A Church and Their Pastor Part Two: Making Leadership a Joy
/The author of Hebrews, writing in the first century, reminds Christians that they have great power to affect their pastor’s experience of leading: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you” (Hebrews 3:17).
My previous post explained that a pastor (called an “elder” in the New Testament) is someone who fulfills a leadership role in the church according to their own gifts and personality, and whose main purpose is to equip and release others to continue Christ’s mission in the world. That is the “work” of a pastor. So how can members of a church ensure that this work is a joy, and not a burden?
This post will explore six ways people in a church can do this, taken from the Bible and my own experience as a pastor. And while the truths are universal, I will apply them to our current experience as a church welcoming a new pastor in the midst of the COVID lockdown.
This post will explore ways you can help make your pastor’s work a joy, with particular application to our church as we welcome our new pastor, Simon Flint, this Sunday. Along the way, I will often refer to an analogy I introduced in my last post: the church as an orchestra, playing music composed by Jesus, recorded in the Bible, with the pastor serving as the conductor, and the world around us the audience.
While there are certainly others, here are five ways you can make your pastor’s work a joy:
1. (Re)Commit to the Church’s Mission
As explained in the previous post, a pastor needs a committed group of Jesus-followers (a church) like a conductor needs an orchestra. Our church, like many, has not been at the top of our game lately when it comes to participation and commitment level. After some difficult times in 2019, we were just getting “reoriented” to our mission and vision when COVID hit us and knocked the wind out of our sails. In the midst of that we found out that both of our pastors (myself and Peter) were transitioning out of their roles. And so, while a small group of leaders have led the search for a new pastor and kept the church running for the last year, most of us have drifted away to some extent. But as Simon comes in as our new pastor, we need to come back together as a church. He needs each one of us to decide whether we’re “in,” ready to reengage in our mission, or if we want to stay on vacation. As a “conductor,” he needs to know whether we’re part of the orchestra or the audience, so he knows what kind of pieces he can choose for us.
If you’re undecided and waiting to see what happens before you dive back in, that may be okay—just make sure you’re honest about it and actively seeking God’s direction about what he has for you. There are times of rest and phases of life that mean less commitment and involvement is possible. There are also ways to be involved in the church without taking on an official role—just by using your gifts in the context of relationships. But it’s important to understand that as a follower of Jesus, he has a place for you on stage, to be a part of his music.
2. Offer Your Gifts so the Pastor Can Use His
In addition to a general commitment to the mission of the church, it is also essential that we discern the specific part God has called us to play. Every Christian is given gifts they can contribute to the body—some up front, some behind the scenes, some miraculous, some mundane. But every gift and every person is as essential to the church as a hand or foot or eye or nose is to the body (which conveys an even greater level of importance than an instrument in an orchestra!). It is each person’s responsibility to discover the gifts God has given them, and offer them to the church and the pastor to be used as part of the larger mission. How do we do this? Prayer, conversation, reading, experimentation, and careful observation of how God works through us. It doesn’t happen overnight, but if we make an effort clarity comes over time.
Two major issues can develop when people don’t use their God-given gifts in a church. The first is that there are “holes” in the orchestra that cause the music to suffer. It’s not that the music can’t be played without certain instruments, it’s just that it won’t sound the way it was intended by the composer. Something will be missing, and the performance/mission will be incomplete. This leads to the other issue, which is that when there is something missing, it is human nature to try to fill it in. And because the conductor is familiar with many instruments and has lots of experience, they are often the ones who fill in—whether or not it is an instrument they know well or enjoy. Sooner or later, they end up covering for so many missing members that they can no longer give attention to their own gifts, or to their primary role as the conductor.
In the same way, pastors, who often have experience in many areas of ministry and church life, end up doing all kinds of things that are outside of their own gifts or skillset—simply because there is a need, and they can do an adequate job. This ends up robbing them of their joy and causing their work to become a heavy burden—even if it is not immediately evident. While all pastors have to do some things that are not joy-giving and not according to their primary gifts, the church needs to make sure that the majority of their work is in keeping with who they are and how God has designed them. Of course, the primary way that people in a church do this is by offering their own gifts so the pastor doesn’t have all those “holes” to fill in! But it also helps to know your pastor and how they are wired, to help them avoid this burden. As you get to know Simon, ask him what his gifts are, and what drains or energizes him in ministry.
3. Trust God by Trusting the Pastor
The passage we started with implies that the primary way we can make our leaders’ work a joy is by having confidence in them and submitting to their authority. These are words that are tough for us as Canadians. We have an ingrained suspicion of leaders, and words like “confidence” and “submission” are outside of our comfort zone. But imagine an orchestra that refused to follow the conductor’s instructions? The conductor spends considerable time choosing a piece of music to play—but then each instrumentalist decides to improvise their own tune to their own beat. What would be the point? God gives leaders to churches in order to unify them and help them work together to play his music/accomplish his mission. But for pastors to be effective, we must trust and follow their lead. This doesn’t mean we follow them brainlessly, like zombie cult members—but it also means we don’t resist the direction they are taking us if it is in keeping with the music of the Kingdom.
But how do we trust a new pastor—someone we don’t know, and who doesn’t know us? Shouldn’t we adopt a “wait and see” attitude and decide in a couple of years if we have enough confidence to submit to their authority? Actually, the clue to this answer is found in the passage itself, which says to submit to leaders “because they watch over you as those who must give an account.” In other words, pastors have their own overseer: they answer to Jesus, the head of the body of Christ. He’s the true leader of the church, and has seen fit to send his church (us) this pastor to lead us at this time. So our trust in Simon’s leadership is rooted in our trust that Jesus has brought him to us and will use him to lead us. Again, this doesn’t mean unquestioning subservience, but it means that we can have much greater confidence in his leadership than we would otherwise. We trust God by trusting that Simon is the right person for the job, and letting him lead us into the future. In this way we can make his work a joy and not a burden—by looking to him as our God-given leader.
4. Honour the Pastor Through Appreciation and Accountability
“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.” (1 Timothy 5:17-20).
Honor is not something we think about very often in our society. It involves showing respect and appreciation—not taking someone for granted. Paul is concerned that people in churches recognize the important and difficult role their elders/pastors play—so much so that he calls for “double-honor” to be paid to them. The most obvious implication in the passage is that churches do this by paying them well for the work they do. Taking care of a pastor’s financial needs so they can devote themselves to the work of the kingdom is a natural responsibility of those he or she serves. But this should be undertaken not with the attitude of “how little can you survive on,” but “how can we show you honour in the generous way we pay you.” I’m not talking about supporting a televangelist lifestyle, but I do think that things like cost of living, typical income of people in the church, retirement, and vacations should be accounted for—not just the basics of food and housing. There’s probably something wrong if the pastor is the highest- or lowest- paid member of the congregation, and so great wisdom is called for.
Of course, today this admonition is largely for those on church boards and finance teams who have the sensitive responsibility of deciding pastoral remuneration. So how can the rest of the congregation show “double honour” to their pastor, apart from financial considerations? There are a number of ways, but I want to consider two: appreciation and accountability. I use these words to mean two types of feedback—positive and negative, both of which can be ways of honouring a pastor and making their work a joy, not a burden.
We all need people to express appreciation to us—it’s part of our God-given need for community and relationships. But there are reasons why this is particularly important to pastors. Ministry is a profession/career that carries with it very little respect (and in fact, a whole lot of baggage) in today’s culture, and so pastors are constantly being bombarded with the message that their job is not valued, not important—it is, in fact, a waste of life and potential. To make matters worse, it can be very difficult to see any tangible, meaningful changes as a result of pastoral work. When I painted houses, I could clearly see at the end of the day the difference I had made—and it was almost always a satisfying feeling. As a pastor, not only is it difficult to see what kind of difference I make in one day, it’s often hard to see much progress in a year or over several years! This means that most pastors wage a constant war against discouragement, wondering if what they are doing matters.
When you share stories of how God is using that pastor in your life, you give your pastor the same feeling of satisfaction I had after a day of painting. That we make a difference—a real difference—in the lives of people we serve is the fuel that keeps us going and helps us fight discouragement. “I liked that sermon” is nice to hear, but it’s doesn’t give the kind of lasting satisfaction as “I’ve been putting that sermon into practice, and God has changed my life through it.” In the same way, while tokens of appreciation like gifts or baked good are great, even better are the questions and deep conversations that demonstrate you’re taking your faith seriously and doing the work to learn and grow.
Of course, feedback can’t always be positive. Sometimes a pastor needs to hear constructive criticism—things they may not have noticed, that could be dangerous issues if left unaddressed. No pastor has all the gifts or all the knowledge they need, and so they must rely on others for feedback. Sometimes (as in the passage above) a pastor even needs to be confronted for sinful behaviour. This is an essential aspect of being part of the body of Christ, and something we are all called to do for each other as an expression of love.
Negative feedback can be just complaining rooted in perfectionism, and that has the power to make a pastor’s job a burden like few other things can. But when offered in love, gentleness, and respect, critique can communicate to the pastor that what they do and who they are is important to—important enough for the person to have a tough conversation with them. And while negative feedback almost always triggers an immediate defensive reaction, once that has passed, it really can be received as an expression of love and honour.
So, how do you know the difference between helpful, loving accountability/critique and the kind of critical grumbling that makes pastors want to find another job—any other job? Always bring the situation to God first, asking him for his help, and for wisdom on what to do. It can be helpful to consider the following questions:
Is it in the pastor’s power to make a difference in this situation?
Am I asking the pastor to do something outside of their gifts?
Am I making comparisons to other pastors or churches?
Am I personally willing to be part of the solution, or am I dumping it in their lap?
What exactly do I hope will happen as a result of this conversation?
Have I given adequate support and positive feedback to earn the right to critique?
Would it show greater love and honour to the pastor to approach them, or to let it go?
I have often had people approach me to complain about something the church lacks. But not only is it not something I could actually “fix”, the person making the complaint was not willing to do anything to help fix it themselves. The icing on the cake was usually a comparison to another church that was doing better—often a larger church with multiple staff members. If that’s you, take the message of our opening passage to heart—it does no one any good if the pastor’s work is a burden.
5. Give the Pastor Grace and Space to be Human
The final way that people in a church can make their pastor’s work a joy is by recognizing that they are human beings like everyone else, and adjusting their expectations accordingly. This may come to a surprise to some who have been taught that clergy have a special calling that rests on them like a magical “power-up” that gives them invincibility against typical temptations and weaknesses. But the reality is that when a normal human being is ordained or hired as a pastor, there is no instantaneous zap of the Holy Spirit that makes them somehow fundamentally different from others.
This means that, if you give them a safe place and allow them to take off the “clergy mask,” you will find that your pastor is often just as frustrated, selfish, petty, insecure, and struggling as you are. They lose their temper, they wrestle with sinful thoughts, they experience depression and other mental health issues, they have unproductive days and weeks, and they sometimes wish they could quit their job. The list goes on—if you feel it in your life and job, chances are your pastor does too (a friend of mine used to say, “pastors are just like everyone else—only more so!”).
The New Testament instruction to “bear with one another and forgive one another” (Colossians 3:13) applies to your relationship with your pastor too. That’s because if you relate to a pastor long enough, you will have opportunity to forgive them—they will let you down, just like any human leader will. That’s why the trust and confidence mentioned above is not given to them based on their own perfection, but based on God’s call and his trustworthiness.
Another aspect of allowing them to be human is giving them space to rest and replenish, times when they can take off the “role” and just be themselves. Most pastors have one day every week they take “off” from the church as a Sabbath. If you’re a part of their congregation you need to know what day that is, and avoid contacting them unless there is a dire emergency. If you find yourself starting a message with, “I know it’s your day off, but…” you probably want to delete it and wait. The temptation for pastors who love their congregation is to leave their phone on and still be available “just in case.” So if it’s their day off, don’t rely on them to decide whether to read your text or not—just don’t text them at all. Let them disconnect completely, even if you know you’re not one of “those people” in the church who are a “burden” to them. Of course, the same principles apply to vacation.
It is also important to know and respect their communication preferences. Smart phones are an incredible tool for ministry. Pastors can now carry the whole congregation in their pocket or purse wherever they go, whatever they are doing. While being connected is essential for pastoral work, constant availability has some negative implications as well. This is particularly because, while the church is the pastor’s “day job,” it is part of the personal life and evening/weekend routine for most people. So a pastor can work all day, then come home and respond to volunteers all evening. As an introvert, I found it exhausting to always be available and connected, which is why I asked people to email me regarding “church stuff” rather than text.
It’s easy to turn off notifications for email and ignore it when I’m “off work” or focusing on other things. But texting (as well as FB messenger and some others) presents a challenge. No matter what I am doing—preparing a sermon, sitting with someone in crisis, spending time with my family, grocery shopping, sleeping—that text comes in and interrupts me. Even if I don’t look at it, it sits in my brain, eating at me until I know who it is from and what they need. If I don’t reply right away, it becomes a source of stress to me, to try not to forget. Text are much harder to ignore—which is one of the reasons people use them!
Of course, the easy solution would have been to turn my phone off when I’m off work. But as most of us know, it could come in pretty handy when I needed to text questions home from the grocery store, or call my mom, or look at Google maps when I was lost. I was too cheap to get a second phone for those things, so I risked having that one text come in and ruin my day. Fortunately, most people respected my request to email. As Simon comes in, we all need to learn and respect his communications preferences, making sure we don’t expect him to always be “on.” Of course, in the event of a real, time-sensitive emergency, most pastors would be offended if you did NOT contact them on their day off or while they’re on vacation—and I expect its the same with him.
Wrapping Up
The statistics on pastoral burnout and those leaving ministry are quite sobering. I think one of the reasons is that people in churches don’t adequately understand a) that they have a responsibility to make their leaders’ work a joy, and not a burden or b) how they can do this. I’m sure the five areas I’ve explored are incomplete, but if churches could start there, I think pastors in general would have an entirely different experience. As welcome a new pastor, may we recommit to the church, offer our gifts so he is free to use his, trust his leadership, honour him through appreciation and accountability—and give him the grace and space he needs, as a fellow human being.
