UNITY

The first and most crucial factor in answering these questions begins with an understanding of just exactly who the church belongs to. The church does not belong to the pastor or to the leadership or the congregation. The church belongs to Christ, the Head of His church. The word “church” means literally the “assembly of the called-out ones.” These called-out ones gather together to worship their Head. They are committed to following His lead in all they do, to obeying Him, and to presenting an accurate picture of Him to a watching world. The church is the body of Christ. He died for His body and His body lives for Him. Until and unless the leadership is committed to this biblical model and the congregation comes to grips with this truth, no pastor can be truly successful. So the first step in surviving the loss of a pastor under difficult circumstances is a regrouping of the leadership to define the church. Additionally, there must be unanimity among the leadership in their understanding of and commitment to the church, both the local church and the Church universal. Much church dissention comes from a lack of uniformity in the beliefs and commitments of its leaders and, in fact, many pastors leave for just this reason. So before beginning to seek another pastor, the church leadership must agree on the Headship of Christ. Second, the leadership must understand and be committed to the sovereignty of God in all things, but most especially at the time of the departure of the pastor. Nothing that happened was a surprise to God; either He caused the pastor to leave or He allowed it to accomplish His divine will and purposes. Either way, He has assured us that all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), and the church can take comfort in the knowledge that they are being led by the sovereign God who is involved in every detail of the life and ministry of the church, as well as that of the pastor. A clear and grounded confidence in God’s sovereign control over the church will lead the people to say with Paul, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14). Third, the departure of a pastor is a good time to reevaluate and/or redefine the mission and work of the church. There are obvious mandates from Scripture—teaching and preaching the Word, worshipping and glorifying God, and fulfilling the commission to spread the Gospel—but how exactly are these things prioritized in the church and what kind of pastor is needed to help achieve the church’s goals? If the church is known for its emphasis on missionary outreach, for example, a pastor with the same vision should be sought. If the church feels especially called to minister to children, to the poor, to the elderly, or to local immigrant populations, the potential pastor should have a heart for those ministries. Church splits have occurred where the pastor and the leadership have different visions of their calling, and that can be avoided up front by a clear and well thought out vision of the role of the church in the community and the world. Finally, before any attempt is made to replace a pastor, the leadership should analyze objectively why he left. If the problems that caused his untimely departure still exist, avoiding a painful repetition will be nearly impossible. For example, if there is a problem of sin in the congregation that was never effectively dealt with, that must be resolved before calling another man to the church. The apostle Paul dealt with an extraordinarily sinful and stiff-necked group of people in the Corinthian church which was continually divided and wracked with conflict. They were selfish, disorderly and worldly. Sin stained the Lord’s Table. They fought with each other, sued each other, and took sexual advantage of each other, and they were proud. To ask a new pastor to come innocently into a church whose members exhibit such behavior is terribly unfair and only invites another painful pastoral departure. It is up to the church leadership to institute Matthew 18 discipline, preferably before the new pastor arrives or soon thereafter, as long as he is fully aware of the situation. Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013).

How much authority should a pastor have over a church? The church is called “the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2), “God’s heritage” (1 Peter 5:3), and “the church of God” (Acts 20:28). Jesus is “the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23) and “the chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). The church rightly belongs to Christ, and He is the authority over it (Matthew 16:18). This is just as true of the local church as of the universal Body of Christ. God’s blueprint for building His church includes using men in the office of pastor. The pastor is first an elder, and along with the other elders, the pastor is responsible to do the following: 1) Oversee the church (1 Timothy 3:1). The primary meaning of the word bishop is “overseer.” The general oversight of the ministry and operation of the church is the responsibility of the pastor and the other elders. This would include the handling of finances within the church (Acts 11:30). 2) Rule over the church (1 Timothy 5:17). The word translated “rule” literally means “to stand before.” The idea is to lead or to attend to, with an emphasis on being a diligent caretaker. This would include the responsibility to exercise church discipline and reprove those who err from the faith (Matthew 18:15–17; 1 Corinthians 5:11–13). 3) Feed the church (1 Peter 5:3). Literally, the word pastor means “shepherd.” The pastor has a duty to “feed the flock” with God’s Word and to lead them in the proper way. 4) Guard the doctrine of the church (Titus 1:9). The teaching of the apostles was to be committed to “faithful men” who would teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2). Preserving the integrity of the gospel is one of the pastor’s highest callings. Some pastors consider the title overseer as a command to have their hand in everything. Whether it’s running the sound system or selecting songs for Sunday or picking out drapes for the nursery, some pastors feel it their duty to be involved in every decision. Not only is this exhausting for the pastor, who finds himself in every committee meeting, it’s also hampering certain others from using their gifts in the church. A pastor can oversee and delegate at the same time. In addition, the biblical model of a plurality of elders, along with deacons appointed to assist the pastor and elders, precludes the pastor from being a “one-man show.” The command to “rule” the church is sometimes taken to extremes as well. A pastor’s official responsibility is to govern the church along with the elders, and his focus should be primarily spiritual: matters such as edifying believers and equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12) are a pastor’s main concern. We have heard of pastors who seem more dictatorial than shepherd-like, requiring those under their authority to seek their permission before making an investment, going on vacation, etc. Such men, it seems to us, simply desire control and are not fit to rule the church of God (see 3 John 9–10). First Peter 5:3 contains a wonderful description of a balanced pastoral ministry: “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.” The pastor’s authority is not something to be “lorded over” the church; rather, a pastor is to be an example of truth, love, and godliness for God’s flock to follow. (See also 1 Timothy 4:12.) A pastor is “the steward of God” (Titus 1:7), and he is answerable to God for his leadership in the church. Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013).