The Humanity of a Pastor

In That Their Work Will Be a Joy: Understanding and Coping with the Challenges of Pastoral Ministry, Cameron Lee and Kurt Fredrickson identify the strain between pastoral work being a joy and a burden. By acknowledging the plethora of responsibilities and articulating all that is expected of a pastor in the 21st century, Lee and Fredrickson construct five principles to help pastors rediscover joy in their ministerial work. I have found their insight particularly helpful in demystifying a pastor's heroic and self-sacrificing role while emphasizing the pastor's human need to maintain healthy relationships, family life, limitations, bodily care, and the Sabbath. 

As outlined in the first chapter, the role of a pastor today appears overwhelming: requiring "the knowledge of a social scientist and the insight and imagination of a poet, the executive talents of a business [leader] and the mental discipline of a philosopher." Lee and Frederickson identify the extremities of the pastoral role and briefly examine how the pastoral role has changed over the centuries. In the early church, the pastor would take on an apostolic role to "extend" the gospel. Then in Constantine's era, with less differentiation between the church and culture, a pastor was more of a "priest and chaplain." The pastor's role then shifted to teaching the Bible during the Reformation. Though Lee and Frederickson state that the pastor’s role today is more professional than educational in Scripture, I have found many evangelical churches that almost equally emphasizes the role of pastor as running a business professionally (managing, leading staff, executing goals) at the same time, teaching Scripture. 

In considering the changing role of a pastor, I have often contemplated the Reformation's impact on the Church amid the printing revolution – placing responsibility on the average person to understand and read Scripture. If the role of the congregant is to engage with Scripture, perhaps even to the extent a minister engages with Scripture, what is the pastor's unique role? I have found Andrew Root's book, The Pastor in a Secular Age, an excellent resource to attempt to answer this question. Lee and Frederickson explain,

"The joy of ministry is rooted in 'paying holy attention' to where the Spirit is blowing through a particular congregation." 

"The day of the missionary pastor has come," where pastors are to respond to the call and the Holy Spirit's empowerment.

Lee and Fredrickson state, "like it or not, it is the pastor's role to represent God, and some people are apt to equate what pastors say and do with the divine." Although they recognize this as an incorrect stance, this statement cannot be how we, as pastors, move forward or embrace the calling of ministry. We must actively fight against the misconception of the spiritual hierarchy by emphasizing the priesthood of all believers. As the Reformation in the 16th century resulted from a papacy that misrepresented the gospel and biblical truths – it is a terrifying thought that if we are passive in fighting the misconception of spiritual hierarchy within the church, pastors can have an erroneous amount of power over the congregation. In recognizing the human needs of ministers through the five principles stated by Lee and Fredrickson, we must also recognize the pastor's humanity of error and brokenness. We see in our modern culture the ripple effects of "celebrity" pastors falling away from God. Pastors cannot be equated to the divine; we must actively work against this.

In the latter portion of the book, Lee and Fredrickson provide practical tools for pastors to incorporate into their daily rhythms. They challenge pastors to understand their physical and mental limitations and commission congregants to support their pastors toward healthy boundaries. In a culture where production and work are of ultimate value, we are challenged to practice Sabbath and find our ultimate worth and identity in the love of God. I agree with Lee and Fredrickson that "as a church, we need to take a stand against a culture of overwork." As believers in the world and as pastors to the congregation, we need to exemplify what it means to find our identity in God, resting in him rather than what we produce.

I appreciate Lee and Fredrickson's affirmation of our personal humanity. Pastors are also imperfect and broken, with personal limitations that can easily be ignored because of our role in the church and other believers' lives. As we continue to empower the congregation to embrace the priesthood of all believers further, we need to acknowledge our dependence on God and intentionally take on the practice of the Sabbath. We need to embrace his freedom and rest, for he says, "My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9); all the more, we embrace our humanity.