Feature
Seeking Pastoral
Identity
by John E. Johnson
(Continued from page 6)
To Be a King
Though a pastor is not called to reign over his church, he is called to three essential characteristics that were true of Israel's rulers.
To be a leader. As a learning church needs a teacher, and a feeding church needs a pastor, so a working church needs a leader.(59) Every church must have trusted leadership. While pastors differ in their leadership styles, they must unite people toward a common goal, call people to decisions, and lovingly lead people forward (cf. Jos. 24:14-24). If one is not capable of such leadership, he should not be in such a position. As Oden notes, “They are not just pastors to individuals, but to a community that hungers for a wise and useful ordering of itself.”(60) Terms like “elder” and “overseer” underscore the importance of leadership as part of pastoral identity.
Wise pastors will not override the judgment of their people by the force of their own prerogatives. Instead, wise pastors recognize that authority ultimately rests with God, and that the way up is down. The godly Old Testament king realized the same truth. Pastors are not to lead in coercive ways, but must boldly guide, based on the Lord's will and an empathetic sense of what the congregation needs. As overseers, pastors are to govern their congregations and to influence opinion.
To impart a vision. Pastors must be sensitive to the vision God is imparting. Churches look to their pastors to cast the vision. Part of pastoral identity is wrapped up in climbing the mountain, looking out over the horizon, charting the course, and collecting the people along the way.(61) Like the sons of Issachar, pastors must understand the times and know what their people must do (1 Ch. 12:32).
To steward the resources. A congregation consists of redeemed people, uniquely gifted, to do some work of service (Eph. 4:11-16). God has given the church pastors, so that saints might be equipped and ministry accomplished.(62) Just as a king was to be a steward of Israel's resources and called the people to action, so pastors must do the same with the churches they are called to guide. This task balances the priestly side of the pastoral role for without this engaging of members in ministry, one can assume too much ministry.(63)
To lead in battle. Just as a king was called on to lead a nation into battle, so pastors are to take the lead in spiritual conflicts. This means articulating the principles and procedures of spiritual warfare, whether that be wisely expounding Eph. 6:10-17 or putting their lives on the line for their church.
These tasks are not easy to carry out. Just as kings faced resistance to leadership, so will pastors. Congregations, at least by words, want a pastor to be a leader. Yet, when he exercises leadership, it may not always be well received. While they need to be leaders, giving vision, they will face congregations that all too often are committed to the status quo. Wise is the pastor who realizes he is called to lead and yet who works to gain the trust of his people and works hard to engage others in participating in an imparted vision.
CONCLUSION
The Old Testament offices provide a solid framework from which to measure pastoral identity and function. They give legitimacy to a pastor's commitment to prepare and preach the Word, a pastor's responsibility to pray and intercede for his people, a pastor's need to serve as a counselor to his people, and a pastor's task to administer and lead a church.
Though pastors' gifts, temperament, and training will cause them to gravitate toward one identity more than the others, these four offices teach them to maintain their ministry in the church in balance. By maintaining these four areas of responsibility, a church leader functions properly as a “pastor,” or shepherd, thereby identifying himself closely with the Lord Jesus who called Himself “the good shepherd” (Jn. 10:11, 14).
John E. Johnson, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He also serves as teaching pastor at Village Baptist Church in Beaverton, OR.
