Pastor...What Does That Title Mean To You?

Grace and Peace, dear friends,

A few weeks ago, I introduced a man to speak to a group of preachers and other church leaders at an associational meeting. Years ago, my family and I were members of a church in which he was serving as the senior pastor. As I thought about the relationship that was forged between us during that time, I began to think about the rich and varied meaning of the term...pastor. I thought about what it has meant to me to be a pastor, and I thought about various things I've heard from various people trying to put their perceptions into words.

Typically, we seem to informally make a distinction between emphasizing the traits of people in the role of pastor...as in: "He is more a 'pastor' than a 'preacher'." Implying, I suppose, that the "pastor" type places more emphasis and time on ministry visits and relationship building. The "preacher" type places more emphasis on study and working on sermons. Certainly, both traits are vitally important and are biblically emphasized:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12 NASB).

Here are some other expressions that I've seen or heard:

A pastor is someone who carefully provides spiritual nourishment for people. 

A pastor is someone who models God’s love to all people, and calls the church to live lives defined by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

A pastor of a church is someone called by god and others to be a part of a community and to minister with them toward god’s mission in the world. 

A pastor has to be everything to everyone all the time. (ha ha)

Regardless of how well we define the role, there is common agreement that the role of pastor is extremely important to the local church.

When I became a pastor, I was 44 years old and embarking into quite different territory than I could have possibly imagined. I still remember an amazing moment that was so "eye opening" that it is burned into my memory. I was just mingling among the church members and heard Mrs. Billie Faye calling out: "pastor..." and I simply thought she was trying to get her pastors attention...and it hit me...it was me she was calling "pastor!" It was an awesome moment for me to absorb, I was now a man that God and a church had called to be in the role of pastor! To quote the ancient Hebrew..."WOW!" Having held the various pastors in my life in high esteem, and now to be in that same position for others was a notion that I would hold in the greatest sense of humility and fidelity...so help me God.

I once asked on a facebook post: "What is a Director of Missions?" There were numerous replies but there was only one thing that was true of every single reply and that was that the D.O.M. was to be a "pastor to the pastors." I have that role etched into my heart and I want to hold that too, in the greatest sense of humility and fidelity...so help me God. The pastors that I serve associationally, I relate with at the most fundamental levels of the calling of God to be in that amazing role. After all, it's important.

Hey pastor, need a sermon outline? Here is a Question and Answer outline attributed to Dr. John Sullivan. With apologies to Dr. Sullivan for some personalized alterations, here it is:

Title: Is There Anything God Doesn't Know?

Text: Psalm 73:11

> God does not know a sin He does not hate

> God does not know a sinner He does not love

> God does not know a way of forgiveness outside of the Blood of Jesus.

> God does not know a better time to be saved than right now.

Work it out spiritually and search for the Scriptures that will support the points. Then, prayerfully develop the conclusion that will be needed for your audience and let God's Word speak.

Blessings,

Robert Daniel