Home and Away – Part 2

My previous post warrants a sequel to even the ledger, particularly concerning pastors. If they are not always instrumental in bringing people over the line to faith, they certainly are regarding discipling people in the faith. And many pastors these days are strategic leaders, managing a bunch of leaders or teams in the ministry effort.

But it’s the character of the pastor that the previous article attended to. Pastors are human beings like the rest of us—fallibility is going to be an innate trait they can’t avoid, like we. The vast majority of pastors do in fact capitalise on this fallibility in their sermons and ministry, demonstrating how God transforms weakness into spiritual wisdom and strength.

Basically every pastor that lasts at least the term of one call is an inspiration to the flock they lead, or at least a very good portion of same. Some too are very well and very appropriately connected in the community and God’s glory shines through them.

Some of best human beings I’ve ever known, a very good proportion of my top 10 or 20, are or were pastors. There are so many good qualities in a the good pastor; they outweigh significantly the bad.

Where would society be without pastors leading whole communities to be spiritual messengers of truth, love, grace and wisdom—in the context of harmonious relationship?

I do acknowledge that the vast majority of pastors play the ‘away game’ very well—they need to and do. And they need our wholehearted support (for instance, Hebrews 13:17). It is the lauding of Jesus Christ, King and Saviour, that good pastors do at the forefront of everything.

© S. J. Wickham, 2009.