The Goal Of A Pastor -- By: James C. Massey

Journal: Faith and Mission
Volume: FM 05:1 (Fall 1987)
Article: The Goal Of A Pastor
Author: James C. Massey


The Goal Of A Pastor

James C. Massey

Director of Church-Minister Relations
Virginia Baptist General Board

He it is whom we proclaim. We admonish everyone without distinction, we instruct everyone in all the ways of wisdom, so as to present each one of you as a mature member of Christ’s Body (Colossians 1:28 NEB).

A Director of Church-Minister Relations is in position to gain a very realistic view of the church and its ministers. Because we serve at the point of transition, we grow very familiar with the seamy side of church and the less glamorous aspects both of ministry and ministers. After almost fifteen years on the scene of career crisis, church conflict, and ministerial burnout, my faith in the church as I believe God intended it to be is stronger than ever. My belief in divine call to ministry is clearer. I see that many problems both of church and ministry evolve from faulty perceptions of the meaning of church and shallow concepts of ministry.

Our Ministry Is in the Real World

The church exists and tries to be credible in a cultural, political, economic, and theological climate conducive to conflict. Consider the explosion of information, clashes of traditional values, the homogenizing effect of television, the frustrated hopes and dreams of many segments of society, and the scramble for cash. Change is rapid and often radical. Religious deception and hucksterism garble the church’s witness. There is a failure of so-called faith to grow alongside God’s revelation of Himself through science. Old wine-skins insist that only they can hold wine. There is clamor for fame, misuse of power, and widespread disrespect for persons in authority. Church has always existed in the real world, and the church has never been a maternal womb to cushion ministers from the demands of hard work, or to provide a tidy, neat environment for the support of our hobbies and fantasies.

We cannot expect ministry to be free of pain, discomfort, or the risk of confrontation. Neither is ministry to be viewed as martyrdom, so as to invite self-destruction. Ministry of reconciliation is an “eyes-wide-open” endeavor which encounters all the forces of good and evil. We ministers who would survive must keep our wits about us and learn how to deal with stress. We must be as gentle as we are tough, and as tough as we are gentle.

The Minister Needs Clarity in His Call to Minister

Every person’s call is highly individual. It is realized and expressed in many forms. The forms may differ over a lifetime, but the call does not change.

We are to be reconcilers, peacemakers, pro...

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