ken wilson online

After a long bout with depression and cynicism, my father (many years ago) got himself turned around and toward God. He spent a time of personal recovery hanging out with my imprint pastor Dick Bieber at Messiah Lutheran Church in Detroit (they are no longer Lutheran, however.) Dick took my dad to a meeting of local pastors, who were doing what pastors are want to do when they gather in professional circles, that is to say piss and moan about their congregations–how they don’t get it, etc. My father, a Christian newbie, took them to task: “Why don’t you stop pretending you’re set-apart- from-the-flock professionals, and go home and actually join your churches, instead of treating them like a bunch of dissatisfied employees. I thought Jesus was looking for shepherds, not hirelings.” An awkward moment ensued.Advice to aspiring pastors: find a church you like enough to want to bring your family and friends to without cringing, and join it. Be a member first, then a leader. If you can’t find a church to join, look harder. If that doesn’t work, consider planting one. One thing the church doesn’t need right now is more pastors who are chronically dissatisfied with the churches in which they serve. I don’t mean pastors who are eager for the church to stretch and grow. I mean pastors who are chronically unhappy with the churches they serve in. Because that unhappiness leaks out and doth not a better church make.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 20th, 2008 at 12:18 pm and is filed under advice to young pastors. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.