chadwickivester

When pastors of all sizes of churches were asked to list up to five ministries in their order of importance, the largest group (24 percent) identified evangelism/outreach as the most important. The next six ministries identified as most important were Sunday School/Bible study/small groups (17 percent); worship/specific worship services (13 percent); preaching/proclamation/preaching (10 percent); children/youth (9 percent); discipleship/spiritual growth/mentoring/counseling (7 percent); and prayer/prayer ministry/prayer groups (5 percent). (Taken from LifeWay’s ™ online study, titled “Critical Ministries and Their Leadership”)

This LifeWay™ survey reveals that the current SBC culture has successfully redefined the role of the pastor. According to the survey, 90 percent of the pastors are no longer shepherds, but goat-herders have missed the mark on their most vital priority.

According to the Bible, what is a Pastor?

In the New Testament, the Greek noun ποιμήν (poimēn) and verb ποιμαινω (poimaino) are usually translated shepherd or to shepherd. The two words are used a total of 29 times in the New Testament, most frequently referring to Jesus. For example, Jesus called himself the “Good Shepherd” in John 10:11. The same words are used in familiar Christmas story (Luke 2) referring to literal shepherds.

In five New Testament passages though, the words refer to church workers.

* John 21:16 – Jesus told Peter: “Feed [shepherd] my sheep” (KJV)
* Acts 20:17 – the Apostle Paul summons the elders or presbyters of the church in Ephesus to give a last discourse to them; in the process, in Acts 20:28, he tells them that the Holy Spirit has made them bishops, and that their job is to shepherd the flock of God among them.
* 1 Corinthians 9:7 – Paul says, of himself and the apostles: “Who feedeth [shepherds] a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?” (KJV)
* Ephesians 4:11 – Paul wrote “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastor(s) and teachers” (KJV)
* 1 Peter 5:1-2 – Peter tells the elders among his readers that they are to, “Feed [shepherd] the flock of God which is among you…” (KJV)

According to the Bible, what is the Pastor’s main priority?

The first New Testament Church pastors’ main priorities were to  give themselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).

The survey sadly conveys that the two greatest priorities fell low on the pastors’ priority scales. Only 10 percent of the pastors surveyed identified preaching/proclaiming/preaching as the most vital priority. Only 5 percent identified prayer as a priority.

The ministration of the Word consists of preaching/proclaiming/preaching it. The pastor (undershepherd who is called by the Great Shepherd) is to feed the flock the Word of God. I think it would do us well to  rediscover the importance of the ministration of the Word! John the Baptist came preaching (Matt 3:1); Jesus came preaching (Mark 1:14); Jesus sent His disciples to preach (Mark 3:14); Jesus, in giving the Great Commission, ordered His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15); and Paul’s greatest advice to Timothy was to preach the Word (2 Tim 4:2). If preaching was the greatest priority of John the Baptist, Jesus, and Jesus’ disciples, should not it be our priority, also?!?

According to the survey, the majority of the pastors surveyed listed evangelism/outreach as their greatest priority. This also reveals the false dichotomy of separating evangelism from preaching. Can the two really be separated? NO (Biblically speaking)! According to the Bible, preaching IS evangelism.

By what method did Paul evangelize Athens, the city wholly given to idolatry? He preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection! (Acts 17:16-18).

The English word for preach[ed], in Acts 17:18,  is translated from the Greek word eueengelízeto; this means– to announce good news (“evangelize”) especially the Gospel (Strong’s Greek Definitions). Consequently, the literal meaning of V18 is: Paul evangelized unto them Jesus and [His] resurrection.

What did LifeWay’s™ survey teach chadwick about today’s SBC pastors?

Methinks that the current SBC culture has successfully redefined the definition of the pastor. Today’s SBC pastor is no longer a  shepherd who preaches, “Thus saith the Lord“ a “spiritual life coach” who is to give good advice;  he nurtures his flock with a healthy diet of expository preaching is a hireling CEO whose main priority is to increase the cash flow (offerings) and fill the pews; he is a man of God who desires for his flock to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ cutting-edge producer whose main agenda is to lead his flock in reverent worship of the Almighty entertain the goats with worldly, raunchy, and irreverent techniques.

Every Southern Baptist pastor should know that preaching is evangelism and evangelism is preaching; there cannot be one without the other pragmatic programming and marketing is the most relevant way to evangelize and reach the lost in  fulfilling the Great Commission making them twice the sons of hell that we are!

Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel Blessings from a Spiritual Life Coach,

chadwick