I’m old enough (as are Dave Miller and William Thornton), to remember the old Baptist Program magazine. The SBC Executive Committee published it for years, and SBC Life replaced it some years ago. Chevis Horne often wrote for the Baptist Program, and he served for many years as the pastor of the FBC of Martinsville, Virginia. He wrote an article that I’ve pondered over several decades. In that article he posed the question: Should a pastor be more prophetic or more pastoral? In the article he made the point that the more you are one, the harder it is to be the other. In other words, if a pastor preaches prophetically, then it is harder to be pastoral.
How does this work in practice? For example, a pastor might preach a powerful sermon, condemning abortion. That sermon would be a prophetic condemnation of a social evil. Most Southern Baptists would affirm such a sermon. However, the pastor who preached the sermon might find it difficult to minister to a woman in the church who had submitted to an abortion. Or, a pastor might preach a sermon in which he condemned divorce. That might make it harder to minister to someone in the church who had been divorced and felt guilty about it. You get the idea.
In the article, Chevis Horne concluded by advocating an appropriate balance between being prophetic and being pastoral. After all, a local church pastor must be both—his congregation’s prophetic and its shepherd. I believe we would all agree with his conclusion, but it seems to me the hard part is finding that appropriate balance. It is fair to say that some pastors lean toward the prophetic, while others lean toward being pastoral. Clearly, both are important.
So, I’m putting the question to our Voices readers. Pastors may want to share their approaches to this dilemma, and our readers who are not pastors may wish to tell which they prefer. So, what shall it be? Prophetic or pastoral?
I have found personally, that I can be convictional as long as I include myself in with those that are struggling and broken. I think what is unhelpful and a turn off to people is the hypothetical caste system of sins that we sometimes promote. If we are all broken and trying to recover and pursue God’s design, you can address any kind of topic with conviction and empathy.
Yes, we do all face the tension whether we realize it or not. I use the term grace and truth, referencing John 1:14 and John’s description of a Jesus as full of grace and truth.
Most of us are inclined toward one or the other based on our gifts and personality. I tend to be a truther and have to work at grace sometimes. Some Pastors i know are the opposite.
I think we usually know which way we lean if we’re honest.,
Just ask yourself; “would I rather proclaim God’s Word, or pastor and shepherd God’s people?
In our terms, study and preach or visit, counsel, minister, etc.
We all know it’s it not either- or. Most of us will spend our ministry trying to find and keep that balance.
I suppose whichever God has gifted him most with would seem like an obvious if simplistic answer.
I guess I don’t see the role of pastor as the main or only prophetic voice in the church. So I guess my priority would be for a pastor to be pastoral. That said, I don’t think a prophetic sermon must necessarily be harsh. I think an acceptable solution would be to preach the hard topics in a direct and instructive way, but framed in mind with the realization that there may be folks in the congregation that need to heal from the effects of having been affected by the particular sin. Point them back to the cross, acknowledge the reality and pain of the sin but point them to the one who paid for that sin like all the other sins, and remind them that they don’t need to stay under the condemnation of that and find their identity in that. The accuser will try to hold them under their sin, so instead bring it to the Light and help them out from under that.
In by-gone years I knew a pastor who loved being a pastor, but he hated to preach. I’ve known more pastors who love to preach, but they find pastoral ministry taxing. Les is surely correct that most of us are bent more in one direction. Spiritual giftedness and personality play into this. Kimberly, you make your point well-that preachers can present the truth, but offer forgiveness and consolation, as well.
And that’s the balance for which we must all strive. Not only will we behold His glory but (I believe) we will reflect His glory as we present both truth and grace in our lives and ministry. 1Thess. 2:8 is a good model I try to teach and remind my leaders and myself.
While I grew up Southern Baptist and attended a Baptist university and seminary, I have long questioned the traditional Baptist church leadership structure that only has one ministry role, the ubiquitous “pastor.” In my 20 something years since seminary, I’ve had a broader experience of local church expressions including a five year period of solely participating in a house church. In this time, I’ve come to believe that plural eldership is a more biblical alternative to one or more “pastors” leading a congregation. Of course, there is always the argument that pastors and elders are the same thing and that deacons function as elders in most SBC churches. But overall, our approach is a mess and pretty much biblically unreasonable.
Yes, I said it! I have long believed that we are in need of a second reformation that affects church structure out of the institutional monstrosity that it is now and long has been (still harkening to the catholic clergy/laity distinction). Many in leadership decry the immature state of the majority of members in their churches. Why is this? Most of it is owing to this monolithic pastoral approach to ministry that has no understanding of the biblical model found in Ephesians 4.
God has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the building up of the body. Sure, there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers who are filling pastorates because those are the only jobs available and because they get funny looks if they say that they’re apostles or prophets (if they indeed even know their true giftings). But being cast into a pastoral role somewhat limits them from being who they are and creates tension between them and the congregation. That is one reason for the high pastoral turnover rate.
We need to hear the voice of the prophets and pastors and apostles and evangelists and teachers. We are all still here despite what cessationism claims. It’s time for us to rethink ministry and leave behind the monolithic priesthood. Let’s quit making everyone fit the stodgy role so witlessly called “pastor” and realize God has given us something far greater and more diverse!
Guess which one of the giftings I have!
For those of us who aren’t prophetic, how about putting your whole name in your comments? Thanks.
Well Michael, if we have to guess then you haven’t made your gift or gifting very clear then, huh?
Micheal,
Well I’m sure your not a stodgy old pastor.
NEIther did you do anything apostlelty.
Nor did you prophesy.
NOr did you give the Gospel.
Nor did you use the Word and teach us anything.
Is confused a gifting?
It seems to me that the dichotomy here comes short of the reality of who God is and what a prophet is. Grace is truth, and the truth is that God is gracious, good, kind, and loving, as well as just and of unending wrath toward sin. And what is a prophet? Is he not one who speaks God’s message to His people and to the world? God’s message to the world is the gospel–a warning of impending destruction, a conviction of sin, a call to repentance, and an offer of salvation by grace through faith in His Son. But He also has a message to His people–a conviction of sin, a call to repentance, a call to seek Him with ever more of one’s heart, a call to push through the “the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us” (as “the twentieth-century prophet,” A.W. Tozer described it)–a call to die to self and sin through the cross’ work within us, a call to be a living sacrifice, a call to boldly enter the Holy of Holies and to live in the presence of God–a call to joy and victory in Him!
Whether it is God’s message to the world or to His own people, it is the same God and the same prophetic spirit. The fact is that God in His nature, as revealed in His Son, is far more pastoral and far more of a Shepherd than any other man could ever be. The prophet reveals God and tries, by the message, to bring people a clearer understanding of who God is and what He is saying. Tozer defined it this way:
I’m not a pastor, but this is what I have to offer on the matter.
You can’t be one without the other. That is, you can be nice to people all day long, but unless you are willing to help them fight their own sin, you aren’t really pastoring them. You can stand in the pulpit and condemn evil week in and week out, but if you aren’t working with each of your members where they are both individually and corporately, your condemnation will fall on deaf ears.
Therefore, a balance is the only way to achieve either one. The benefit is that you achieve both.
I think the pastor who chooses one or the other will fail in his task. He must expose that which is contrary to Christ while also comforting his people that “he who began a good work will carry it on to completion.”
The very nature of God is holiness and love. A Christ-centered ministry must reflect both.
Finding the balance is the key.
I strongly agree with those who have already commented that this is not an either/or issue, but that of and/both, and that a balance is what is called for. The question of how to achieve that balance is the struggle. Although this may sound simplistic to deep thinkers, I believe the way to achieve the right balance is to go back to the basics. What do we tell young pastors are the most important things to do…? Preach the Word and love people.
If we are faithful to preach the Word, expositionally, verse-by-verse and book-by-book, then we accomplish the task of preaching the whole counsel of God. The pastoral AND the prophetic. The love and grace and lovingkindness, AND the holy, truthful justice. The Holy Scriptures contain everything we need for life and godliness.
Second, if we are faithful to love the body of Christ that He has entrusted to our care, then we will shepherd them. And what does Psalm 23 tell us a shepherd does? Lead, Feed, Protect and Comfort. As under-shepherds serving under The Good Shepherd, love must permeate not just what we do, but the why of what we do.
I believe if we Preach the Word and Love People, and are led by and walk in the Spirit, then (while we will make mistakes) the general direction we will travel will be that of spiritual balance.
Absolutely agree