Theology & Philosophy of Pastoral Ministry

The pastoral priorities are outlined into two separate categories: leadership and pastoral care. Gifting and training for ministry belong together, as the three major focus areas of local church ministry are examined.

The first major aspect of pastoral ministry is the spiritual leadership. With this responsibility of spiritual leadership comes the concept of formation, a learning process, in which the pastor is discipled and mentored into being a godly leader. “Leaders serve to motivate and enable others to achieve.”[1][2] The servant-leader presents the aspect of humility and hard work in leading people (1 Pet. 5:1). “Leadership is motivating a group toward a vision.”[3] God the Father rules the universe, the Son is the king and ruler of His church, and the Holy Spirit leads the life of every Christian. In the role of “shepherd,” the pastor is to live and “do life” with those in which he serves (Lk. 14:23) as he is the “representative from heaven” that is on a “holy assignment” from God as a champion (Jer. 1:5-8).[4] The role of shepherd is to be relational as the focus is on the Lord and prayer.[5] The “rod” of shepherding focuses on the authority of shepherd over sheep, as he defends and disciplines the sheep; also the “staff” of shepherding focuses on comfort and care, drawing sheep together.[6] The shepherd will “catch” the sheep and bring them closer for observation, guiding them in truth. The effective pastor bases his personal philosophy of ministry on three core blocks: study the Word of God, study himself and his personal limitations, and to study his people to focus on their needs and limitations.

The pastor is to shepherd his people through his example of love, as he inspires and pays the price in order minister to the needs of the congregation.[7] In meeting these specific needs, the pastor takes his personal vision, enlists helpers, delegates responsibilities, and motivates the hands and meet of the workers to do the work of the ministry. The pastor is to have all the wisdom of a corporate executive in order to administer the legal and ethical issues involved in the ministry.[8] Advancing the church through outreach and “keeping in touch” will allow for the pastor to push for relevant, balanced programs in which the body may be able to grow.

As a biblical counselor, the pastor is to first establish confidence with the congregation, as a good listener and motivation for those seeking advice.[9] The pastor is to establish the spirit of prayer for Christ’s will to be done in each person’s situation. When the pastor is honest, even sometimes admitting that “I don’t know,” will help with establishing trust. Recognizing human limitations in situations can lead to discussions about ministry ethics.[10]

The pastor is to model prayer from Scripture (Jas. 4:2) and is to make known the recognition that the church fails to pray and often neglects corporate prayer.[11] “One of the most important aspects of praying is to come to see what God desires and then to pray that He will accomplish it.”[12] Enacting prayer with the correct attitude of love. McArthur writes that “We often try to use prayer as a way to change difficult circumstances that God purposed to change us.”[13] The pastor’s prayer life is to be categorized into three different sections: glorification, multiplication, and authentication.[14] Glorification focuses on the implementation of Christ-like values to produce fruit in which the Lord is glorified. Second, multiplication of the fruit helps the pastor stay focused on the ministry of which he has been called. Third, the authentication of these fruits will show the affirmation of a true disciple (John 15:8).

The pastor’s heart is to reflect five key traits. The first trait, comforting, brings hope to those that need comfort; second, the pastor is to do occasional visitation to provide encouragement.[15] The third trait is joy (Rom 12:15). Fourth, there is to be an equal balance in the feeding, nurturing, and maturing of the Christian life.[16] Finally, a fifth commendation of appreciation is helpful at times. Therefore, these five traits reflect the pastor’s ability to focus on the traits that are of the upmost priority.

The main aspect of pastoral leadership is knowing how to follow before leading in God’s church. Temptations to enact shortcuts and apparent success is detrimental to the church healthy. By falling to this temptation, pastors have the possibility undermine the church. In order to enact this distinct teaching on “followship,” the constant reoccurrence of biblical saturation is to be taken with the highest priority. A congregation knows when their pastor has spent time with the Lord…it shows! The theological richness that is gained provides for the understanding that leading tends to be taken seriously when considering the practical relevance of the gospel ministry.

[1]W. A. Criswell, Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors (B & H Books, 2000), 129.

[2] John McArthur, Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Pub, 2017), 131

[3] Matthew Willmington, Professor, “PLED 302 Class Room Lecture,” (2018).

[4] Criswell, Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors, 273-274.

[5] Ibid., 275.

[6] Willmington, “PLED 302 Class Room Lecture,” (2018).

[7] Criswell, Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors, 179.

[8] Ibid., 365

[9] Ibid., 278.

[10] Criswell, Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors, 280-281.

[11] McArthur, Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically, 145-146.

[12] Ibid., 151.

[13] Ibid., 152.

[14] Ibid., 133.

[15] Criswell, Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors, 276-277.

[16] Ibid., 278.