How to Fire Your Pastor
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.
Churches will either fire up their pastor … or they will shortly fire their pastor. Either God’s people will encourage the man of God, or they will discourage him. I enjoy a great freedom to speak on the manner in which a church should receive God’s appointed undershepherd. I taught ministerial students for a period and I have been privileged to address student assemblies. I have on several occasions served as either a field representative or a mentor for students pursuing an advanced pastoral degree. I am a student of church/pastor relationships. Furthermore, in the employment of my gift and calling to be prophetic, I enjoy great freedom in the pulpit.
Blessed is the congregation which encourages the pastor through demonstrating love and a willingness to follow. Blessed is the congregation which has a pastor that can speak with divine authority to build up the people of God. Blessed is the congregation which enjoys the ministry of a man of God who can call the people to follow his example even as he follows the example of Christ. Blessed are the people who labour together in harmony, recognising the presence of Christ the Lord among them.
I am compelled to state that the message today does not arise from frustration with my personal situation – God has graciously provided for me and I am content with His appointment. The message is rather designed to fulfil the ministry God has assigned. It is my responsibility to instruct you in how to build a church to the glory of God. I am responsible to lay a solid foundation, teaching you in all things how to honour God through honouring those whom He chooses to appoint among you. Whether I should long remain in this present charge or whether I should remain for only a short period, I am responsible to instruct you in practical righteousness; and that includes instructing you how to honour God through honouring the man He appoints to shepherd this flock.
The caricature of the world is that preachers are avaricious, greedy and grasping. The world sees preachers as motivated by money and always manoeuvring to protect their own self-interest. Unfortunately, the popular image has sufficient substance to be credible. Had there never been a scandal with the televangelists, there would still be sufficient cause for alarm because of the constant exchange of pulpits as preachers manoeuvre to advance their careers. The sense of call is too frequently obscured by the lure of money, and preachers do fall under the apostolic condemnation which exposes the thinking that godliness is a means to financial gain [1 Timothy 6:5]. I ruefully acknowledge that preachers do often appear to forget the warning the Apostle issued which warns that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil [1 Timothy 6:10]. Yet I cannot help but wonder if churches again practised biblical honour if the reign of contemporary avarice would be as severe as it now is? I am convinced that it is time to return to a biblical foundation for pastor/congregation relationships as taught through the Apostle’s First Letter to Timothy.
Discovering the Pastor Whom God has Appointed – In three particular areas is the church to honour the Pastor: through provision of financial support; through protection against unjust accusation; and through dignifying the office by expecting accountability. Before considering in their turn each of these areas for honouring pastors, I believe it necessary to speak for a brief moment of the basis for honouring the shepherd of the flock.
How does a church find a pastor? What is done to discover the mind of God and to find His servant? Too often today the church focuses on credentials and connections in her attempts to find a servant to occupy the pulpit. For the most of us, this is the way it has always been done and we suppose that this is the way it shall always be done. We assume that our practise has biblical sanction, though we are uncertain where in the Word that sanction is found. We appoint a committee and give it the title of Pulpit Committee, assigning the members the task of seeking out a likely candidate to present to the church.
If some on the Pulpit Committee are familiar with a particular school which trains students for pastoral ministry, they will naturally look to that school to provide a suitable candidate. The recommendations of instructors at that school are vital as we make our decision. Perhaps we will invite the candidate to preach to the church. We may even ask the candidate to visit the church for a few days and ask a few perfunctory questions. If the congregation is small, it frequently acts out of desperation, accepting whomever they can attract. I recall the ego-building explanation of one man who told me why the church had issued a call to me … I was the only one willing to come. Usually small churches are constrained to accept either younger ministers or those nearing retirement because those with a solid reputation and experience are unlikely to want to jeopardise their future by labouring in an area isolated from the mainstream of pastoral recognition.
If those on the Pulpit Committee are less familiar with particular schools, or if they are inclined to look to the denomination with which the congregation is affiliated, they will frequently turn to denominational leadership, asking for help in finding suitable pastoral leadership. While it is hoped that denominational leaders are unbiased, I am chary enough to caution that such individuals are mere mortals. They put their pants on one leg at a time. Unfortunately, each of us brings certain biases to our work and denominational leaders are no different. When asked to recommend candidates for pastoral office, they also have their favourites. Loyalty to the denomination or connections through friends plays a large role in recommendations. This is not altogether a bad thing, but it must be recognised as an area of potential concern.
God can work through such means as appeal to schools and appeal to denominational leadership, but shouldn’t we look first to the Word of God to discover how God has chosen to work in the past? Even if the recommendations do come from an outside source, shouldn’t we insure that biblical requirements are met? Quickly review the two primary areas in which the Word of God speaks of those appointed to pastoral oversight. First Timothy 3:2-6 presents the following characteristics to be sought in a pastor. The overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgement as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
Titus 1:5-9 augments these characteristics. The young missionary is admonished: The reason I left you in Crete was that you might … appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
What I would have you see is that among the characteristics which are listed (some twenty-three in total), every one deals with character. In other words, the church is to know the preacher through association sufficiently long to assess character in these areas. In short, under the ideal situation, the one appointed as teaching elder will have been a member of the congregation for a period sufficient to draw conclusions in these areas including: interaction with outsiders; family management; lifestyle; reaction to pressures; spiritual gifts. There is not one concern about who the pastor knows or about the degree of education. I am not suggesting that education is unimportant, but I am cautioning that first priority should be character, and that character is assessed through observation. This is a congregational responsibility.
Do not leave here thinking that I have said you should ignore exploring schools with a good reputation or that I have said you should not speak with denominational representatives. I did not say that! I am saying that you are responsible to first look among yourselves to see if God has raised up an individual with the gifts and character which will suit that one to pastoral oversight. In support of this view, I remind you that Titus was to appoint [or ordain] elders in every town [Titus 1:5]. Presumably these elders came from the very congregations they were to oversee. This was in keeping with the practise of Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders … in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed [those appointed] to the Lord in whom they had put their trust [Acts 14:23]. Again, the practise was that elders were appointed from those within and known to the congregation.
This was far more than a utilitarian act. The apostolic practise of appointing elders from within the immediate congregation was not a mere matter of necessity. Christ Himself had instituted the practise of appointing those immediately known when He appointed the Twelve to be Apostles [cf. Mark 3:13-19]. Paul and Barnabas were appointed to their task by the Holy Spirit and the church recognised that appointment [Acts 13:1-3]. The churches are responsible to appoint to specific tasks those whom God directs [cf. Acts 6:2-6 and 1 Corinthians 6:4]. All appointive action to missionary service or to specific ministries within the congregation is predicated upon the recognition that Christ appoints to eternal life whom He wills [cf. Acts 13:48]. Christ the Lord appoints those known to Him and in turn the church is to appoint those known to her.
If someone should dissent, saying that God has not raised up a pastor, I only ask, “Have you prayed for Him to do so? Have you asked Him whom He would appoint? Have you specifically requested that He reveal the one in whom He now works?” I wonder if James’ words should not apply here: You do not have, because you do not ask God [James 4:2b]. God does appoint to pastoral office. What are we doing to now see God prepare a pastor for the future of the congregation? What steps are we now taking to assist in preparing that one whom God will appoint?
It should be the goal and constant prayer of every congregation that God will be raising up a future pastor. Those whom God so appoints should be recognised and the congregation should assume responsibility for assisting in their preparation. They can so enter into the equipping of that pastor for future ministry by specifically praying for the man, by investing funds in that one to assist in the solid biblical education, and through providing opportunity to exercise the gifts which Christ has given by His Spirit.
However, we need to return to the text and consider the question of how we should honour the pastor God has given. How may we encourage the pastor? How may we ensure that God’s man is aided in the awesome task of oversight of the congregation?
Set the Pastor Free from Fear of Want – For their oversight, elders (also referred to in the Word of God as pastors and overseers or bishops) are expected to receive a stipend. I realise there are those in this world who do not believe that pastors should receive remuneration from the congregation. It is true that I received not a cent for my labours during the early years of ministry. I laboured, preaching and teaching and organising congregations, without any support. I was happy to perform this service since this was my calling. I do not believe I am the exception, but I find it rather the rule that pastors are pleased for the opportunity to serve without financial support. However, simply because pastors do not receive a stipend does not mean they should not be remunerated.
Clearly Paul did not consider it outrageous that a congregation should support the pastoral ministry. What may be surprising is the thought that those who excel in this ministry of leadership were to be considered worthy of double honour. Especially was this attitude of double honour to be extended to those whose work is preaching and teaching. This raises another issue which is easily confused within this passage. It was the elders of the church who were responsible for oversight of the congregation, but those who exercised oversight were also responsible for the ministry of the Word. The work of oversight and preaching were the work of one and the same individual. It is evident that in the early church those who exercised oversight and those who preached and performed the work of the ministry, were the same individuals. There is no such creature as a lay elder to be discovered in the Word of God. There was no dichotomy between oversight and ministry. This is the sole verse which might even give consolation to such a view.
In the days of the Apostles the main work of the elders was to work at preaching and teaching and to direct the affairs of the church. The honour sought was to be accorded to those who were conscientious and careful to fulfil the ministry which Christ assigned. Underscore in your mind this truth: the elders of the church should receive support from the congregation. Those who labour among you preaching and teaching deserve double honour … twice the support! This is nothing less than a call for recognition of God’s gracious gift to the people and a means by which the people can honour God.
Preaching and teaching are at the heart of congregational ministry. In a sense, these are the most important public ministries of the church, and those who perform the tasks well are to be recognised. Their time is to be recognised and esteemed by the congregation. Indeed, the people of God should encourage the elders whose task is preaching and teaching, both through public statements of gratitude of their labours and through financial rewards. And the Apostle cites two Scripture passages to support his contention that not only were the elders to be rewarded financially but that those labouring within the realm of public ministry were to receive double honour.
First, he cites Deuteronomy 25:4. Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. Oxen were permitted to feed on the very grains they were threshing. The more work they did, the more feed they were permitted to consume. In a sense, your pastor is your ox. Then the principle which is recorded in Leviticus 19:13 and in Deuteronomy 24:15 is cited, though it is possible that the Apostle here refers to the words of Jesus Himself recorded in Matthew 10:10 or in Luke 10:7. Leviticus 19:13 cautions against defrauding or robbing your neighbour. Deuteronomy 24:15 states that you are to pay each day those labouring for you. Jesus teaches that the worker is worth his keep and that the worker deserves his wages. As He dispatched the disciples two-by-two they were instructed to refrain from taking any moneys with them. The disciples were instead to be dependent upon those to whom they were sent. Understand an important principle: though the Apostle reserved the right not to accept support from a congregation [cf. 1 Corinthians 9:15-23 and 1 Thessalonians 2:9], he clearly believed and repeatedly taught that a congregation had no right not to offer support [cf. Galatians 6:6 and 1 Corinthians 9:14].
I have witnessed more than I care to remember congregations who decided to remove the pastor through withholding financial support. Such a move is cowardly. To withhold financial support is not only cowardly, it is to resort to the methods of this dying world and to identify the congregation with the unrighteous mindset of this perishing world. If the congregation is right in their desire to remove the pastor, their methods set them in opposition to the mind of God. If the congregation is opposed to God’s man, they are fighting against God. Though their actions will cause momentary hardship, the man of God will be blessed and the congregation will not prosper.
The underlying principle which calls for generous support finds its roots in the Old Testament where God provides a generous support for those who serve Him. Paul parts the veil to reveal that even common sense would teach that the farmer is responsible to provide for his animals who help provide bread for the body. How much more should the people of God provide for those who break the bread of life for their eternal welfare! Honour for the servant of God is as much their due as it is their reward as God’s labourer. Those who would starve their minister or keep them on short rations by failure to comfortably provide for them will learn that God shall require an accounting of them another day. Set the minister free of want and he will labour for you to the point of exhaustion, for he will have evidence of your tangible love for him.
Set the Pastor Free from Threat of Unjust Accusation – There has been strong opposition to the ministers of Christ since the days when Jesus walked among men. Our Lord Himself warned His disciples of this opposition. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: “No servant is greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfil what is written in their Law: “They hated me without reason” [John 15:18-25].
Paul had already spoken of the need to guard the congregation from the reproach of those ministers who are given to slander [1 Timothy 3:2,7]. He would speak again in a few sentences of the need for the congregation to avoid slander [1 Timothy 6:1]. At any time, within virtually any congregation, accusations against the minister of God are likely to be levelled. The people of God are responsible to separate those accusations which are valid from those which are false.
Permit me to speak pointedly about the issue of gossip and slander for a moment. The Greek word which is frequently translated slander is diavbolo". If the word sounds familiar to you, it is because the word is usually translated devil. Quite literally, to be slanderous, to be a malicious gossip, is to be demonic. In the last days, people will be characterised by a variety of ungodly attributes, including the fact that they will be slanderous … diavboloi [2 Timothy 3:3]. The older women of the congregation are to be taught to be reverent, first avoiding slander or malicious gossip [Titus 2:3]. Likewise, deaconesses, or the wives of deacons, are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious gossips … mh; diabovlou" [1 Timothy 3:11].
If you are prone to gossip, I will hear about it. If you are given to slander and malicious gossip, I will hear about it. Because all such malicious gossip has its roots in the pit of hell, I stand opposed to it. Let me say clearly that when you come to me, saying, “Some people are saying … ”, you are guilty of carrying malicious gossip. If you are unwilling to identify these gossips, keep quiet. Alternatively, if you will be a friend to those complaining, speak to them, inviting them to take their concerns to the one they are speaking against. If they are unwilling to do so, it is evidence that they are gossips.
When I hear about your gossip, I will oppose both you and your demonic activity. If you do not cease from your gossip, I will correct you for the sake of Christ and for the sake of His church. If you are one who gossips – stop it! If someone tries to speak to you in a malicious way concerning this church or concerning any member of this church, you are responsible to stop them by refusing to listen to their slander. As those redeemed by the Lord Christ, you are responsible to refuse to receive the dirt and slop which the gossips wishes to pour into your ears. People, we must put an end to any such devilish activity among us. If you do not, I will take measures to put an end to all such activity.
If there is a problem requiring that the church deal with the pastor, insure that there is an accusation, not some uncertain report. A charge must not be accepted against the minister of God unless there are at least two individuals willing to specify the charge. The accused servant of God must be given opportunity to face his accusers. This principle is rooted in Old Testament law. In Deuteronomy 19:15-21 we are provided the foundations for dealing with an accusation. One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offence he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Jesus ratified the Old Testament principle when He taught that one or two others are to accompany an individual who seeking to be reconciled to a brother is unsuccessful in private attempts [Matthew 18:16]. Likewise, when confronted by the Jewish leaders He reminded them of the Old Testament teaching that the testimony of two men is valid [John 8:17]. Likewise, Paul, in his second Corinthian letter cites the Deuteronomy passage to warn that he will speak openly to confront the wicked leadership within the church [see 2 Corinthians 13:1].
Paul emphasises this venerable principle which requires at least two witnesses in part because a pastor is particularly vulnerable. A pastor conducts his ministry publicly and is thus certain at some point to insult or anger some sitting within the congregation. Just as his ministry is public, so he cannot be present at every private conversation as people discuss his character and calling. Let me say that when you have “roast pastor” with your family or your friends because you do not like his message or his ministry, the servant of God cannot of necessity be present to defend himself. You, however, are destroying him through destroying respect for the office and through exalting your own opinion above the ministry which God has assigned that man. When you defame the pastor through gossip and through slander, you attack the reputation of the man of God. The church must rally behind the pastor, defending both God’s appointment and God’s gift. There is to be no casual or deliberate assault allowed against the minister of God.
Let me say that one way to avoid painful situations which may involve discipline of elders is to take care about who is ordained to holy office in the first place. Paul, in verse twenty-two, counsels a judicious reluctance in the laying on of hands. The words which follow and which speak of shar[ing] in the sins of others no doubt refer to the consequence of hasty ordinations. Those who participate in premature ordination of an errant elder share some of the blame for the negative consequences to their church. Timothy was to keep himself free from sin. One cannot deal with sin in the life of another if his own life is not pure.
Verses twenty-four and twenty-five continue the instruction initiated in verse twenty-two. All people head toward judgement, carrying either their sins or their good works. For some, their sins or their good works go before, being obvious to all observers. For others, their sins or good works trail behind, hidden from view and becoming known only after they have passed beyond this life. By these words, Paul is emphasising the difficulty inherent in choosing qualified candidates for ordination. Hasty, superficial assessments, whether positive or negative, are sometimes inaccurate and lead to the enlistment or unqualified men or to overlooking fine qualities which are less obvious. With time, however, a man’s true colours will emerge to the astute observer.
If you will encourage the pastor, if you will ensure that he serves you with all the strength that God gives, you will protect him from unjust accusation. You will stop slander and gossip before it starts. Though a congregational responsibility, the leaders of the church must take the initiative to signal that such action will not be tolerated. Substantiate any complaints against the pastor by insisting on multiple witnesses. Protect the pastor by refusing any charge deemed frivolous; but rather permit only those charges which point to moral turpitude, ethical failure or doctrinal deviation. Carefully investigate those charges, refusing to dignify mere gossip through giving it serious consideration. If as a people of God you so protect the pastor you will find that he will always labour for you and willingly spend himself for your benefit.
Dignify the Pastoral Office through expecting Accountability – Do not place the pastor on a pedestal; he is not infallible. Though he is to be cared for financially and though he is to be protected from false accusations, he must be held accountable. You dignify the man when you hold him accountable for his life and teaching. This is taught in the twentieth verse of the text, where the principle of accountability is presented as Paul teaches: those who sin are to be rebuked publicly. Though I must deal with the issue of the pastor who sins, I will first address the broader issue of pastoral accountability.
In a very real sense the pastor gives a continual accounting to the congregation. Each time the pastor stands to preach, he gives an accounting to the congregation. Each time the pastor makes a visit or ministers to a member of the congregation, he is giving an account of his ministry. The Apostle could state to the Corinthian saints, as each pastor will ultimately claim before the congregation over which God has appointed him: do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts [2 Corinthians 3:1-3].
The membership should hold the man of God accountable for his ministry and for his labour. If he is not investing time alone with God, that will be evident in the conduct of his ministry. The people can assist in building up the minister of Christ through inquiring of his walk with the Lord, through asking of this quiet time alone with God, through insuring that he has time to spend with Christ in the school of prayer. The people of God will be in position to observe whether he discharges all the duties of his ministry [2 Timothy 4:5].
More particularly, the accountability within the text speaks of the response of the congregation to pastoral failure. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that others may take warning. Public sin calls for public response. Indeed, because his ministry is public, the sin of the pastor will likely be public. If there is moral malignancy, it is likely known to the public and requires the church to demonstrate her purity through public acknowledgement of the sin. If there is ethical deficiency, it is likely a matter of open knowledge and requires that the church show herself innocent through public exposure. If there is doctrinal aberration, the unfaithful teaching will be an open secret and the congregation must affirm the truth through public rebuke.
The leadership of the church is to address the sin through public rebuke of the pastor. There must be no effort to protect the errant sinner, for to do so is to demonstrate that those charged with the duty of public rebuke love ease more than they love purity. To fail to confront the wayward man of God is to demonstrate disrespect for the office. Obviously, the public rebuke is to name the sin, identify the sinner and remind the people of the godly response to the sin. By this means the church will demonstrate that she desires purity and that she honours the Saviour through seeking that cleanness of heart.
I observe that those who sin are to be rebuked publicly so that the others may take warning. The membership of the congregation, and more particularly the elders of the church, will take warning from the action of the assembly. Quite literally, the elders who witness the action of the congregation will have a sense of fear or dread [fovbon e[cwsin]. Fear of the discipline of God, in this case administered through the congregation, is healthy for the child of God, especially if he is in a place of leadership within the assembly.
The principle of public rebuke is rooted in the Old Testament which warns repeatedly that the people will hear of this and be afraid [e.g. Deuteronomy 17:13; 19:20]. Repeatedly does God state that through public exposure of sin will all Israel hear and be afraid [Deuteronomy 13:6-11; 21:18-21]. The minister so rebuked for moral indiscretion, for ethical malpractice, or for departure from sound doctrinal, is discredited as a man of God and his ministry is essentially revoked. Failure to adhere to the biblical injunction ensures that we do disservice to the pastoral office through treating the pastor as different from the remainder of the congregation. The pastor is to be accountable to the church.
There is a balance here. Protect the pastor from want and from unjust assault, but do not accord him special license. If you will do this, the man of God will labour for you with all the energy which Christ gives. If you will do this, the servant of Christ will invest himself in you as a people, building you and seeking to see Christ reproduced in you. You will benefit as the pastor is fired up to serve with freedom before the Lord. Should you fail to care for the elder of the congregation through obeying these injunctions, you demonstrate that you have failed to understand the grace of God shown in providing His servant and you delay the will of God among you.