By J. Michael Feazell and Dan Rogers
Nearly two years ago, the Worldwide Church of God launched an exciting new pastoral leadership initiative in the United States--careful selection and intensive training of nonsalaried pastors.
The fresh infusion of spiritual energy and vitality that has resulted from this initiative has been a joy to see.
Our primary goal
Pastoral leadership is essential to the spiritual health of any congregation. That is why we take it so seriously. In Pasadena, our primary goal is to provide every WCG congregation, regardless of size, with a competent, Christ-centered and Spirit-led pastor.
Two years ago, when God led us to recognize that some members in our congregations had been gifted by the Holy Spirit for competent, Christ-centered pastoral ministry, we began to tap into the most valuable resource our church has to offer--its members.
Over the past two years, more than 100 pastoral candidates have come through the selection process for nonsalaried pastors and have attended one of three intensive orientation and training sessions in Pasadena. Of these, 98 have been commissioned as nonsalaried pastors and are now serving in U.S. congregations.
Many U.S. churches do not have sufficient attendance to financially support a salaried pastor. Still, even the smallest congregation needs sound pastoral leadership. That is why we have placed such a high priority on pastoral training.
Whether our congregations are large or small, our goal is to see to it that they have pastors who care about them, who love Jesus Christ and are trained in pastoral skills.
The key to successful and effective pastoral leadership is not whether a pastor is salaried or non-salaried, or whether he has a large church or a small church.
The key lies in whether he has the spiritual gifts necessary to be a pastor, a heart that has been transformed by Christ and the basic leadership skills required to help members of his congregation grow in their walk with Jesus Christ.
The primary goal of the Christian life is to become conformed to the image of Christ. That involves a transformation of the heart, a renewing of the mind. It is something that we cannot do for ourselves. It is something that God does, and it is something that goes on inside us. It may or may not be outwardly visible to others.
It involves humility--coming to understand that we are not the center of the universe, but that God is.
It involves faith and trust, coming to believe that God really does love us with an infinite love, that he really does forgive us and accept us, and that he really does work in us both to desire and do what pleases him.
Since the primary goal of the Christian life is to become conformed to the image of Christ, a pastor's primary role, then, is to help the members of his congregation in this process.
Since this involves God's work on our hearts, a pastor's main focus is on encouraging us to embrace the gospel with all its implications, to believe God's Word and his promises, to trust God to love us, forgive us and accept us.
Such a pastor can be most effective when he embraces the gospel with all its implications, when he believes God's Word and his promises, and when he trusts God to love him, to forgive him and to accept him.
What if a congregation that now has a salaried pastor finds him replaced with a nonsalaried pastor? Although the need to replace a particular salaried pastor may or may not be financial, the denomination's goal for the congregation remains exactly the same--to see that the congregation has a competent, Christ-centered and Spirit-led pastor.
That is the first and primary goal. That's why the selection process and the training program are so important.
Of course, no pastor is perfect, and there will always be a wide range of skills, abilities, temperaments and personalities among pastors.
Still, the primary goal of denominational headquarters is to see that every congregation has a competent, Christ-centered and Spirit-led pastor, whether salaried or nonsalaried.
When it comes to size, the Worldwide Church of God is a significantly smaller church than it was five years ago.
Today, we have seven U.S. congregations that number more than 200, and about 75 congregations that have more than 100 members. Some 351 congregations, on the other hand, have fewer than 100 members.
Competent, Christ-centered pastoral care comes from competent, Christ-centered pastors. That's our goal. That's what we want to see in every congregation, and that's what our pastoral selection and training process is geared toward. Salary is more a measure of congregation size and ability to pay than it is a measure of the quality of pastoral care.
The larger the congregation, the more time it takes to lead, and the greater the need for a pastor whose time is not divided between making a living and developing the members of the church.
That doesn't mean the salaried pastor is more, or less, competent and Christ-centered than the nonsalaried pastor. It just means the congregation is larger, and therefore it takes more time for the pastor to develop and train more leaders for the various ministries in which the congregation is involved. For this reason, a larger congregation does need a salaried pastor.
Which is better? A few large congregations, each with competent, Christ-centered salaried pastors, in which many members travel great distances to attend? Or many small congregations, each with competent, Christ-centered nonsalaried pastors, in which members travel only a few miles to attend?
Both scenarios have their pros and their cons. But both have one thing in common-- competent, Christ-centered pastors.
The WCG investment in non-salaried pastors represents the denomination's commitment to its congregations, small and large alike.
When a congregation's size and income do not permit a salaried pastor, that does not and must never be allowed to mean that the congregation will not have a qualified pastor.
Here is a sample of the kinds of comments members have sent to Church Administration about their nonsalaried pastors.
* His heart is for the church and the people. He's great!
* He is the warmest, most personable pastor I have ever known.
* He is a Christlike, Bible-centered, humble and caring person.
* He does a great job! Christ's influence and his growth are obvious.
* I don't think you could find a more loving and committed couple to serve God's church.
* He is a godly man who loves the Lord. His sermons are inspiring.
* He has taken his job seriously and has us all working and growing together.
These are only a few of the expressions of appreciation members have sent in about their nonsalaried pastors, but I think you get the idea.
And, to be fair, just as with salaried pastors, I'm certain there are also people who are not at all satisfied with their nonsalaried pastor.
Even so, spiritual strength and stability come from our commitment to the process of careful screening and training of a solid corps of faithful volunteer pastors.
Our commitment to the continuing education and training of our salaried pastors reflects our faith that God has a future for the Worldwide Church of God.
I wish every member could witness the exciting atmosphere of faith in Christ and love of the gospel, combined with a fresh and lively "can do" spirit that we have experienced in every training session with the nonsalaried pastoral candidates. We always hate to see those sessions end, because there is such a spirit of joy and zeal in the air.
The future of the Worldwide Church of God is bright. It is bright because God is showing us that every member of the Body is important and that God has a meaningful part for each one to play in the work of his kingdom.
God is showing us that pastors are like player-coaches, whose primary role is to sound the positive trumpet blast of hope and faith while they train and equip leaders who can, in turn, train and equip others for works of service.
Pastors are the people who believe in the spiritual future of their congregations, regardless of numbers. Pastors are the people who are genuinely committed to being remade by God from the inside out, so they can inspire their congregations to faith in our Savior and Lord and to active service in God's army of love.
Pastoral leadership is essential to the spiritual health of every congregation. That's why we take pastoral selection and training so seriously. Whether your pastor is salaried or nonsalaried, headquarters is committed to helping your congregation have the best pastoral care possible.
April WN, page 10 and 11
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