The Pastor
· H. B. London, Jr. – Vice President for Church & Clergy at Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family's ministry to clergy families began in 1992. I had been the pastor to Dr. and Mrs. Dobson in Southern California. One night we were at dinner with our wives, and Dr. Dobson looked across the table at me and said, "We are receiving a lot of mail from the clergy whose lives are in crisis." And then he said, "I wonder if you and I could work together on their behalf without killing one another?"
You see, Jim Dobson and I are cousins, and as only children we had kind of a sibling rivalry going. Our working together began 17 years ago, and the ministry that was begun then is still vital today with more than 100,000 pastors and Christian leaders on our responsibility list.
When I talk to congregations about their spiritual leaders, and what I believe constitutes proper care for them, I always say:
Pray for them. A Christian leader without an arsenal of prayer support is impotent. I tell them to put their pastor's picture on the refrigerator door. Each time they go there, say a prayer.
Let them dream. A pastor without a divinely commissioned dream is a pastor who will soon [only] be going through the motions. Pastors need to see progress, and progress begins with a dream that can become reality. Encourage your leaders to reach beyond their grasp. All meaningful dreams are God's idea for His church.
Treat them with respect. The writer to the Hebrews said, "Respect (obey) them so their work will be a joy not a burden" (Heb. 13:17). In other words, respect the fact that the men and women who serve the church have been hand-picked by Almighty God, and they represent His voice and presence in the world.
Honor their families. There was a time when the work ethic of spiritual leaders was established by the leadership of a church or organization. Now we realize that the most important constituency of any leader is their spouse and children. Leaders deserve days off and adequate vacation. They should be fairly compensated and affirmed. Work hours should be reasonable and expectations should be realistic.
I value my role as a "pastor to pastors." I am grateful to God for my assignment, and say with the Apostle Paul, "Pastor (Christian leader) we ought always to thank God for you." (2 Thess.1:3).
Photo Credit: Anon., Bahrain