What does it mean to be a “pastor”? How would the average church member define the word? Who are pastors? What are pastors suppose to be doing? Why are pastors doing what pastors do? What, if any, are the requirements for such a task? While all of these may be valid questions, the real question we should ask is, “Where do we get the answers?” Does our culture, our history, our tradition, our denominations, etc. provide the answers? We must admit there are so many definitions for a pastor even within a local congregation. Different people have different expectations, requirements, and even demands of a pastor. Where do these come from? Where should they come from?

Around four years ago is when we first begin feeling God placing the desire in our hearts to leave our 26 years of missionary of service in the Middle East to return to the US to pastor a church. From our times of itineration, visiting more than 300 American churches in 22 different states, the decline of the US church had become increasingly obvious. I don’t necessarily mean numerically, although that was clearly taking place. We noticed the increasingly lack of discipleship resulting in an easily observable biblical illiteracy, which in turn was stripping the church of its passion for Christ and its understanding of Scripture. The unavoidable consequence was congregations far more interested in being entertained than equipped, but also the widening gap between the Bible’s expectations of pastors and those within the church.

Now of course it can be argued that the church has long misunderstood the definition, role, and responsibilities of a pastor, but then it must also be questioned why that is the case. Why has the church’s leadership, including pastors, permitted the “sheep” to define the role of the “shepherd”? Why has the church, from the pulpit to the pew, refused to go to the Scriptures to define the purpose and task of one of the most vital positions in any local congregation?

While a blog is no place to try to examine all the various misconceptions of pastoral responsibilities, nor to expound on all the biblical requirements of such a calling, I will do my best to provide a snapshot of who the Bible says a pastor is, and what God expects of those who care for His church. I also pray and believe that if the whole church, leaders and laity alike, would be willing to embrace the biblical definition and requirements of a pastor, the decline in the church in America could be reversed, or at least slowed.

Biblical pastors are people who are called, formed, and sent by God. They are not chosen because of who they are, but who God is. Like all of God’s children they are flawed and continue to fight with indwelling sin and worldly temptations. They are not, and cannot be, perfect. The Holy Spirit is at work in them seeking to sanctify them to make them more like Christ. Pastors, like all Christians, must participate with the Spirit in this work through the practicing of the spiritual disciplines, or “means of grace”, God has ordained (prayer, fasting, study, devotion, solitude, etc.). As they abide in Christ, the fruit of the Spirit ripens within them which enables them to be examples to follow. During this process of “being” with Christ, “doing” for Christ flows from them as they pour what they have received into others.

Biblical pastors are people who stay close to Christ, seek to please Him in every aspect of life, and have a deepening love for God’s will. This does not mean they are failure free. As mentioned before, they are flawed and maintain a struggle with sin and temptation. This is why the continued, unending pursuit of Christ through the disciplines is essential. They must stay in the Word and prayer, fast and worship, seek times of isolation, and wait upon Christ, etc… again, just like every other Christian. God’s will and surrender to it is only found in such ways. Pastors must not only do this for themselves and their families, but for the church that God has given them. This takes extravagant amounts of time, and must be the utmost priority of the pastor. You cannot possibly lead someone to Christ if you are not moving towards Him yourself.

Biblical pastors must be devoted to the feeding of Christ’s sheep, but feeding them with what? Jeremiah 3:15 tells us to be pastors after God’s own heart, they must feed the sheep with “knowledge and understanding”. In order for that to be possible, the pastor must have such knowledge and understanding themselves. Much time in study, much time in preparation is required. This is not to entertain the sheep or to pacify the people, but equip and prepare them. For what? Growth of course! Pastors must grow in Christ, so they in turn can teach others to do the same. As the pastor provides the sheep the nourishment of how to grow in Christ by providing knowledge and understanding of God’s will and God’s ways, the people have what is needed to mature and grow. This “feed” must be a balanced diet, not just one of sweets. Encouragement and correction, promise and warning, must all be served together in order for the sheep to actually mature. Some foods are sweet, some are bitter, but all bring nourishment. The whole people of God require knowledge and understanding of the whole Word of God, not just the parts that won’t offend their delicate palates.

Of course there is far more to being a biblical pastor that can be included here. The pastor needs insight into God’s heart, submission to the authority of Christ, and many other factors. I don’t think the problem is that we don’t have enough information, but that we are not doing anything with the information we have. We cannot complain if our church members don’t understand the biblical expectations of a pastor if we are not willing to abide by the requirements ourselves, and if we are not willing to teach the people what God’s definition of a pastor is as laid out in Scripture.