The Spiritual Gift of Pastor Defined
to be responsible for spiritually caring for, protecting, guiding, and feeding a group of believers entrusted to one’s care
Examples of How the Gift of Pastor Doesn’t Mean You’re a Good Administrative Leader
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.
Get this example of different ways the spiritual gift of pastor can be used, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.
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.
I love this description! Serving as a pastor has been the most amazing experience ever for me personally. I am well aware of my strengths and weaknesses, so I watch to see the gifts of my congregation. We work together as a team, and it makes life better for all of us.
Hello, Sabrina. Serving our Lord in any kind of ministry is an awesome privilege but when we serve in accordance with our gifting, it seems to bring an extra lift of joy or excitement to our spirit. Praise God you see the need to function as a team as God designed the Body to do.
Just coming across this in 2023. What would you suggest for a someone who is sure of God’s calling and wants to be as Biblical in his approach as much as possible.
Praise God for your desire to not only follow God’s calling in your life but to do it His way. Perhaps you might start with some of the basics of life in Christ such as His purposes, design, mission, and heart for the Church as described in God’s Word. In addition, be sure to reflect on Scripture that relates to what you sense God wants you to do. Ask Him, by His Spirit, to guide you into understanding the practical implications of these truths. Some passages: Acts 20:28-31, 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:6-9. As you’ll see in those verses, it’s not just about what we do but who we are in Him.