WHAT IS THE ROLE & QUALIFICATIONS OF A PASTOR?

Let's first take a look at the qualifications. Imagine that you are on a church search committee, looking for a new pastor. The classic passage on the qualifications of a leader is found in 1 Tim 3. As you read this passage you will find that the candidate should be: above reproach, not a new convert, self-controlled, have a good reputation in the community, (I guess this means no recent police record and that he pays his bills on time and mows his lawn); not a drunkard (not required to be a non-drinker), and not greedy (his motivation must be to serve, not to get rich).

It is interesting to see what is NOT required of a pastor; He is not required to be of a certain personality type (warm and outgoing versus quiet and reserved). Nor does he have to be a great speaker or administrator. One GIFT that he must have is the ability to TEACH (1 Tim 3:2 and Titus 1:9). Being able to teach and refute false doctrine suggests that he has to have a good understanding of Scripture and the false doctrines that are popular. Now this does not necessarily mean that he has to have formal training with a graduate degree. There are many well trained individuals who have no formal training.

Now let's take a look at his responsibilities. Let's see how they line up with what you expect of your pastor and his job description. 

First, he must protect the sheep from wolves. Acts 20:28- tells us that a pastor must protect the church from wolves (false teachers). If anyone under our care ends up in a cult (as my wife did after years of church-going) or walks away from the faith, we, as leaders will bear some responsibility. 

Do our young people know the basic truths of the Christian faith? Can they defend these beliefs? Do they know how to refute the secular critics? Can they identify the false teachings of the cults?

Two books which I recommend on these subjects are Truth Twisters by Harold Berry and When Skeptics Ask by Norman Geisler.

Minister in Word and Prayer: 

Acts 6:1-4; Focus on ministry of word (PREACHING, TEACHING, COUNSELING) and prayer. Don’t distract him from what is most important for what is simply urgent. The rest of us should be doing the work of the church, keeping the church machinery moving. 

Help Members Identify Their Spiritual Gifts: 

1 Cor 12:7 Each Christian has been given a special gift, to be used to minister in some way. The pastor should not minister TO you, but WITH you. The ordained clergy do not have a corner on ministry. Your pastor is not the only person called to your church, gifted and has a ministry. If a pastor feels so insecure that he can't encourage everyone to be involved in ministry, he is hindering the work of God. Rom 12:6b says, "If a man's gift is prophesying, LET HIM use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, LET HIM serve . . . "

Some pastors may believe that the church revolves around him and that it is HIS ministry, preventing others from being fully utilized. The pastor is NOT the ONLY person called to a church; the ONLY one gifted; the ONLY one led by the Holy Spirit. Some pastors need to "get out of the way"! 

Equip Christians for Ministry and Encourage Them to Minister With Them:

Eph 4:11-12 Pastors are to equip the members of his church for ministry. This means they are to help everyone identify their spiritual gifts, find them outlets for their gifts and provide them with the resources for them to succeed in their ministry. Ministers are not to minister TO us, but WITH us. Pastors should not feel threatened by others who have gifts and training. Rather he should celebrate and encourage them.