Type of Doctrine: Secondary
"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory."
-1 Peter 5:1-4 ESV
Why Does It Matter?
What are pastors supposed to do? Pastors spend their time in wildly different ways. Some subtle differences may be attributed to gifting, personality, and God-given wiring. But other times, it is clear that there are different convictions and values at stake. In fact, sometimes the differences are so significant that they must be thought of as different models of pastoral ministry. (These models of pastoral ministry will be covered below.)
This subject is typically considered a secondary issue. Usually, pastors and church members who share a model of pastoral ministry attend the same church. However, certain differences can be thought of as tertiary. There may be slight differences among pastors in the same church.
What Is It?
What is the job description for those who lead in the local church? Some traditions may refer to them as pastors (mostly Protestants). Others may refer to them as a priest or father (mostly Catholic and Orthodox Christians).
Various models of pastoral ministry have emerged throughout church history. The ancient vision of pastoral ministry is the pastor-theologian who cares for souls and teaches the Bible and theology. (See Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson, The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015] for more on this ancient vision of pastoral ministry.)
However, as time has progressed other models have popped up. As the church developed an elaborate sacramental theology, the leader of the church morphed into the idea of a priest who is ordained and administers the sacraments.
Next, as the counseling movement emerged, many pastors adopted counseling in a therapeutic sense. Often, however, pastors practice biblical counseling. They usually do not counsel in the same elaborate or detailed manner as trained professionals. However, many do feel pressure to counsel as often and as well as a therapist.
Eventually culture (particularly American culture) became obsessed with celebrities. Some churches, perhaps unknowingly, have adopted that value as well. Many churches became personality-driven.
Then, many churches began adopting business practices to help create systems, organizational structure, and church growth. Thus, they adopted a CEO, visionary, and entrepreneurial approach to church leadership. (Of course, this is a very simple, broad overview of a complex 2,000 year story! Also, sometimes you may see a combination of these models.)
These may not cover every single model of pastoral ministry, but they are the most common models I have seen. And each model will dramatically affect how a church leader spends time. Consider these brief thoughts:
Pastor-theologians will spend time studying the Bible, theology, and caring for their people who need them.
Priests will spend their time preparing and administering the sacraments.
The therapist pastor will spend time counseling.
The celebrity / personality-driven churches will often spend a lot of time emphasizing a certain person in worship services, on signage, on websites, at events, etc. It can also become evident when another person must preach or lead. (I once attended a church that was significantly personality-driven. When it was discovered during the worship service that the celebrity pastor was not preaching that week, many people left mid-service.)
Those with the CEO / Entrepreneur / Visionary model often spend their time on vision, vision-casting, strategies, events, meetings, and growing the church.
However, it is common for pastors to experience other pressures. Sometimes pastors also feel pressure to become political commentators, great managers (of staff and volunteers), powerful evangelists, community transformationists, Bible experts, and financial managers. This is on top of all of the other expectations, such as: having a spiritually vibrant devotional life, great marriage, great parenting, and frequent hospitality (having people over to their home).
Needless to say, there is a lot of pressure and confusion regarding pastoral ministry. In The Pastor Theologian, Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson reflect on this identity crisis for pastors,
Pastors don't know who they are or what they are supposed to be. Perhaps no profession in the modern world suffers from a greater lack of clarity as to the basic requirements of the job. This reveals what is nothing less than a crisis of identity, which surely contributes to the high levels of burn-out among pastors--and the sometimes insane attempts to conceal this burnout with various forms of self-medication, from booze to pornography to complete emotional disengagement and resignation. (9)What does the Bible say about pastoral ministry? Here are a few key Scriptures:
[Hebrews 13:7 ESV] 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
[1 Peter 5:1-3 ESV] 1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
[1 Timothy 5:17 ESV] 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
[Acts 20:28-30 ESV] 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
[1 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV] 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
[James 3:1 ESV] 1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
[James 5:13-14 ESV] 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Here are the five most common models of pastoral ministry.
Models of Pastor | Description |
Pastor-Theologian (i.e., Shepherd-Teacher) | The pastor shepherds people (watching over their souls) and teaches the Bible and theology. |
Priest | The pastor is the ordained clergy who administers the sacraments. |
Therapist/Counselor | The pastor is primarily a counselor who seeks to diagnose and help people like a therapist. |
Celebrity / Personality-Driven | The pastor is a famous, fashionable celebrity and/or flamboyant personality which draws people to the church. |
CEO / Entrepreneur / Visionary | The pastor is the visionary leader, administrator, event-manager, and organizational strategist who seeks to market and grow the church. |
Application
Regardless of the model which is adopted, we all must pursue the non-negotiable character attributes for church leaders found in 1 Timothy 3. My personal preference is to recover the ancient vision of the pastor-theologian. So, perhaps, it is fitting that my application would be more Bible study for pastors, more Bible teaching from pastors, and more shepherding the sheep!
Where Can I Learn More?
Bibliography:
Hiestand, Gerald, and Todd Wilson. The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015.
Laniak, Timothy S. Shepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the Bible. In New Studies in Biblical Theology. Series editor D. A. Carson. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2006.
Piper, John. Brothers, We are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry. Nashville, TN: B&H, 2002.
Piper, John, and D. A. Carson. The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry. Edited by Owen Strachan and David Mathis. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.
Prime, Derek, and Alistair Begg. On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work. Chicago, IL: Moody, 2004.
Senkbeil, Harold L. The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019.
Wilson, Jared C. Gospel-Driven Ministry: An Introduction to the Calling and Work of a Pastor. Grand Rapids, IL: Zondervan, 2021