The Proper Care Of A Pastor
On July 1st, I wrote an article about pastoral authority. I believe I received more personal responses to that article than anything else I have written. It seems to me that I touched a nerve with both laymen and pastors alike. One of the major themes in the article was the length of the pastor's tenure. I believe that pastors need to stay longer at their churches. I believe this is a major reason pastors struggle with authority. They don't stay long enough to garner the respect needed for authority.
In this post, I would like to give some suggestions for church members. One of the reasons pastors leave so often is due to the fact that many churches do not know how to take care of their pastor. This isn't your fault, you just don't know how. So, hopefully this article will teach some churches what they need to do to take care of their pastors.
First, make certain your church is doing the best it can at meeting your pastor's financial needs. Most pastors have to pay for their healthcare, retirement, social security, and work expenses out of their pay package. Many churches offer a pay package of $40,000 and think that it is enough. They do not realize that this $40,000 isn't a salary. All of a pastors benefits come out of it as well. Most private companies pay over $10,000 a year on an individuals personal benefits. You need to make sure your pastor is not choosing between health insurance and a proper place to live. If your pastor is doing this, you probably will not keep him to long.
Second, make certain that the church's constitution, by-laws, and rules are not harmful to the pastor. I have probably read 100 church constitutions in my life. Many of them are a hindrance to the pastor. I have read unBiblical things in church documents. I have read documents that place the deacons in authority over the pastor. The Bible must have been thrown out the door when that statement was pinned. I have read down right un-thoughtful things about a pastor in a constitution. Some constitutions limit pastor's vacations, and some constitutions force pastor's to pay fees when they are not in the pulpit. Simply put, you need to read over your constitution and make certain your pastor can do his job without hindrance in your church's governing rules.
Third, make certain your pastor's work environment is suitable for him. Does your pastor's office look professional? Have your provided a good desk for him? Have you provided proper book shelves for him? Is the office equipment you have for him up to date? All of these things matter to a pastor. Many people place their pastors in offices that they would throw a fit about if their employer did the same. Many church members want their pastor's to be up to date on everything, but they give their pastors equipment that is old and out of date. Church members need to look around their church and make certain that the pastor's needs are being met. Do not expect your pastor to be happy if the work environment he has to work in is poor.
Finally, be your pastor's friend. A pastor and his family are usually outsiders to the community they come to serve. Most pastors preach that all they need is the Lord. However, it would be nice to have a friend as well. Every pastor knows that he is going to be talked about by church members. As a pastor, you are going to have your ministry spoken about around dinner tables. If you want to bless your pastor, invite him every now and then to the dinner table for the conversation. It will bless him and his family.
So there you have it, the proper care of a pastor. Oh by the way, tell him his sermon made you really examine yourself. If your pastor was a dog, that would be like scratching him behind the ears.
In this post, I would like to give some suggestions for church members. One of the reasons pastors leave so often is due to the fact that many churches do not know how to take care of their pastor. This isn't your fault, you just don't know how. So, hopefully this article will teach some churches what they need to do to take care of their pastors.
First, make certain your church is doing the best it can at meeting your pastor's financial needs. Most pastors have to pay for their healthcare, retirement, social security, and work expenses out of their pay package. Many churches offer a pay package of $40,000 and think that it is enough. They do not realize that this $40,000 isn't a salary. All of a pastors benefits come out of it as well. Most private companies pay over $10,000 a year on an individuals personal benefits. You need to make sure your pastor is not choosing between health insurance and a proper place to live. If your pastor is doing this, you probably will not keep him to long.
Second, make certain that the church's constitution, by-laws, and rules are not harmful to the pastor. I have probably read 100 church constitutions in my life. Many of them are a hindrance to the pastor. I have read unBiblical things in church documents. I have read documents that place the deacons in authority over the pastor. The Bible must have been thrown out the door when that statement was pinned. I have read down right un-thoughtful things about a pastor in a constitution. Some constitutions limit pastor's vacations, and some constitutions force pastor's to pay fees when they are not in the pulpit. Simply put, you need to read over your constitution and make certain your pastor can do his job without hindrance in your church's governing rules.
Third, make certain your pastor's work environment is suitable for him. Does your pastor's office look professional? Have your provided a good desk for him? Have you provided proper book shelves for him? Is the office equipment you have for him up to date? All of these things matter to a pastor. Many people place their pastors in offices that they would throw a fit about if their employer did the same. Many church members want their pastor's to be up to date on everything, but they give their pastors equipment that is old and out of date. Church members need to look around their church and make certain that the pastor's needs are being met. Do not expect your pastor to be happy if the work environment he has to work in is poor.
Finally, be your pastor's friend. A pastor and his family are usually outsiders to the community they come to serve. Most pastors preach that all they need is the Lord. However, it would be nice to have a friend as well. Every pastor knows that he is going to be talked about by church members. As a pastor, you are going to have your ministry spoken about around dinner tables. If you want to bless your pastor, invite him every now and then to the dinner table for the conversation. It will bless him and his family.
So there you have it, the proper care of a pastor. Oh by the way, tell him his sermon made you really examine yourself. If your pastor was a dog, that would be like scratching him behind the ears.
posted by Foundes Community Church @ 6:55 AM
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