What is the Job Description for a Minister?

[rapturefish]

My old church, a Presbyterian one, has just inducted a new minister for the English congregation (it's a chinese church). Now they took seven years to find this guy.

I've also know of another case of an evangelical church that took several years to find a right candidate. There have been murmurings in both cases as to whether the leadership put too stringent a requirement on the role, leading to difficulties in finding a 'right' candidate.

This has got me wondering:

- What is the role or extent of the minister's job as perceived by reformed churches today?
- Do we place too much criteria upon the role?
- What do you think should be the generic role of the minister in a reformed church? What does scripture say about this?

 

[tommyboy]

My old church, a Presbyterian one, has just inducted a new minister for the English congregation (it's a chinese church). Now they took seven years to find this guy.

I've also know of another case of an evangelical church that took several years to find a right candidate. There have been murmurings in both cases as to whether the leadership put too stringent a requirement on the role, leading to difficulties in finding a 'right' candidate.

This has got me wondering:

- What is the role or extent of the minister's job as perceived by reformed churches today?
- Do we place too much criteria upon the role?
- What do you think should be the generic role of the minister in a reformed church? What does scripture say about this?

in bible study a few weeks ago,our pastor said he thought it would be impossible to do everything that is expected of him. He said he tries to teach other members of the church to perform some of the duties,that he would normally have had to do.

 

[rapturefish]

in bible study a few weeks ago,our pastor said he thought it would be impossible to do everything that is expected of him. He said he tries to teach other members of the church to perform some of the duties,that he would normally have had to do.

I agree! My current pastor said the other Sunday that if a pastor did everything that was expected he would see the Lord right away.

I remember a previous minister of my old Pressy church, some said that he wasn't the greatest administrator - but then what would be the problem? He's not an administrator, he's a minister. Get an admin person to do the admin, and leave him to do the ministering.

At the very least, the minister leads the flock. He provides the vision, and by default should define the culture of the church. He helps leaders to be effective by mentoring them and training them to train others.

The financial side, let that be done by a committee of financial people and let them determine his wages.

Let there be accountability between the minister and the elders.\

That's all I can think of for now...

 

[Imblessed]

I don't know if this is applicable or not, but our pastor just spoke on this briefly.

This is the way our church sees it.(we are a calvinistic baptist church--not reformed, unfortunately)

The pastor's job is to equip the church to be the "ministers". That's what he's called to do. Teach, equip, and impart knowledge so that we(the congregation) can be effective ministers and build up the body of Christ.

We have the pastor, who teaches, and another person hired to take care of the finances, another hired to oversee the volunteers, and another hired to be in charge of the "under 18" church.

I understand that it's hard to do this for a smaller church, but at the beginning, most of these positions were voluntary, with the paid part coming as able. When the church was started 9 years ago, they had already decided that this was how they were going to go about doing it...to make sure the pastor could concentrate on what they felt was his proper biblical role.

Anyway, that's how our church does it. It seems to work out very well, and it keeps the congregation involved and feeling "part" of the church.

 

[calmcoolandelected]

Our church recently went through a Pulpit Search of which, I was on the committee. We had some specific ideas on what we were looking for as a congregation. Did your church ever explain to the congregation what exactly they were looking for?

In my denomination (PCA), there are certain standards one has to vow to, to be ordained. Applicants sent MDF (Ministerial Data Forms) that were basically resumes and each applicant rated themselves in different areas and skills. It helped us to see who had certain strengths that we were specifically looking for as well as whether or not someone felt called to a certain area of ministry. We were flooded with resumes as often they are sent whenever they hear of an opening rather than specifically what a church is looking for.

We also filled out the same type of form (MDF) based on what our church was looking for so it helped us to narrow down the resumes. We divided up the resumes at this point (of likely candidates) and we began contacting them by phone. We first gave a little history of our church, what we were looking for, etc. Because of specifics of our church (don't have time to go into that here) many of the applicants withdrew themselves from consideration.

I just realized that my daughter has an internet class in 5 min. so I cannot finish my experience on our Pulpit Search committee right now.

CC&E

 

[mlqurgw]

God has promised to give us faithful pastors :

Jer 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Eph. 4:11,12 tells us that they are gifts from Christ and they are for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ. That is the purpose of faithful pastors but we can go to Acts 20:28-31 to find what is their responsibility.

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

They are to take heed unto themselves. Thay are to watch over themselves as to their motives, gifts, time and their own soul. They are to study and prayActs 6:4

They are to watch over the flock which they have been made overseers. As an undershepherd they are to guard the flock from all their enemies even with their very lives. They are to watch over all the flock. The rich and the poor. The strong and the weak. The old and the young, the fallen and those who stand firm.

They are to be overseers. Not fleeceing the flock but carefully guarding and leading them in love not in legislation. They are to lead by example and are to earn the respect of those whom God has made them overseers.

They are to feed the flock. They are to give milk to the young and meat to the strong. A faithful pastor will feed with both knowledge and understanding as we saw in the passage from Jer. They will be careful to feed with truth and doctrine. They will have knowledge of what the flock needs.

Much more can be said concerning what can be drawn from this one passage but that will suffice for now.

I do want to point out that we find nowhere in the New Testament where they are to be social workers, confessors, councilors, and all the other like things that men expect of them.

 

[PapaLandShark]

My old church, a Presbyterian one, has just inducted a new minister for the English congregation (it's a chinese church). Now they took seven years to find this guy.

I've also know of another case of an evangelical church that took several years to find a right candidate. There have been murmurings in both cases as to whether the leadership put too stringent a requirement on the role, leading to difficulties in finding a 'right' candidate.

This has got me wondering:

- What is the role or extent of the minister's job as perceived by reformed churches today?
- Do we place too much criteria upon the role?
- What do you think should be the generic role of the minister in a reformed church? What does scripture say about this?

We recently had 2 new Deacons elected in our church ( Non-Denom but all 3 Elders are of a Reformed outlook ). The process was based largely off of 1st Timothy.

1 Timothy 3
1. It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
2. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3. not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
4. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
5. (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),
6. and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.
7. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8. Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
9. but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
10. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.
11. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
12. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
13. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.


A similar process is done with the Elders of the church. All are responsible for raising them up and they, in turn, are responsible for the congregation. Very sobering.

 

[calmcoolandelected]

My old church, a Presbyterian one, has just inducted a new minister for the English congregation (it's a chinese church). Now they took seven years to find this guy.

I've also know of another case of an evangelical church that took several years to find a right candidate. There have been murmurings in both cases as to whether the leadership put too stringent a requirement on the role, leading to difficulties in finding a 'right' candidate.

This has got me wondering:

- What is the role or extent of the minister's job as perceived by reformed churches today?
- Do we place too much criteria upon the role?
- What do you think should be the generic role of the minister in a reformed church? What does scripture say about this?

Ran across this today
http://www.ligonier.org/ministryupdate/feb2006/

CC&E

 

[rapturefish]

Ran across this today
http://www.ligonier.org/ministryupdate/feb2006/

CC&E

I think that is very sound. I was just using the illustration of the shepherd and the sheep today, but for a different application.