What is a Senior Pastor's job
I think the most important thing a Senior Pastor does is equip the believers in his congregation to serve God. God has a purpose for his people. There’s a reason we are called to grow in Christ, discover our individual ministries, and even face opposition. God is on a mission to reconcile the world to himself, and he is inviting us to participate in that mission. In fact, he’s decided that our participation is critical to accomplishing his mission in the way that brings him the most glory and honor.
A Senior Pastor leads others to join God in this mission by equipping them to serve God. Serving God involves acknowledging God as Holy, worshiping God for who he is, praising him for what he has done, revering him as Lord, trusting him as Savior, knowing him as Father, and obeying him as King. Ephesians 4:11-13 says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Therefore, a Senior Pastor, or any Christian Leader, has been given their position in order to “prepare God’s people for works of service.” If they are not doing so, then it seems they are out of line with their purpose. Everything else they do points to this goal: teaching, preaching, visitation, planning mission trips…Senior Pastors are equippers. They lead by example and train others to do the same. They do not do every ministry themselves, but teach and exhort their congregation. By their own example, their teaching, and their work with other pastors, elders, and staff, Senior Pastors help their congregation come to unity and maturity in their service to Christ as individuals and as a church family.
This service to God is recognized by the difference it makes in the lives of Jesus’ followers: Love for each other and a desire to share Jesus with as much of the world as they are given the ability to impact. Love for each other includes generosity, compassion, patience, kindness, trust, accountability, encouragement, sharing, and honesty, just to name a few ideas. A desire to share Jesus with others is motivated by an experiential understanding of how much we are loved by God. God’s Kingdom and Salvation coming in Jesus is Good News, and if we really understand it we’ll want to share it with others in word and in deed. Therefore, Senior Pastors expect to see fruit as a result of their labor, if they are truly laboring for the Lord and not out of selfish ambition. If the Senior Pastor and leadership of a congregation is fulfilling this important role in the life of the congregation, then the whole congregation will likewise be fulfilling their roles in God’s Kingdom Mission.
A Senior Pastor leads others to join God in this mission by equipping them to serve God. Serving God involves acknowledging God as Holy, worshiping God for who he is, praising him for what he has done, revering him as Lord, trusting him as Savior, knowing him as Father, and obeying him as King. Ephesians 4:11-13 says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Therefore, a Senior Pastor, or any Christian Leader, has been given their position in order to “prepare God’s people for works of service.” If they are not doing so, then it seems they are out of line with their purpose. Everything else they do points to this goal: teaching, preaching, visitation, planning mission trips…Senior Pastors are equippers. They lead by example and train others to do the same. They do not do every ministry themselves, but teach and exhort their congregation. By their own example, their teaching, and their work with other pastors, elders, and staff, Senior Pastors help their congregation come to unity and maturity in their service to Christ as individuals and as a church family.
This service to God is recognized by the difference it makes in the lives of Jesus’ followers: Love for each other and a desire to share Jesus with as much of the world as they are given the ability to impact. Love for each other includes generosity, compassion, patience, kindness, trust, accountability, encouragement, sharing, and honesty, just to name a few ideas. A desire to share Jesus with others is motivated by an experiential understanding of how much we are loved by God. God’s Kingdom and Salvation coming in Jesus is Good News, and if we really understand it we’ll want to share it with others in word and in deed. Therefore, Senior Pastors expect to see fruit as a result of their labor, if they are truly laboring for the Lord and not out of selfish ambition. If the Senior Pastor and leadership of a congregation is fulfilling this important role in the life of the congregation, then the whole congregation will likewise be fulfilling their roles in God’s Kingdom Mission.
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