THE PASTORAL CHURCH (PT. 2)
In last month's blog, I introduced the topic of the "Pastoral Church" as the only paradigm of church leadership that most people today are familiar with. This month, I want to dig a bit deeper into that topic ...
PASTOR
] [
CONGREGATION
In the "Pastoral Church" model, there is a congregation ... made up of "laymen". The dictionary defines "laymen" as: those without knowledge or training.
WHAT A TERRIBLE WORD TO BE USED TO DESCRIBE THE SAINTS OF GOD!
"Laymen" is not a biblical word! God never intended for The Church to be made-up of a group of people without knowledge or training. On the contrary, His Word makes it clear that ALL SAINTS are to be fully trained & equipped to do the work of ministry. (Eph. 4:12)
Yet, most churches today are, indeed, filled with laymen! Their knowledge of God is limited to a few Bible stories and some proof-texts. Expectations are fairly simple ... attend, give money, listen to teachings & preaching, live good moral lives, and MAYBE tell someone about Jesus if it's not too uncomfortable or inconvenient. They are not taught to PROCLAIM The Gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out demons!
Then there is the pastor. The position of "pastor" in most churches today has very little in common with the biblical office of pastor. The job of modern-day pastors does not involve working alongside the 5-fold leaders to equip the saints to do the work of ministry. On the contrary, he/she IS "THE minister". Whatever ministry is to be done, it is the job of the pastor to do it! The pastor is expected to take care of the "laymen", who are viewed as a "flock" ... of needy sheep! It is the job of the pastor to feed, comfort, assist and protect them.
This is the paradigm that most Christians know today, and it's difficult for them to imagine their church operating any other way. It is assumed as the norm, and has been increasingly so over the past 1,750+ years!
In the church we know, the pastor "runs the church". He/she is the administrator; the spiritual CEO who oversees and performs the ministry of the church. He visits the sick, prays for people, distributes benevolence to those in need, counsels people, consoles the grieving, oversees all teaching and does the preaching on Sunday mornings. The pastor carries out all ordinances of the church ... communion, baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc. At fellowships, he prays over the crowd, blesses the food, and designates who goes first in the food line. It's all his job; he does it all!
The pastor is the one who knows the mysteries of God. If you need to know something about God, you ask the pastor. It is his/her job to know those things ... he/she has the "inside track" to all things God!
In the church we've all grown-up in, "Pastor" is the highest office. When people visit a church, the first thing they often ask is "Who is the pastor?". That identifies who is "in charge" ... the one who does the ministry, and the one to whom we are to look to get our needs met.
While there are always some good things that can come out of a pastoral model, it was never God's intended model of leading His Church. The pastoral model is, indeed, a VERY OLD wineskin, created out of the ways of men, and absolutely incapable of holding and stewarding the fullness of God's presence & power. To experience RESURRECTION POWER, The Church must become a New Wineskin!
And this is EXACTLY why He is calling for change in this hour ...
PASTOR
] [
CONGREGATION
In the "Pastoral Church" model, there is a congregation ... made up of "laymen". The dictionary defines "laymen" as: those without knowledge or training.
WHAT A TERRIBLE WORD TO BE USED TO DESCRIBE THE SAINTS OF GOD!
"Laymen" is not a biblical word! God never intended for The Church to be made-up of a group of people without knowledge or training. On the contrary, His Word makes it clear that ALL SAINTS are to be fully trained & equipped to do the work of ministry. (Eph. 4:12)
Yet, most churches today are, indeed, filled with laymen! Their knowledge of God is limited to a few Bible stories and some proof-texts. Expectations are fairly simple ... attend, give money, listen to teachings & preaching, live good moral lives, and MAYBE tell someone about Jesus if it's not too uncomfortable or inconvenient. They are not taught to PROCLAIM The Gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out demons!
Then there is the pastor. The position of "pastor" in most churches today has very little in common with the biblical office of pastor. The job of modern-day pastors does not involve working alongside the 5-fold leaders to equip the saints to do the work of ministry. On the contrary, he/she IS "THE minister". Whatever ministry is to be done, it is the job of the pastor to do it! The pastor is expected to take care of the "laymen", who are viewed as a "flock" ... of needy sheep! It is the job of the pastor to feed, comfort, assist and protect them.
This is the paradigm that most Christians know today, and it's difficult for them to imagine their church operating any other way. It is assumed as the norm, and has been increasingly so over the past 1,750+ years!
In the church we know, the pastor "runs the church". He/she is the administrator; the spiritual CEO who oversees and performs the ministry of the church. He visits the sick, prays for people, distributes benevolence to those in need, counsels people, consoles the grieving, oversees all teaching and does the preaching on Sunday mornings. The pastor carries out all ordinances of the church ... communion, baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc. At fellowships, he prays over the crowd, blesses the food, and designates who goes first in the food line. It's all his job; he does it all!
The pastor is the one who knows the mysteries of God. If you need to know something about God, you ask the pastor. It is his/her job to know those things ... he/she has the "inside track" to all things God!
In the church we've all grown-up in, "Pastor" is the highest office. When people visit a church, the first thing they often ask is "Who is the pastor?". That identifies who is "in charge" ... the one who does the ministry, and the one to whom we are to look to get our needs met.
While there are always some good things that can come out of a pastoral model, it was never God's intended model of leading His Church. The pastoral model is, indeed, a VERY OLD wineskin, created out of the ways of men, and absolutely incapable of holding and stewarding the fullness of God's presence & power. To experience RESURRECTION POWER, The Church must become a New Wineskin!
And this is EXACTLY why He is calling for change in this hour ...
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