NOTE FROM STEPHEN STRANG:
Our associate editor, Matthew Green, formerly served as an associate pastor. It seemed fitting to me that he write the editorial for our fivefold emphasis on pastoring. Read and be challenged!
I've worked with pastors whose skills and professionalism could have landed them high-paying jobs in the business world, and I've served others whose gifts were better suited for the Teamsters' union. Tommy Barnett, whom I had the privilege of interviewing for this issue (see "Dream Weaver," page 38), belongs in the first group.
Pastors of large churches like Phoenix First Assembly aren't entrusted with their burgeoning flocks just because of an ability to manage programs and invent new church- growth schemes. God has seen fit to bless their ministries because He has created them with gifts tailor-made for their unique situations.
From my brief time with Pastor Barnett, here are a few observations of the types of people that God often calls to fulfill the ministry of the shepherd:
Simplicity: While the world may extol the virtues of a complex person able to weigh options, calculate risk and analyze potential, a good pastor keeps it simple: "Preach the Word, and love people," my father--himself a pastor--once advised me.
It's not that a pastor is disengaged from the complexities of life, but he or she has the ability to immediately sift through challenging enigmas, separating the eternal from the temporary. It's no wonder that the effective ministry of a pastor surrounds the three things that are anything but temporary: God, His Word and people.
Focus: Successful pastors like Tommy Barnett have the uncanny ability to focus--not just on the lofty goals that keep them in the prayer closet and the board room, but also on the individuals who sit in their offices seeking counsel.
When you're in a room talking with Pastor Barnett, you and he are the only ones there. Not that this comes naturally. If anything, the gift of focus is one that must be honed and practiced, as one's ministry grows and one's sphere of influence broadens.
Dependency: Once again, this is not a sought-after quality, but without it a pastor will become a smoldering wick in a matter of years. Leaders like Tommy Barnett constantly extol the value of those whom they lead, recognizing that their effectiveness is contingent on the partnership of those who share their visions. They have learned to depend on God--and others.
Good pastors revel in the productive service of those whom they lead--even when it has the potential of eclipsing their own ministries. Unthreatened, they recognize this for what it truly is: an indication of their own fruitfulness.
May God raise up more pastors like Tommy Barnett--simply engaged with the things that matter, focused on God and His people and willing to take the risk of dependence.
Matthew Green is associate editor of Ministries Today. He invites your comments and questions at [email protected].
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