Pastors are Overrated

When you get right down to it, pastors are overrated. We've bought into the CEO-model of pastoring, in which one extraordinary person can have such an influence on an organization that everything's fixed. To be sure, such people exist, but this model is neither helpful nor realistic. As a pastor, there's so much that's beyond my control. Erwin McManus said it best: about the only thing I can control is my passion. I can't control the results of my ministry. I may be martyred. My church may suffer. It may go down the tubes. I can't control any of that. That's all up to God. Somebody has said that pastoring is like gardening. You weed and water, but you can't make something grow. Maybe part of the church's problem these days is an unhealthy reliance on humans to do what only God can do.

Comments

[Bud Sargent]

Hello Daryl. I am a pastor in Hamilton who is in the midst of our ReFocusing process - [I was looking for ideas for ours]and I came across your website. I was in TO at the PK Pastor's Conf. and heard Erwin speak - as per your quote by him, I'll say and 'Amen to that!' Pastors are overrated - no wonder we burn out. It looks like you have a good team working with you at Richview Keep up the good work Pastor Daryl- and may the Lord continue to bless you all. I found some good ideas for our ReFocusing process from your website - thanks. I hope you don't mind, afterall, we're all in this thing togetehr and 'who knows; perhaps God will act on our behalf'. Bud Sargent