BAPTIST POLITY DISTINCTIVES

Lesson Three: Pastoral Leadership

The San Marcelino Baptist Bible Seminary, AllFouth Year Students

HOW A PASTOR SHOULD RULE

There is no doubt that the pastor is to be a leader. And while he may not think of himself as a
dictator (he is just using his authority), sometimes a pastor will try to control every aspect of a members
life, claiming that he is only concerned for their spiritual welfare. He can forbid them to watch certain TV
programs or listen to certain music, and even tell them what job to take, who to marry, where they should
work, and more... After a while he can abuse his authority and use the standard passages that command
his mebers to submit to his authority as their pastor.

"Remember them which have the RULE OVER YOU, who have spoken unto you the Word of God: whose
faith follow....(Heb.13:7)

"Obey them that have the RULE OVER YOU, and SUBMIT YOURSELVES: for they watch over your
souls, as they must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable
for you.." (Heb.13:17

To prevent this kind of problem, God has given us clear guidelines on how a pastor is to rule his
congregation.

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you,
taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither
as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall
appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (I Peter 5:1-4)

TYPES OF PASTORAL LEADERSHIP

While Independent Baptist churches are to Scripturally practice a democratic form of governement, since
God holds the pastor responsible for the condition of the church ( ), there is a fine balance between the
will of the people and the will of the pastor. This fine balance usually results in a democratic government
which combines congregational and presbyterian, and of which manifests itself in four different leadership
styles among the pastorate, some of which are replaced by others as the church grows.

1. Pastoral Dictatorship (My way or the Highway)

This method of leadership is most often used when starting a mission. Since the pastor is dealing with
baby Christians, he naturally will make all the decisions himself, including how the small offerings will be
spent. But as the work grows, the pastor may continue with this leadership style, eventually gaining a
following of believers who do not challenge him. Those who did have already left, and those who stayed
have grown accustomed to being told what to do. The pastor projects himself in such a way that his
authority over all these matters is never challenged, and will spend the church money as he sees the
need, hire and fire staff, and do anything else he wants. While this method of leadership is effective, it is
only effective for the pastor and not the church. The remaining congregation who did not leave, remains
weak and dependent upon the authoritive direction of their pastor, and never learns how to mature by
solving their own problems, and the pastor can further misuse their funds. The kind of Christian who
remains loyal to pastors of this type, either hold a high respect for the "Man of God" who must never be
questioned but always obeyed, or are weak in their personalities and are followers by nature.

2. Selective Congregational (we will meet to discuss this matter)

By selective, we mean that the pastor selects when the congregation should be involved in the decision
making process. While this is usually based upon the pastor's own code of leadership ethics, he usually
includes the church in the more substancial decisons which require money, church sacrifice or which will
directly determine the future of the church such as a property purchase, building program, or starting a
new ministry. He does this by announcing that there will be a business meeting, formal or informal, to
discuss the issues and to take a vote that will be binding upon the congregation. This method is good
when the church averages about 30 to 50 in attendance, no deacons are yet formed, and the help of
every member is needed to support the plan or project. It is NOT good in a church over 100 in which
several groups within the membership may all want their own way.

3. Pastor and Deacons (the board approved it so we will proceed)

Here, the pastor still maintains control, but he usually turns over his financial ideas and other important
matters to a committee of deacons or other close and trusted members for their approval before he
moves forward. This method of leadership is good when a church is growing and the pastor simply
cannot handle the volume of major decisions that needs to be made. It is also better than having an
entire congregation fight over what to do. The danger of this leadership style is that many times, a
controling pastor will put on the committee those who he knows he can control, or who will think exactly
the way he does. When this happens, the pastor still remains a dictator but now can hide this fact by
claiming the decison was not his but was made from the committee.

4. Combinational

In "Combinational" the pastor recognizes that there are different ways of getting things done and uses the
best leadership option. He may decide alone if a certain missionary should be scheduled to preach, but
may deligate the missionary decorations to a committee, take a church vote to determine if that
missionary should be supported, and meet with the deacons to decide the amount. His primary
leadership objective is to lead his church effectively based upon what is good for them, and not just for
himself. But this combinational leadership cannot be implemented suddenly. Usually it is a growing
process because at first, the infant mission is usually led by the pastor alone. Then when it reaches
about 30 the pastor starts including them in the decisions, taking votes. Then when it is organized into a
large church, committees are used to make certain decisions to avoid deadlocks.

1. Through Adminstration 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:7,17, 24

The pastor’s position of overseeing the church is similar to that of a supervisor or manager. He is not to
do all of the work of the ministry--every Christian must be busy in the work of Christ--but the pastor is to
supervise all of the work. There is widespread rebellion against and resistance to pastoral authority today.
Such is the product of the fallen human nature. The “old man” hates authority; he will not have anyone
rule over him. But pastoral authority is God-given, and the one who resists a God-called pastor in his work
of leading the church according to the Word of God will answer to Jesus Christ for his stubbornness. As
an "overseer" the ruling work of a pastor involves leading and directing the affairs and activities of the
church. He is the chief administrator. His office of bishop automatically places him over the congregation
to lead the way and manage their ministries.

A pastor should lead wisely so that the people grow to respect his influence. It should be his spiritual
influence, not his thundering demands, that produces cooperation from the members [though there is
definitely a time for the pastor to make thundering demands -- see Titus 1:13, for
example!].
2. By Protecting His Flock 1 Timothy 5:17

As the shepherd, the pastor rules by protecting the flock of spiritual sheep from religious wolves. Some
dangers are from people outside of the church. Sometimes false teachers appear within the membership.
Because of this, the pastor must have the final decision concerning what is taught and by whom, and
must judge all things that are taught to make certain it is correct (1 Co. 14:29).

How does the pastor guard the church? By teaching them the truths of God's Word. Also by keeping them
informed of false teachings so the members will recognize heresy when they hear or read it. Many means
of doing this are available to him.

The pastor needs wisdom in recognizing a hardened heretic within the membership. The bishop [local
church pastor] must be careful not to attack, hurt and run off someone who is honestly confused,
someone who has sincere questions and doubts, someone who is somewhat unstable. I have seen this
happen. He must be discerning and cautious in his dealings. Yet he must not allow doctrines to be taught
in Bible classes or homes that are contrary to the confession of faith adopted by the church. The
members should stand with their pastor in such matters.

This doesn't mean every pastor is always right in everything he teaches. He must allow some right to
differ without driving away disagreeing members. Demanding that every member and teacher accept
everything the pastor teaches drives away many good Bible students and eventually digs his grave in that
church.

3. By Minstration or "ministering" 1 Timothy 5:17, "proistemi"

The pastor is also a "minister" who should love every member and show it. This conditions his role of
leadership and protection. Deeply caring about the members prevents him from being an overlord who
either runs over members or runs them off [without proper and biblical cause]. Ruling involves ministering
to or serving the members. According to Jesus in Matthew 20:25-28 if a pastor is a great ruler he is a
great minister, a great servant. Sinful pride in a preacher is revealed when he throws his weight around.
Meekness, humility and eagerness to lovingly help do not weaken his authority. It increases the members'
respect for him. It heightens his ministerial stature. It enlarges his "leadership by influence." Too often a
pastor thinks of ruling only as being boss. But the above definitions reveal it to include the servant side.
Any preacher who is unwilling to serve, help and aid his people will lose their positive response to his
leadership. Like Moses, the modern pastor must temper courage with meekness. Like Christ, the pastor's
example, superintending must be flavored with public humility.

4. By Ruling with God's Word (Heb.13:7)

Hebrews 13:7 teaches: "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the
word of God..." This does not mean that just because a man teaches and preaches the Bible he
automatically has the authority to rule over a congregation. Hebrews 13:7 reveals HOW he is to rule. He
rules WITH THE WORD. He reads to the people what Christ commands in the New Testament. He
teaches the church out of the Holy Scriptures what God says for him and them to do. The members
should then be able to read and see those commandments and practices as plainly as the pastor.

Demanding that the people obey the preacher is not ruling. Just because the pastor preaches something
is not enough. If he says the Bible teaches an idea he should cite clear-cut scriptures that plainly say so.
Members should beware of the man who insists that people trust him. They have a right to refuse to
follow strange ideas they can't find in clear language in the New Testament. This blindly following men
has resulted in confusion and chaos in Christendom. God's man will have no fear of questions about his
teachings. He will urge the members to think for themselves and be "Berean Christians." They "searched
the Scriptures daily" to see if what Paul taught was true. Acts 17:10,11. Ruling a church is teaching and
urging the members to believe and do what Christ plainly commanded. Their obedience then is not just to
the pastor. It is to Christ. The pastor becomes God's agent in achieving this obedience. This is how he is
to rule a church.

5. Rule by His own Faith (Heb.13:7)

Hebrews 13:7 also says, "... whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." Pastors are to
rule by their faith.

Faith involves doctrinal beliefs. See Jude 3. A pastor's doctrines should be clear to the people that they
are God's doctrines. The members should be able to read in the New Testament what their pastor
believes. Then he has the authority to urge the members to accept and follow those teachings. Faith also
involves a personal trust in God. Romans 1:17. The pastor must be a man of bold but wise trust in the
Lord. The people should see him live this way and see how God blesses him. Then he can urge them to
do likewise.

6. Rule by Watching (Heb.13:17)

The final step in ruling is found in Hebrews 13:17. Concerning the pastor it says, "... for they watch for
your souls..." This word "watch" comes from "agrupneo" meaning to be watchful even to the point of
losing sleep. This does not imply that the pastor is to stay up nights spying on the members. This does
reveal, though, that a pastor is to observe the lives of the members. Some of their conduct may cause
him to be so concerned that he stays awake at night praying for them. He may lose sleep searching the
Word of find truths to help them. He yearns to see them return to righteous living. He prays for wisdom in
how to reach and help these straying sheep. Then this pastor follows God's Word and his inner leadings
as to when to talk to them and what to say.

Ruling a church requires God's grace, God's wisdom, God's leadership and God's power. If any service
requires utter dependence upon the Lord, it is the work of ruling a church. It is a fulltime work. It is an
honorable work. In fact, there is no greater work on earth than that of Holy Spirit-led ruling. The judgment
seat of Christ will produce many glorious rewards for these humble, faithful servants of the Lord.

SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PASTOR’S AUTHORITY

The authority exercised by a pastor, missionary, or other church leader is to be distinctly different from
that exercised by leaders in the secular world (1 Pet. 5:3; Mk. 10:42-43).

(1) IT IS THE MINISTERING AUTHORITY OF A SHEPHERD (Acts 20:28; 2 Co. 13:10; 1 Pet. 5:2). The
authority of a pastor is for the purpose of building up and protecting God’s people and work.

(2) IT IS THE SUBMISSIVE, HUMBLE AUTHORITY OF A STEWARD (Mark 10:42-25; 1 Co. 3:9; 4:1;
12:7; Tit. 1:7; 1 Pet. 4:10; 5:3-5). The pastor is to rule under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ, not by
his own mind or will. The church is God’s property; the people are God’s people; the work is God’s work.
He is merely a steward or caretaker. Contrast this with the ministry of proud, willful Diotrephes (3 Jn. 9-
10).

(3) IT IS A LOVING AUTHORITY OF A FATHER (1 Th. 2:7-11). The pastor is to have a godly, loving,
tender, sacrificial consideration for the welfare of the people. His rule is not to be an overbearing, self-
serving type of rule. He rejoices when his children

(4) IT IS A LIBERATING AUTHORITY--THE AUTHORITY TO BUILD UP NOT HOLD DOWN (2 Cor.

10:8; Eph. 4:11-12).
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PASTORING AND LORDING

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you,
taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither
as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3)

Pastors have real authority in the church, but it is a different kind of authority than that exercised by the
world. Note some of the differences as follows:

Scriptural pastors love the flock and lead by compassion, but lords typically despise compassion; they
don’t encourage; they merely demand (1 Thess. 2:7-8).

Scriptural pastors lead by example, but lords merely make demands with little or no awareness that they
must live what they demand (1 Pet. 5:3).

Scriptural pastors know that the flock is not their own, but lords feel that they own the people and thus can
control them according to their own will (1 Pet. 5:2, 3 “flock of God” “God’s heritage”).

Scriptural pastors care more about the welfare of the saints than their own profit, but lords rule for
personal gain and are not afraid to abuse the people (1 Pet. 5:2).

Scriptural pastors are humble and do not consider themselves greater than the flock, but lords exalt
themselves high above the people (1 Pet. 5:2 “among you”; 1 Pet. 5:5).

Scriptural pastors aim to build up the people and free them to do God’s will, but lords want to control the
people and hold them down (Eph. 4:11-12; 2 Cor. 10:8). The Greek word translated “destruction” in 2 Cor.
10:8 is also translated “pulling down” (2 Cor. 10:4).

“But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over
the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall
it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of
you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45)