There’s been some talk within the new phenomenon that is the Christian blogosphere about highly influential lead pastors (namely, the recent Francis Chan and Rob Bell) who leave their churches, not necessarily due to a proverbial fall from grace, but for seeming more “positive” reasons.
Churchgoers in cyberspace have conjured many broad conclusions about the supposed biblical-ity and practicality of such a move. Some progressives seem to say it’s both a wise and tragic move, necessitated by the inability of church structure to meet the needs of the local culture. Others have strongly questioned why the priority of these more “positive” reasons are higher than that of the local church.
I really don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all right or wrong answer to the dilemma. Every situation is different. Bell, for example, intends to bring his teachings to a “broader audience,” according to Mars Hill’s site. More recently, it’s been reported that he’ll have a speaking tour and then co-create a TV series. Chan, however, was and has been more vague about his departure from Cornerstone.
I think we (as the Church) need to let pastors be pastors, and churches be churches. Both cases in the biblical sense of the word.
First, the word “pastor” comes from the Hebrew term for shepherd. Sadly, its modern connotation smacks much more of “public speaker with a religious agenda.” In the New Testament’s church, the sermon was far from the predominant role of any church leader. It was much more the wise oversight of the spiritual health and growth of a small community. This involved relationship-building, counseling, conflict resolution, and spiritual leadership amid many pressing issues in addition to doctrine and its logistics. In short, when the Bible speaks of the Lord as Shepherd that pastors are to imitate, and analogically lists His provisions (e.g. green pastures, still waters), and when the apostle Peter calls pastors, as shepherds, to be “eager to serve,” is it really just referring to teaching?
I’ve served at churches where the senior pastor is, almost literally, a regular guest speaker. He has almost no visible friendship with the congregation, and the rest of the staff seems to scramble in preparation for his weekly sermon, as if rolling out a red carpet. I’ve also seen pastors who have a shepherd’s heart, but their church grows substantially, without branching off. More paid staff are hired to handle the logistics of a church with big numbers. It seems sometimes, that the pastor’s job description is more like that of a CEO.
For the sake of church health, a pastor that both teaches and shepherds should be allowed to do just that, and a qualified other can be appointed for the various other tasks, following the disciples’ call (Acts 6:2).
Secondly, churches need to be churches. They need to be defined with the headship of Jesus Christ and constant leadership regeneration. (They also need to be different than some businesses). They exist to be Jesus’s hands and feet, too, not just His mouth. It’s a bit eerie how, in ministry and in business, the definition of success sometimes seems similar. An individual church, in essence or practice, should not be defined by its leader. Otherwise, that leader will leave a big hole, maybe even taking the church’s foundation with him.
I think it’s obvious that, when an influential pastor leaves his church, sometimes it’s good; sometimes it’s bad. Some are called to teach, perhaps, exclusively, but some are called to shepherd. It’s hard to argue that you can shepherd while living out of a suitcase. However, I have one colleague who (similar to Chan) stepped down from his leadership position because he feared a “him-centered” church and wanted to pass on the proverbial torch to the trained leadership.
While the Christian blogosphere debates this (and many other things!) and likely does not come to an answer, I do believe that this issue brings into perspective our respective philosophies of leadership and ecclesiology. It’s my hope that we hold to biblical principles. Bottom line: the world needs more shepherd-like servants in the pulpit.
Thoughts?
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