DISCIPLING From the Pulpit
by
Herschell Baker
Winterfest in 1988. I believe it was the combination of the Word of God and the move of the Holy Spirit that prepared me for that moment. I also believe the love of the youth pastor and his wife helped lead me to the point of salvation. The instant after surrendering my life to Christ, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Yet God was not finished changing me.
T
I remember what God said like it was yesterday: “I want you to pastor and teach My people.” Those words were unexpect- ed though not altogether surprising. That calling has shaped my life. It has also been the source of much study and reflection for me. The debate has raged in theological circles for years: Are all pas- tors called to teach, or are the positions of teacher and pastor two separate callings? Ephesians 4:11 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” (NIV).
12 EVANGEL | November 2010
HE AIR IN OUR ROOM at the Holiday Inn had turned cold as we prayed that Saturday night of Smoky Mountain
Park West Church of God is fortunate to have a pastor like GERALD McGINNIS, who takes seriously his responsibility to participate in the spiritual growth of the congregation.
Regardless of where one stands in this debate, two truths remain. First, the body of Christ needs the gifts of both pastor and teacher to attain the level of maturity to which God has called its members. Paul makes this clear in verses 12 and 13: “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” (NIV). Second, pastors have a responsibility to disciple—to prepare for service, to build up, and to help mature—their congregations.
An Example
Park West Church of God (Knoxville, TN) is blessed to have Gerald McGinnis as lead pastor. In his 30-year tenure, Pastor McGinnis and his wife, Dawn, have been church planters, counselors, prayer war- riors, evangelists, administrators, friends, and more. Yet, it is possible that the most lasting impact made by Pastor McGinnis is the result of his devotion to discipling the congregation from the pulpit. He is
the lead disciple-maker at Park West. McGinnis makes discipling from the pulpit a priority for two primary reasons. First, he sees the great potential the Sunday morning worship setting affords him to effect spiritual growth in the most people possible. This is an especially important concern for him as he prepares his sermons, because not all people who attend morning worship service also attend Sunday school or small groups. Because the Sunday worship service is the most attended service of the church’s week, one of its primary purposes must be to disciple those in attendance. Further, Pastor McGinnis believes that “those who are called to pastor and teach have the potential to offer great insight because of the time they can give to prayer and study of the Word.” This is especially true for those whose full-time or part-time voca- tion is local-church ministry.
Second, his career in ministry has also made him aware that churches that do not emphasize discipleship and spiritual growth often pay a serious price for this omission. Pastor McGinnis has often told
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