Today was quite an exciting day in the life of the church I attend and am a member of. We have been without a “Senior Pastor” for almost three years. Today, we “elected” a new one who will be starting officially in September.
The vote today was the conclusion to a much longer process, starting about 4 months ago. It included interviews, background checking and reference gathering, meetings with search committee members, dinners including spouses, guided tours of our town, email and telephone conversations, meetings with elders, pastors and staff, congregation members, and other open meetings for anyone who cared to come to meet the pastor candidate and his wife.
Because my wife was on the search committee, I was able to meet and get to know the candidate much longer ago than most other church members. I was impressed with him from the very beginning and thought to myself… could this be the one? I confess that I wasn’t always sure given the nature of our church and the process.
However, as the process unfolded, and more and more confirmations and affirmations were experienced, we made it to the final week. This was a grueling final week of open meetings, to meet and get to know the candidate and his wife, as well as to ask questions. In one question and answer session the question was raised… “Why do you want to become our Senior Pastor.”
I was impressed with his answer. He stated categorically that he didn’t feel he wanted the position of “Senior Pastor.” But rather, in light of the gifts that God had given to him to study, teach and preach the Word (the Bible), and for visionary, strategic leadership, that he is most well suited for a role as what most churches call a “senior pastor.” He also specifically stated that he did not view it as a position to be filled, but rather as a role within the body of Christ (the church) he felt called by God to exercise.
In light of my understanding of the lack of a biblical basis for what most evangelical churches think of and call as a “senior pastor”, this answer gave me great comfort [See my blog post on "The Senior Pastor: Is He Biblical?"]. Although there will still be a danger as many within the church will want to put the senior pastor in a special category where he doesn’t belong, or on a pedestal with some kind of celebrity status, at least the man himself is aware of the problem, and understands his role correctly and biblically.
My hope and prayer is that perhaps through the ministry style and leadership our new fellow traveler (senior pastor), our church will grow in our understanding of the priesthood of every believer, that we are all called to the work of the ministry, and that each of us has been gifted by God to play an integral and important part in the edification and healthy functioning of the body of Christ.
