The Reformed Advisor

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Two Reasons Why Many Churches Are Dying…or…Killing Themselves. Part 2: Unbiblical Pastoral Expectations

Posted on February 17, 2015 in Theology by

Last week I wrote about how unbiblical church structure is killing the church. By having an unbiblical structure the church opens itself up for unqualified leaders to be put in place, and the schisms and disunity that comes through constantly holding church votes. Today I want to talk about another characteristic that is killing the church: unbiblical expectations of pastors.

Growing up as a pastor’s kid I thought it was the pastor’s job to be available to everyone in the church 24/7. No matter what day or time, if someone called, the pastor dropped what he was doing and sprinted out the door to “minister.” This meant being available via phone while on vacation – if you took a vacation, and not letting family outings or anything else get in the way.

The pastor was required to wear a suit and tie at all times – apparently it’s in the Bible somewhere. And while the pastor is expected to be an expert in all things Bible – such as theology, Greek, Hebrew, and application – his primary job was to serve the people of the church in any way they desired. Such things as vision are better left to the people that have been at the church since it began. And decisions regarding the budget and how to spend the money are for committees the pastor isn’t a part of. And should the pastor feel led to being or end a particular ministry it would be in his best interest to get approval from the congregation by holding a vote.

Two Reasons Why Many Churches Are Dying…or…Killing Themselves. Part 1: Unbiblical Structure

Posted on February 12, 2015 in Theology by

This is likely to be a short blog post. But one I hope to build upon and expand into a cohesive doctrinal teaching regarding the church.

Recently I was in a discussion with a group of people about the church. We were talking about being hurt by the church; something I’m afraid too many people have in common. In fact, when I asked who had ever been hurt by the church I am fairly certain every hand went up. I jokingly quipped that those hands not going up represent some “really good liars.”

Call me a skeptic, but anyone that claims to have never been hurt by the church strikes me as dishonest. After years in ministry I’m just not sure there is anyone left that has not been hurt by the church.

As I reflect back on my life growing up as a pastor’s kid, ministry education, and time spent in various ministry roles, I have concluded that two things lead to much of the hurt that takes place in the church: unbiblical church structure, and unbiblical expectations placed on pastors.

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