HOW TO HELP YOUR PASTOR

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow...” “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief…” Hebrews 13:7, 17;

Most church members don't know how to treat their pastor! If you want to be a considerate member, there are some things you ought to know that your pastor will never tell you. Few pastors will put themselves in the precarious position of stating what benefits they feel they should receive from their ministry because they deem it improper to seek for themselves the remuneration and respect due their office. Nevertheless proper care on the part of church members in certain sensitive areas will aid both the pastor and the church in fulfilling their God given roles.

Every year hundreds of pastors leave the ministry and enter other vocations because they can't handle the difficulties and discouragements of their calling. And many who faithfully continue sometimes have serious bouts with stress. One key factor in this trend is that the pastor's effectiveness is directly dependent upon the voluntary love motivated service of church members. As a church member, you ought to ask yourself what you can do to help your pastor fulfill his God ordained task. The following are some suggestions of what you can do.

Pray for your pastor and his family. Every sincere minister can identify with the appeal of the Apostle Saint Paul, "Now I beseech you, brethren...that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me" (Romans 15:30). Your pastor and his family are mere human beings, just like you are. They have the same weaknesses and problems, in addition to the special difficulties associated with the public ministry. Therefore, pray for him specifically every day.

One thing that hurts pastors the most is that some members like to gossip. They take devilish delight in relating to their fellow church members those things about the pastor that represent his shortcomings. Pastors are human! Some may have had habits or may make grammatical errors; others may quarrel with their wife. You don't help your church to grow by detracting from your pastor’s credibility through faultfinding. If he has a character flaw that you regard as severe, go to him and speak with him respectfully, following the Scriptural admonition to exhort an elder as a father (I Timothy 5:1).

If you feel that his ministry is effective, encourage him by telling him so. But if you are convinced that he isn't preaching the whole counsel of God, discuss that with him too. If you know of something he is neglecting, tell him in a kind Christian spirit. But please don't spread discord and dissension through the church.

Acknowledge your pastor as the spiritual leader of the congregation. Put into practice the admonition of Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief.” True, pastors are not to act as “lords over God's heritage” (I Peter 5:3), nor are they to be viewed as infallible dictators. But they do “have the rule over you,” and every church member should acknowledge their position and calling.

Always use the proper title of respect. This is a small matter, but it's important. Even if your pastor tells you to call him by his first name, perhaps it's better for your family and other members of your church if you address him in public with a title of respect. He might give you the right to call him Bill, Jim or Joe to help you feel at ease with him. Nevertheless there are times when out of respect to his office you should refer to him as "Pastor" or "Brother".

Many pressing responsibilities claim a pastor's time. Your pastor needs to spend time in study, prayer and preparation for his sermons. The younger a pastor is in the ministry, the longer it takes him to prepare his sermons. In addition, he must attend meetings and often must oversee the different church groups. In many instances the pastor finds himself shepherding a small or new congregation that is less then affluent and in such a case the pastor may find himself to be the chief fund raiser, custodian, and secretary and errand boy. These are all areas where church members can help to shoulder the burden.

A neglected fact of Scripture is that the Apostle Paul in I Timothy 5:17 wrote that a pastor deserves double pay. The Scripture teaches that a workman is worthy of his hire. If the pastor deserves double pay, he should at least be accorded a salary that will allow for a comfortable standard of living.

Your pastor has many needs and expenses of which you may not be aware. In addition, because a pastor must be “given to hospitality” according to I Timothy 3:2, pastors must entertain much more than the average church member. That can be expensive.

Then, too, the successful pastor is busier than the average working man in his church and can't do some of the things for himself and his family that can be done by the ordinary layman. He may have to pay for some things and services. Just about the time he gets ready to repair this appliance or do that errand, he is likely to be interrupted by some church emergency. It is necessary that he be paid enough so that he can devote as much time as he needs to his flock and leave errands and chores to those whom he can pay.

Another minister's expense involves study materials. Other ministry involved expenses include the cost of attending conventions and different meetings and the all too often forgotten major expense of a car. The pastor's car is a business tool and the pastor should be reimbursed for the use of his car in behalf of the church. Unless the pastor is fortunate enough to pastor a church which can provide for his retirement and hospitalization benefits, then he if left to provide for his own.

     

The pastor's income should also be adequate for him to afford an occasional private, restful vacation. A visit with family or friends, while enjoyable, does not usually comprise a time of rest and privacy.

As a considerate church member, you should see to it that your pastor does not have to concern himself too much with money needs. Though pastors are willing to humble themselves and settle for little in order to serve God, it is up to you to show your pastor that you understand the value of the position to which God has appointed him.

 If your church is the kind that cannot give your pastor a proper salary and uphold him financially the way that he deserves, there is one thing you can do that is always welcome. Sit down and write your pastor a letter of appreciation. Tell him how much you appreciate him and what he is doing. Be specific. If you were moved to action by a particular message, tell him which one. There's another way you can uphold him. Tell other members of the church specifically how and why you appreciate him so that they might look for the same qualities in him and gain from God what your pastor has to give them. If you know what you have received from him is of God and you are growing spiritually and are headed in a proper direction because of his ministry, why not tell others outside of the church too? Through your efforts the congregation may gain new members and nothing pleases a pastor more than to see God's kingdom grow, especially if it's his own flock.

A pastor's lot is often lonely and demanding and even discouraging at times. Your pastor needs to know that you care and that you appreciate him. Treat your pastor well and you encourage him to do his very best for God. A right relationship between the pastor and the congregation will please God and make your church and its ministry a blessing to the entire community.

Finally, be patient with your pastor. He is an imperfect man working with a group of imperfect people. In fact, you may be one of his handicaps. Your pastor doesn’t need sympathy; he needs support. You can help him by praying for him, acknowledging his leadership, taking your responsibilities seriously and being honest with him.