With the Spiritual Gift of Pastor
to be responsible for spiritually caring for, protecting, guiding, and feeding a group of believers entrusted to one’s care
Servant #1: He directed a ministry. His biggest asset was not in making administrative decisions but in ministering to the staff. Though people would get frustrated with the process of getting from point A to point B, they knew he was there for them and tended to overlook his errors in judgment.
Servant #2: He pastored a church. His biggest asset was not in dealing with the details of programming but in caring for its members. Though people would get frustrated with his lack of excellence or quality, they appreciated his heart and usually would cut him some slack.
Servant #3: He directed the church’s small group ministry. His biggest asset was not in coordinating the various groups but rather in nurturing the small group leaders. Though people would get frustrated with his last minute scheduling and poor planning, they kept him in this position because he knew how to build a team of leaders.
None of these servants had the gift of administration, nor a personality that lent itself to good organizational skills, but they did have the spiritual gift of pastor. Consequently, under their leadership, things were often left undone, done poorly, or at the last moment. Their focus was on looking after people, not administrative details.
Lessons to be Learned:
People with the spiritual gift of pastor often find themselves in positions of leadership, even when they do not possess other leadership gifts or skills. To minimize the frustration their kind of leadership can bring, they need to surround themselves with other types of leaders to bring some quality and continued growth into the picture.
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Wow! What a beautiful illustration of the “gift”. Unfortunately, most church models today because of their “business” approach, require administrators who are like fortune 500 tycoons for Pastors. When did the church model change from an organism to an organization? Why are profit margins more important than making disciples, nurturing the hurting, reaching the lost, and setting the captives free? Lord help us to major in the majors and minor in the minors. People are more important than profit.
Thanks, Rene’. My primary reaction to what you wrote is a big AMEN!
To be sure there are administrative issues that need to be taken care of in the church. Living organisms do have processes that are built into them to help them best function. When the process, however, becomes the main focus above the ultimate purpose for which the organism was designed, we have a problem.