In this series of blog posts for leaders, I am writing to pastors for the next few posts. I have been pastoring and called “Pastor Ben” since 1998 when I was a student pastor at an Assemblies of God church. Since 2010, when I started the Tree of Life Church, I have planted twelve churches, raised up over twenty pastors, and I have a love for pastors that I believe is supernatural. Nothing gets under my skin more than to see pastors and local churches disrespected, especially by other ministers and ministries.
I woke up this morning realizing that if a nation is to be changed – if our nation is to be changed, it cannot be done by any other people than the pastors. Praying to change the UK is my top prayer project, and I have spent a long time today praying for pastors. Pastoring is not an easy job, it is not a job that engenders the same awe as an apostle, the same sensationalism as a prophet, the same fundraising as an evangelism, or the same respect as a Bible teacher. But it is the most important job in the world.
I believe with all of my heart that the hardest of the fivefold ministry jobs is the pastor. The apostle is concerned with two things: bringing something out of nothing and bringing order to chaos. The first is solved by developing a solid depth in the Word and the Spirit and building great faith, the second is done through wisdom and experience. The prophet is concerned with one thing: what is God saying right now in this situation. This is solved by spending time with the Lord and listening to Him and not other voices. The evangelist has two things: get out there and get people to hear the gospel and get those who have heard able and willing to share it. The teacher is concerned with making the Word accessible to people.
But the pastor has to deal with the most important and most difficult task of all. The pastor has to build the church, which is made up of people, and the pastor has to form, pray for, and love those people. All those people are different, and just when you think you have grasped it, someone does something that makes you think you do not understand people at all.
The Bible is the same every day, so teachers can go to bed and pick up exactly where they left off. During that same night, the people have developed foibles and ideas that mean that what you were doing as a pastor yesterday just won’t work any more.
Just this week, I was about to preach and I realized that my message (a great teaching, just to be honest) might have bruised someone in the church, so I adjusted. This is not me compromising the Word (if you know me, you know I would not do that), this is me taking seriously the command of Jesus to Peter: feed my lambs. A teacher never has to do that, an evangelist only has ten messages and six of them are to the lost (it’s an exaggeration, but not by much!) but the pastor has to be deep in the Word and deep into the needs and heart of the people as well.
When someone betrays an apostle, they leave his ministry and disappear. When someone betrays a teacher, they attack his teaching. When someone betrays a prophet they assault their gifting. When someone betrays an evangelist, they assault their numbers. But when someone betrays a pastor they assault his character. They go straight for the jugular and they have a flock of people ready made to spread gossip and innuendo.
So, the first thing I would say to any pastors is firstly know that you are called. Never just decide I want to be a pastor. You need to know from God, and you need some people who are pastors to affirm that call over your life. There is a grace to be a pastor, and only those Jesus Christ personally chooses to be a pastor have that grace. Pastoring with that grace can be difficult, but pastoring without it will wipe you out.
The word pastor means a shepherd. Jesus is the Great Shepherd, and our task above all is to reflect Jesus as a Shepherd to the people that gather around us. The pastor should always have the heart of a shepherd to people, and the only place they can get that heart is from the Great Shepherd Himself.
An apostle sees people as living stones to put in place, a prophet sees people as spirit beings to connect to the Holy Spirit, a teacher sees people as unrenewed minds needing to feed on the Word, an evangelist sees people as weighed down by bad news and needing the good news. A pastor sees people as sheep who need green grass and still water. As a pastor you must always see people as sheep. That is the only way to stop being cynical or discouraged. You need to see people the way Jesus does. This is a cliche, but it is true: you need the heart of a shepherd to your people.
A pastor also needs to be a very balanced ministry. A prophet can get away with not opening their Bible for a whole church service. A teacher can get away with never flowing in the gifts. But a pastor must be deep in the Word and deep in the Spirit. They must be Word based and Spirit filled, they must be Word led and Spirit led at the same time. More than any other ministry they have to guard their heart. More than any other ministry they have to lead people. More than any other ministry they have to remain faithful.
If a teacher falls, or evangelist falls, people are scandalized, but then the pastor just doesn’t invite them back to the church, and the pastor keeps the church steady. If a pastor falls, the church will be devastated, and many Christians will be damaged beyond repair – and who will soothe their pain when it is the pastor that caused it?
If you are called to be a pastor – you should be excited about that fact. Yes, I have explained that it is hard, that it is difficult, that the rewards on this earth are not what they could be, that you will be often unappreciated, often taken for granted, often overlooked for showier ministries. You will be with someone at 2am praying for them, and they will sow a seed to their favourite TV minister in gratitude. You will teach for months on a subject and they will get it when the guest speaker that you invited teaches for 45 minutes on it. You will hear the phrase “only a pastor” and be tempted to even dismiss yourself!
BUT – and this is the the big but of pastoring – you will be a co-labourer with Christ, building the church of Christ with Christ, building a community of love and grace that will support people, reach the lost, transform lives, give to world mission, support the other fivefold ministries, restore marriages, bring beauty from ashes and transform your local community and even your city.
What a task! To actually shepherd a local church under the Great Shepherd, to have responsibility to feed some of the sheep of Jesus Christ, to reflect His heart to His people and gather them and build a community that reflects the very body of Christ on earth. Pastor, you are remarkable!
And if you keep at it long enough, pastoring is the only ministry that becomes generational, and you will marry the children of people you have married, you will release into ministry people you dedicated as babies, and you will see fruit right in front of you.
So, if you are called to be a pastor, if you are a pastor, I am praying for you, that you will walk in your anointing, do everything that God has called you to do, and be a great reflection of the Great Shepherd and build a great people. I am also praying that you will do it with great joy.
Inspiring and Challenging Dreamers 
Thanks for this great reminder about how important pastors are in building the church! Having seen both the hard times and good times in church leadership, I really appreciate how you point out that pastors have a special calling that needs both teaching the Bible and spiritual guidance, and finding the right balance between teaching and caring for people. I love what you said about pastors needing to see church members as sheep who need good grass to eat. Even though pastors often don’t get enough thanks, they’re working alongside Jesus in the super important job of building communities that change people’s lives. Your encouraging words are exactly what’s needed in today’s church world!