T

HE VISION OF every pastor is ulti- mately the same: to see the church

that he or she is shepherd- ing grow spiritually, numeri- cally, and financially; to be a strong part of the body of Christ that not only reaches their community but also reaches to the mission field and carries out the Great Commission.

How each pastor carries out this vision will vary, since there are many philoso- phies of how a church can grow. Pastors create a per- sonal vision of growth and make adaptations when nec- essary to fit the church they are leading. Some pastors, when moving to a different location, even take their pas- toral staff with them. Why? This staff already knows and works well with the pas- tor’s vision and leadership

style. Then there are those pastors, some of whom I have had the privilege and honor to work under, who try their best to work with the existing staff when they come to a new church. The latter takes more patience from both the pastor and the staff member, but I believe it is usually worth the wait.

A Servant’s Heart

Catching the vision of a pastor as a staff member is not always easy. In the process of learning, one is stretched spiri- tually and many times must get out of his or her comfort zone. The staff member will not always agree with the pastor’s method, but must look to the desired outcome instead of the way to get there. Biblically, the pastor is the shepherd of the church and the staff member is an extension of him or her.

Sometimes this can be very humbling. I am not suggesting that staff members cannot have their own ideas about min- istry, but the final word is the pastor’s. That is why a servant’s heart is necessary.

SUPPORTING THE

PASTOR’S VISION

From a Staff Member’s Perspective

cause discord and create need for separation. I still believe, however, that being submis- sive and adaptive are the answers to almost all differ- ences of opinion.

A Patient Follower

by MIKE MIDDLETON

Staff members must stay consistent in their personal time with God and even fast periodically to keep their greatest enemy, their flesh, under submission. This speaks to something many have forgotten in this “serve yourself” world we live in—authority. The law of author- ity says if we want respect from those we are over, we must respect those over us.

An Extension of the Pastor

Leading a church is a very tedious and pressured responsibility. Staff members must become extensions of the pastor’s hands, feet, and heart. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explains the importance of every part of the body of Christ. Since the pas- tor is considered the “under shepherd” in relevance to Christ being “the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23), can you see the importance of the staff member having a passion for the pastor’s vision? Of course, I have been around long enough to know that no scenario is perfect and there are personality conflicts that can

Being submissive and being able to adapt also prompts another almost unknown virtue—patience. Learning to wait is not popu- lar to anyone, even within the church. Could this be the reason so many of us are not mature in our faith and many times are frustrated rather than fulfilled in our minis- tries? A pastor’s vision for his or her flock will take time to be fulfilled. We as staff mem- bers may want to hurry the pastor along, especially if it pertains to our particular field of ministry. An overwhelming majority of the time, howev- er, the pastor knows the pulse

of the church and senses when it is right to move quickly or proceed slowly. That is why we have to be careful as staff mem- bers not to take rejection of our ideas as personal insults when we hear, “Let’s wait a while; I don’t think the time is right.”

Faithful Over a Few Things

In serving under eight different pas- tors in almost 28 years, I have learned to be submissive, adaptive, and sometimes patient. But in this process, I have learned more than I have ever given up. I have gleaned something from every one of these shepherds. I have learned to be a “mini-pastor,” discovering the cause and effect of what real ministry is.

There are also rewards to being “faith- ful over a few things” (Matthew 25:23). I am trusted by my pastor, my congrega- tion, and most of all, my God, to be “over many things.”

Mike Middleton is minister of music at the Loxley, Alabama, Church of God.

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