Now I am his and He is mine!
From 2001 until 2005, my father brought me to the Shepherd’s Conference. We both liked my orthodoxy, and it is easy to hide sin from others. When my father died in 2005, I decided to continue my attendance.
Now, when I read [Pastor] I think [husband and father]. When I consider whom to shepherd, I look at my wife of 33 years and our children. Spoiritual life and dynamics within my soul spill out towards them, but they rarely agree with much of what I say! I battle my own flesh, and the entrenched lies of pragmatic churches we have attended.
Christ and the cross, so sovereign, so real, so refreshing!
ToGodBeTheGlory!

By: Frank Emrich

Frank Emrich — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:57:00 +0000

Morris, I agree with you and may I suggest a great book I am reading? It is “Leading The Small Church” by Glenn C.Daman, published by Kregle.

By: Chris Ellis

Chris Ellis — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:52:29 +0000

Morris, I too, have researched a lot of Church planting material. And, you’re correct. Most of the things I have read address the “how” of ministry, which I appreciate. I think that most of these authors assume we know the why. I have read some of the older books on being a Pastor, and those authors address the spiritual needs and responsibilities very well. I am currently a Youth Pastor under an awesome Pastor in a Church where the people are fed. I think so many people go to Church to be entertained now a days.

Really enjoying this thread.

Bro. Chris

By: Seth McBee

Seth McBee — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:45:45 +0000

Point 4: Study to know God, not just to make sermons:

This is definitely the hardest to do if you ask me. Sometimes I sit back and ask,”Do I truly believe and practice what I am about to preach?” If I do not practice I ask for forgiveness and pray that I would be convicted to move closer to God through my own sermon. Being that I believe that the sermon I am about to give is not from my own lips but from the lips of my Lord.

Praise God that He alone does the work and that He continues to work on me.

By: H. Scott Ellison

H. Scott Ellison — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:34:42 +0000

I could not agree with you more. Thank you for the encouragement to be faithful. Check out my thoughts on a current issue in a large Southern Baptist Church in Florida.

By: Morris Brooks

Morris Brooks — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:58:38 +0000

“You are a pastor. You are not primarily a….vision caster, or even a leader. Your ultimate responsibility is not to innovate or administrate but to disseminate divine truth.”

I am at the point that if I hear the term “vision casting” or “vision caster” one more time I am going to get physically ill. It goes right along with those who call themselves cultural architects, those who are “creating” the future. These are nothing but smoke screens for pride, arrogance and ultimately man-centeredness.

God has called me to plant a church and in all of the church planting material I have read the emphasis is on casting the vision, marketing, demographics, etc. The emphasis is on technigue, strategy, all the mechanical parts of the process, just like the emphasis in our American church culture is on the “process” of growing churches and not on the substance of God.

The churches will never be any better than the pastors who lead them, and these points from John illuminate why so many churches are spiritually malnourished because they are being fed “vision” instead of doctrine.