Monday, October 24, 2005

Would a pastor be better off coming from within the congrgation?

It's kind of interesting to "hire from within". I've known An since he was 19 back in 1996. When he first came then, I suggested that he joined me in the ministry team for the college fellowship group, and his reply was "I am still young so I want to have some fun first..." As he grew in the faith, eventually he came on board a year later, get the ministry experience for three years with the college ministry and and was sent to lead the High School ministry for another two years after that. Then he was moved to get a master in theology in Canada. After 2.5 years of schooling, he had been back for a year now, slowly adjusting to life after the mountain top...

Now, when he was sitting across from me as we discuss our intent to call him to pastor our group, he raised the questions of our policy on vacation, noting that "I am still young so I want to have time for fun..." I remembered the same line he said back then... Sure, God will eventually has His way on the people who submit to Him. May be it was just my prayer for him.

But reflect upon the decision to "hire from within", I cannot help but thinking of the difference would it made if we were to "hire from the outside". I think we would be more hopeful from an outsiders, we would be easily more impressed with their first take, then we would also need to adjust with the honeymoon effects wearing off. With An, we know his gifts as well as his quirks. We should be able to be more realistically help him grow and he would know how to help us grow too.

What do you think? Would a pastor be better off coming from within the congrgation?

posted by mar13 at 10/24/2005 03:29:00 PM

1 Comments:

Blogger mar13 said...

My friend Steve Stanley answered this beautifully:

There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

I think the most important (and I'm sure you agree
with this) is the will of God. Sometimes He chooses
and unknown; sometimes a well-known.

And the Scriptures SEEM to be contradictory on this
point. (SEEM!)

First, you have the command to "lay hands on no man
suddenly" (1 Tim. 5:22) which indicates that an ordinand
should be well-known to those ordaining her/him. This
would be a vote for some extended acquaintance with
the ordinand...including those known for the whole of
their Christian life.

But then you have a verse like Matthew 13:57 which says
"A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and
in his own house". Does this not seem to indicate that
there will be some difficulty on the part of the one who
is well-known to a people? The very commonness of
the messenger may (MAY!) render the message common
as well.

I fall back to my original position: the Spirit must and will
guide the church in such matters. Through circumstances,
through a million unspoken things, He is able to communicate
His will. It need not be a mysterious, nebulous shiver that
tickles ones' fancy... The Lord of the church can work His
will through the Word, the Spirit, and the common purposes
of His people.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

Such wisdom will keep me from just one way of looking at things (my way) but rather seeking God's way first.

6:17 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home