Exploring the Nature of Pastoral Ministry

My father has worked in a manufacturing plant for over thirty years. This home-town factory employs a large percentage of the community by producing a variety of highly-specified medical equipment, which is sold to clinical facilities all over the world. My dad works in the mold department. No, not “mold” like the bacteria that grows up the walls of your grandmother’s basement. He creates precise 3-D molds for specific products that large quantities of hot plastic will be poured into and then harden to form things like pharmaceutical containers, syringes, pumps, and a plethora of other medical paraphernalia. Much of the success of this organization relies on the accuracy of the mold department.

As a child (and an adult), I could never really understand what my dad did for work. Even in the rare opportunity I had to enter the mold shop, it felt like a loud, smelly mysterious world, leaving me with more questions than answers. Many believers approach the topic of pastoral ministry with a similar kind of mystery and wonder. Even the short glimpses into the pastor’s study fail to provide an accurate portrait of the job function. Thankfully, for this line of work, we can turn to the Bible for answers. The Scriptures provide poignant exhortations that communicate the true nature of pastoral ministry with accuracy and clarity. Pastoral ministry is the calling of God on certain men to oversee and care for Jesus’ church by protecting her purity, providing a worthy example of character, and proclaiming the coming Kingdom expectantly. Like the obscurity of my father’s job, it does not matter all that much what people think, but that the work is done accurately. The health of the entire organization rests on this.

A pastor’s study with open Bible and notes on a wooden desk

Caring for God's Church

The primary text that I draw from to formulate my philosophy of ministry is found in Acts 20:28-35. Paul is preparing to leave for Jerusalem and calls for an urgent farewell meeting with the Ephesian elders. The apostle pours his heart out to these faithful pastors, imploring them to prioritize certain aspects of their ministry. “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) These men were uniquely chosen and appointed by the Holy Spirit and they have one job: care for the church of God. This is the simplest job description for pastoral ministry. Who cares? Pastors care. How do they care? How do they carry out this ministry of caring for the flock? Paul gives their instructions.

Protecting Her Purity

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert…” (Acts 20:29-31a)

The first thing on Paul’s radar is the threat of wolves, which is a reference to false teachers. There will be winds of doctrine seeking to carry the disciples away (Ephesians 4:14). Pastors must be on the alert against the twisted things that come from wolves, rather than from Christ, who is the Truth. God intends to protect the purity of His church by men who preach sound doctrine. They are to guard against falsehood by proclaiming truth (2 Timothy 4:2) and rebuking those who contradict it (Titus 1:9). The New Testament is full of warnings against false doctrine, and pastors should be on the frontlines of these twisted things, combatting each notion with the sword of Truth. A core tenant of any Biblical philosophy of the pastoral office must include this ministry of guardianship: preaching truth, rebuking lies, and protecting the purity of the flock at all costs. Following the ministry of Christ Himself, pastors are to wash His bride in the Word, preparing her to be spotless and blameless on the Day of His return (Ephesians 5:27).

This means preaching Biblical sermons every week. This means calling out sin and false teaching directly when it creeps into the flock. This means pursuing personal discipleship that addresses deep, moral issues within the lives of those they seek to care for. This means significant time studying the ancient doctrines of God so that they may be able to defend it with precision. This means ceaseless prayer for the church, that God might deliver His people from evil. Pastors care for God’s church by protecting the flock.

Providing an Example

Secondly, pastors are to be men of worthy of imitation. The Scriptures highlight the character of the pastor even above his duties. There are two explicit passages discussing the qualifications for pastors (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9) and both emphasize godliness over technical abilities. Perhaps the best summary phrase is from 1 Timothy 3:2: overseers must be “above reproach.” They must be self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, not arrogant or quick-tempered… They are given a good reputation, even by those outside the church. They only qualification related to ability is the ability to teach, or as Titus says, “to give instruction in sound doctrine,” (Titus 1:9) which relates to the previous ministry of guardianship.

So how does a pastor care for the church of God? He lives a life worthy of such a privileged position. He is a humble model of the Christian life. He is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he has found godliness to be of value in every way (1 Timothy 4:8), and it shows. Multiple elders living their lives as “examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3) gives the church a standard of living to aspire to. That’s why Paul says, “if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” (1 Timothy 3:1). It is good for church members to aspire to be like their pastors, and for some of them to become pastors themselves.

This is a lifestyle that parallels their message. They preach truth and rebuke wolves while simultaneously running from sin in their own lives. They preach boldly in the pulpit, and then they love their own families with patience and gentleness, managing their own households well, that they might care for God’s church accordingly. They refuse to fall into the condemnation of the devil (1 Timothy 3:6). They are mere men who have taken seriously the call to “be holy as I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16).

A pastor’s hands holding a Bible during a counseling session

Proclaiming the Kingdom

Finally, there is an eschatological aspect to a healthy philosophy of pastoral ministry. Pastors are dying men proclaim prophetic wonders to other dying men. They care for the church by eagerly presenting their flock with the glory that awaits. There are two primary passages that pick up on this idea. First, the apostle Peter addresses elders in a season of suffering (1 Peter 5:1-4). He exhorts them as a fellow elder to suffer well, knowing they will soon partake in the glory that is yet to be revealed. They exercise their authority with humility and eagerness, knowing that when the chief Shepherd appears, they will receive the “unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4). At least part of the pastor’s present motivation in ministry is founded on the promises of Heaven. The chief Shepherd is coming for His flock. Pastors are temporary caretakers. Their job is to prepare the sheep for Christ’s return. If they do well, they should expect an unfading crown of glory for themselves. What an honor!

Additionally, Hebrews 13 gives a brief exhortation not to shepherds, but to the sheep. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17) Pastors care for the church with an unfading crown in their scope. However, they also work with fear and trembling, knowing they will soon give an account for every soul under their care. The chief Shepherd will come to His overseers with both a crown as well as a final exam. What a sobering thought for all those caring for Christ’s church today! Whether they oversee 10 members or 100 members, accounting for souls is a daunting task they have been assigned. With such weight upon their shoulders, sheep are encouraged to let them do this with joy, and not with groaning. They have enough to worry about!

The main idea here is that pastors ought to be leaders who care for God’s church with the joy of Heaven on their lips. They love the Sunday gathering, gladly encouraging the saints week in and week out as the Day draws near (Hebrews 10:23). Pastoral ministry is not so much about assisting sheep with their earthly troubles, but helping them yearn for Heaven’s glory, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, where they will soon join Him to reign for all eternity (2 Timothy 2:11-12, Revelation 5:10). Christ is making all things new. Pastors herald this message until faith is turned to sight.

Pleasing the Master

Protecting, providing, and proclaiming; this is the essence of pastoral ministry. It was a strange sight the first time I entered my dad’s mold shop. The massive machines, the unsavory odor, the echo of grinding gears resounding through the corridors of the long hall… But over the years, I have gained great respect for this line of work. I have seen my father give his life to this small-town factory, producing accurate parts week after week with precision and expertise. I might not understand all the details, but I know he is good at what he does. So it is with pastoring. To the unbeliever, we may be considered the “scum of the world, the refuse of all things,” like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:13. However, we are not concerned what the world thinks of us. Our aim is to please the Master who bought us with His own blood and appointed us to the great and joyful responsibility of caring for His church.