When I get a chain letter in my Email, I usually ignore it; but sometime ago, I came across this chain letter, which gave me a chuckle. It was written to church members looking for the perfect pastor. It said…
“The perfect pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes, but thoroughly expounds the Word. He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings.
“He works from 8 a.m. until midnight and is also the church janitor. The perfect pastor makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30 a week to the church.
“He is 29 years old and has 40 years experience. Above all, he is handsome.
“The perfect pastor has a burning desire to work with teenagers, and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens.
“He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church. He makes 15 home visits a day and is always in his office to be available when needed.
“The perfect pastor always has time for every church board and committee. He never misses any of their meetings and is always busy evangelizing the unchurched.
“The perfect pastor is always in another church!
“If your pastor does not measure up, simply send this notice to six other churches that are tired of their pastor, too. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the church at the top of the list. If everyone cooperates, in one week you will receive 1,643 pastors. One of them should be perfect.
“Have faith in this letter. One church broke the chain and got its old pastor back in less than three months. (Source Unknown)
That letter is obviously written tongue-in-cheek, but it does illustrate the difficult task to which church leaders are called these days. Even so, the church can help its leaders be the best they can be. The church can help their pastors be better pastors and their elders be better elders.
You say, “Phil, How?” Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Timothy 5, 1 Timothy 5, where God’s Word talks to churches about how to care for and encourage its leaders.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” (NIV)
How can we help our leaders be the best they can be? It’s simple, first…
PAY THEM WELL.
Make sure they have an adequate salary. Take care of them financially.
Church leaders have a tremendous responsibility. God calls them to “stand before” His people. That’s what the word “direct” literally means in vs.17. Church leaders are those who stand before God’s people to lead them, to be in charge, to give direction to the church. They’re the ones responsible to manage the church to see that it follows God’s will.
But they not only lead God’s people, they are to love God’s people as well. They not only manage the church, they are responsible to minister to the church as well, to care for God’s people. In the common usage of the day, this word “direct” was used of a caretaker, who cared for an estate, a guardian, who protected and cared for children, a farmer, who cared for his land, and a friend, who supported another friend in times of trouble.
You get the picture? Being a leader means so much more than sitting on a board once a month to set policy. Being a leader means comforting the troubled, visiting the sick, and caring for the people. Because you cannot lead God’s people if you don’t love them. It is impossible to impact lives from a distance.
Sometime ago a teacher celebrated her 80th birthday. It was a special occasion because a great number of her former students came by to celebrate it with her.
She had taught in one of the worst sections of Baltimore, and the school she taught in was known for its crime and violence. But after she started teaching there, people began to notice a change. Many of her students became good citizens with good character. Some became doctors, others lawyers, educators, ministers, craftsmen, and skilled technicians. That’s why so many of her students remembered her on her 80th birthday.
A newspaper reporter was there, and he asked her, “What was your secret? How were you able to turn out such good students?”
She replied, “Oh, I don't know. When I look at the young teachers in our schools today, so well-equipped with training and learning, I realize that I was ill-prepared to teach. I had nothing to give but love.” (Don E. McKenzie, Northway Christian Church, Dallas, Texas, as quoted by James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, p. 316)
Nothing to give but love? That’s like saying, “I had nothing to give but a million dollars.” Love is powerful! It impacts lives! & If you truly want to lead people, you start by loving them. Now, that’s the church leader’s job. He must lead people on the basis of love.
More than that, he must lead people according to God’s Word. Or as the text says, his work is “preaching and teaching.”
These are the ones worthy of “double honor.” Why? Because preaching and teaching is hard work. But preaching and teaching is also the most beneficial. God’s Word “is living and active,” according to Hebrews 4. “Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts an attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word equips God’s people for every good work, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says. God’s Word changes lives for eternity. God’s Word is the only thing that satisfies the soul.
Many years ago, an African pastor was returning to his home in Chad, where civil war was raging. He was allowed only 44 pounds of baggage, which would not go very far in a war-torn area. A missionary offered him sugar, powdered milk, and medicine, because he thought that would be most beneficial, but the pastor asked instead for some Bibles.
“How's that?” the missionary asked.
The pastor replied, “Back home we lost everything in the war, and we learned to place less importance on that which passes away and more importance on that which lasts.” (Charles Daniel Maire, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 3; BI# 416; 12/1997.1208)
You see, that pastor knew how to really care for his people. That pastor knew what his people really needed – and that was the Word of God. The Bible gives direction. The Bible gives comfort and care like nothing else can.
Church leaders have a tremendous responsibility. They must lead and love God’s people through the teaching and preaching of God’s Word.
Therefore, they should be remunerated. They should be compensated for their work. Verse18 says, “Do not muzzle the ox while he is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Church leaders work hard, and it’s just not right to starve them. It’s just not right to withhold the proper remuneration.
Many years ago, I heard conference speaker, Dr. Andy Telford, talk about his experience with churches looking for a pastor. He said, “When a church seeks a pastor, they want the strength of an eagle, the grace of a swan, the gentleness of a dove, the friendliness of a sparrow, and the night hours of an owl. And when they catch that bird, they expect the pastor to live on the food of a canary.” (Dr. Andrew Telford, Conference Speaker and former pastor of Berachah Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Thankfully, most churches today are doing a much better job in taking care of their pastors, but the Scriptural principle still applies. Church leaders who work hard at preaching and teaching are worthy of double honor – literally, “double honorarium.” In other words, if you want to help your church leaders be the best they can be, then recognize their value and reward them accordingly. That is, pay them well. Then 2nd…
TREAT THEM FAIRLY.
That means don't participate in any gossip sessions. Don't listen to accusations about them. & If they sin, handle it in an open and honest way -- not in secret meetings behind closed doors.
1 Timothy 5:19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. (NIV)
In other words, don't listen to gossip about church leaders.
More than 30 years ago, Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, said something impromptu to the new members joining his new church plant. They were standing in a row across the front, and as the church received them into membership, the Holy Spirit prompted him to say:
“And now, I charge you that if you ever hear another member speak an unkind word of criticism or slander against anyone—myself, an usher, a choir member, or anyone else—that you stop that person in mid-sentence and say, ‘Excuse me—who hurt you? Who ignored you? Who slighted you? Was it Pastor Cymbala? Let's go to his office right now. He'll apologize to you, and then we'll pray together so God can restore peace to this body. But we won't let you talk critically about people who aren't present to defend themselves.’
“I'm serious about this. I want you to help resolve this kind of thing immediately. And know this: If you are ever the one doing the loose talking, we'll confront you.”
Jim Cymbala, in his book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, writes, “To this day, every time we receive new members, I say much the same thing. That's because I know what most easily destroys churches. It's not crack cocaine, government oppression, or even lack of funds. Rather it's gossip and slander that grieves the Holy Spirit. (Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Zondervan, 1997)
Gossip and slander have done more to end the ministries of pastors and destroy the effectiveness of churches than anything else I know. So don’t even “entertain an accusation” against a church leader “unless it is brought by two or three witness” (vs.19), i.e., unless there is substantial evidence to back up the accusation.
In other words, if anybody comes to you with a criticism about any spiritual leader, any pastor in this community, or any elder in this church, ask them, “May I quote you as a witness?” Furthermore, ask them to give you the names of one or two other people who saw the infraction. Tell the person, “I’m going to check this out. I’m going to share your name with the people you have named and tell them what you told me. Is that OK?” And let me tell you, if that’s not OK with the person, then don’t even listen to him or her.
Don’t even listen to gossip about church leaders, or anyone else for that matter. And don't participate in that gossip either. Don’t talk about them behind closed doors.
1 Timothy 5:20 Those who sin (i.e., those leasders who sin) are to be rebuked publicly” – lit., expose the sinning one – so that the others may take warning” – or better “so that the rest may be afraid.”
When a church leader sins, we don’t talk about him behind his back, we expose the sin publicly so others will be afraid of following him in his sin. Otherwise, we’re just spreading gossip.
Franklin P. Jones, in the Wall Street Journal, once said, “The difference between news and gossip lies in whether you raise your voice or lower it.”
Let me tell you something, If you can’t “raise your voice” and present your accusation to the whole congregation with solid proof, then you shouldn’t “lower your voice” to speak it either.
If you have a criticism, talk to the leader personally. Don’t talk to somebody else about it, and don’t let it become the topic of discussion behind closed doors. Then if a leader has indeed sinned, report it to the other elders, so they can expose that sin publicly. Only you better make sure you have solid proof – Two or three witnesses. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut.
Don’t listen to gossip, and don’t participate in gossip about church leaders. This is a serious matter.
1 Timothy 5:21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. (NIV)
In other words, be fair with the leaders of the church.
When Dr. Wilbur Chapman was in his first pastorate in Philadelphia, a layman came to see him. The layman was frank. He told Dr. Chapman, “You are not a strong preacher. In the usual order of things you will fail here, but a little group of laymen have agreed to gather every Sunday morning and pray for you.”
Do you know, that “little group of laymen” grew to a thousand men, who gathered weekly to pray for their pastor. And Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman became one of the greatest preachers of his day.
That’s the way you treat a church leader. Don’t criticize him behind his back. Instead, gather God’s people together to pray for him with his full knowledge.
Do you want to help your church leaders be the best they can be? It’s really quite simple. Just pay them well, treat them fairly, and third…
PICK THEM WISELY.
Take your time, and choose them very carefully.
1 Timothy 5:22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. (NIV)
In other words, don’t be involved in sin by choosing a scoundrel for a leader. For if he leads others into sin, then you are just as responsible as he is. That’s why it’s important to take your time when it comes to choosing leaders.
Go slow, and be sure. Be certain of the man’s character before you invite him to lead.
1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. (NIV)
Evidently, poor leaders in the church gave Timothy ulcers. So Paul tells him to take a little medicine for his stomach.
1 Timothy 5:24-25 The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. (NIV)
In other words, over time a man’s true character will come out. Sometimes his sin is very evident. Sometimes it is not, but over time it will be revealed, because it is impossible to conceal sin forever. The Bible says, “Be sure your sins will find you out.”
A certain woman, preparing to entertain guests, went to a small grocery store to buy food. She stopped at the meat counter and asked the attendant for a large chicken. He reached down into the cold storage compartment, grabbed the last chicken he had, and placed it on the scale.
“This one weighs four pounds, ma'am,” he said.
“I'm not sure that will be enough,” the woman replied. “Don't you have a bigger one?”
The attendant put the chicken back into the compartment, pretended to search through the melting ice for another one, and then brought out the same bird, discreetly applying some finger pressure to the scale. “Ah,” he said with a smile, “this one weighs six pounds.”
“I'm just not sure,” the woman said with a frown. “I'll tell you what – wrap them both up for me!” (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, p. 286)
That man’s sin found him out. Let me tell you: no one can hide his or her sin forever. Sooner or later it comes out. Sooner or later it will be exposed.
So we must take our time in choosing leaders for the church. & We must put only those in positions of leadership that have proven, godly character, demonstrated over a substantial period of time.
Go slow and be sure of their true character. Otherwise, we’re not being fair to the people we’re putting into leadership, especially if later we have to remove them. & It could be devastating to the church.
Three little guys were bragging about their dads.
One said, “My dad owns a factory.”
Another said, “So what! My dad owns a farm.”
The third boy, a preacher's kid, said, “That's nothing. My father owns hell.”
“Oh, yeah,” said one of the boys “How can a man own hell?”
“Well,” the pastor's son said, “I heard my mother tell my grandmother that the deacons of our church gave my dad 'hell' last night.” (Editorial: “Welcoming the Sexually Tempted,” Christianity Today, April 5, 1993, p. 17)
No church leader should feel like he owns hell. Instead, pay them well, treat them fairly, and pick them wisely.
