© 23 Colin Melbourne
Should a Fellowship Have One Pastor?
Q: Too often today we hear of pastors and church leaders falling into financial and sexual sins, and bringing shame on the Gospel. Are these attacks of the Devil in the End Times?
A: The Enemy of mankind rejoices when a messenger of God succumbs to temptation, and falls from grace, and you are right, it’s deeply grievous and embarrassing to the Body of Christ as a whole when a malefactor is publicly exposed.
But sometimes the cause is nearer to home than simply Satan’s meddling, and easily remedied.
For example; most Christian fellowships are parochial groups with one Pastor leading them, encompassing; teaching, preaching, evangelism, Sunday school, home visits, youth work, sharing resources, office management, hospital and prison visiting etc.
Even with the support and assistance of elders and administrators that’s a lot of responsibility to entrust to a single pair of hands.
Large fellowships wisely have a team of pastors to deal with the workload, leaving ultimate responsibility in the lap of a few Senior Pastors.
No Solo Pastors in God’s Word
The word pastor is jargon, and does not occur in the New Testament of the inerrant Holy Bible. If you come across that word in your “bible’s” New Testament it’s broken, and you can Download a Free Holy Bible here.
Where it does occur in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible its generally plural, and refers to the shepherds of God’s people such as kings, prophets, and of course the Messiah Himself.
If you find the word pastor in your New Testament you are using a corrupted “bible” which will also have many other errors. I advise you to get an inerrant Holy Bible, and learn Bible English.
Under the New Covenant in His precious Blood, the word used is Bishops, or overseers, which is akin to the role of a shepherd tending the flock. 1 Pe. 2:25 KJV;
For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Some Christian fellowships use the term bishops for leaders shepherding several fellowships in a locality. Many use the term Pastor for the leader of an individual fellowship, and yet others shun the use of both the term, and office of Pastor, and rely on a team of elders to administrate.
Notice Paul and Barnabas, in their missionary travels, ordained elders not pastors, Acts 14:23 KJV;
And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
It’s interesting to notice that nowhere under the New Covenant do we find a particular local fellowship managed by one leader. See if you can find an example in the New Testament of the Holy Bible, and let me know if you can.
Instead we discover bible fellowships were managed by elders (plural) sharing responsibilities and duties amongst capable, voluntary, willing individuals.
This arrangement has numerous advantages;
- The burden of labour is distributed and shared, so the tasks are accomplished with less strain on individuals.
- Each fellowship member has a part to play, and say, in fulfilling God’s call on the group.
- There’s more transparency in financial matters, with shared mutual oversight, and less opportunity for corruption.
There are disadvantages too;
- Not everyone is capable of pastoring, administering, or physically helping.
- The more competitive members seeks to gain ascendency.
- Carnal rivalries can cause petty friction more easily.
Pride and Fall
Fellowships which grow around an individual pastor’s personality tend to boom and bust, and you can doubtless list several famous cases in recent decades.
If you belong to a fellowship of a big-name pastor or evangelist, be prepared for dismay, because the Only Leader the church has room to glorify and boast about is coming back soon to clean His temple again, and He will bring the faithful alongside Him in Glory.
The word of God promises to judge His Bride first, 1 Pe. 4:17 KJV;
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Humility Before a Rise
Solo pastors need to quit hogging responsibility immediately, and begin sharing duties, even to the point of getting a job, becoming self-supporting, and stop receiving any payment from the fellowship. Then build up members to become helpers, evangelists, and administrators themselves.
Labourers Worthy of Reward
We know the worker is worth his keep, it certainly is biblical to derive your living from the Gospel, as implied in 1 Cor.9:9 and 1 Tim. 5:18 KJV, but too many churchmen have accrued a very fat-living that’d be better spent on sharing with needy lost souls.
Money has corrupted their first love, and shifted their focus away from where it ought to remain.
What would you think of a pastor who stood up and announced that henceforth, he or she, will continue without payment of any kind, and all voluntary offerings will be used for evangelism, support of needy members, and helping lost souls come to know the love and mercy of Christ?
Would any church leader dare to talk like that?
Paul’s Hands
I know one, his name was Paul, and he supported himself with his own gnarled hands making hide tents to sell, and the proceeds were shared with his group. Acts 20:33-34 KJV;
I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
He even boasted about the fact he did not use his right to accept funding to support himself. 1 Cor. 9:6-15 KJV;
Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
Do you think such a Holy Ghost attitude would work today?
Or is that too primitive for your more sophisticated fellowship?
Shall we seek Father to know what He thinks about it?
Would the LORD look after a child of His who dared to trust Him alone for finances?
Ask George Müller (pronounced Mew-ler) when you get to the Glory. And perhaps read about him while you’re waiting.
Come LORD Jesus: You have made us clean and ready.
© 23 Colin Melbourne
Tract image © Chick Publns Used by permission
Click to read When a respected, religious leader dies and stands before God, he learns that his name wasn’t in the Book of Life. A soul winning message.
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