Tag Archives: Pastoral Theology

Mission Statement: Conformity or Conviction?

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“At First Baptist Church we are committed to…” “Our mission is…” Do you have such a statement in print or posted at your church? If any organization should have a mission statement, it would be a local church. But a mission statement must be more than an implementation of a popular trend, as one book on church evaluation reminds us: “For some organizations, including congregations, vision statements are just so much window dressing. Like earlier ventures into management by objectives and strategic planning, formulating vision statements can function primarily as a ritual—a rather empty one—that a congregation engages in because other organizations and congregations are doing it, or because a denomination requires it, or because the congregation’s leaders think it might be a good idea.

Faithful Shepherding

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The picture given to us in Scripture of faithful local church leadership is that of the shepherd tending his flock. While other terms are used of him—he is an elder which speaks of his maturity and he is a bishop which views his responsibility of oversight of the Lord’s work—the term pastor describes well the heart of his ministry, that of shepherding the flock. Aspiring to hold this office is good, we are told in the Bible (1 Timothy 3:1), and there are many individuals today who occupy this office.

The Goal of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary

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Faith Baptist Theological Seminary trains Christian leaders who are Bible expositors. Since our seminary’s inception, we have set this as our goal. 1. Our Curriculum To help us realize our goal we developed a comprehensive curriculum. We offer Greek and Hebrew so that our students can accurately determine the meaning of the Bible from its original languages. In English Bible classes students learn how to interpret and explain the Bible’s message. We desire our graduates to make the study of God’s Word their life-long ambition, and so we equip them for this endeavor.

Ministry After “The Shelf”

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A young pastor proposes new programs in his first church. Some follow his leadership, but others resist change. After two years, the congregation “blows up” and the pastor is forced to resign. His early dreams of ministry have been shattered. He feels he has been “laid on the shelf.” He finds a new job selling life insurance. A senior pastor, respected by many for his sermons on marriage and the home, finds little time to nurture his own family. Suddenly, his congregation finds him gone, having taken the church organist with him.

Pastoral Direction and Congregational Motivation

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One of the factors that contributes to spiritual and numerical growth in a congregation is that of the direction given by the pastor. Perhaps we need a new pastoral determinism in our churches today. There appears to be a great deal of wishing and hoping, but little wise planning. I’ve heard some of the expressions (and I have used some myself) such as, “We need new blood in this church. We need more motivation. We need new programs. We need a shot in the arm.

The Pastor—Scholar

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A New Testament pastor must be a theologian. He must also be a scholar. Both of these ideas suggest to the casual reader, a man of God who is a bookworm and out-of-touch with reality. Quite the opposite is true. The pastor’s mandate is to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2). This assumes that he accepts the Word is from God Himself in every detail, and that he must proclaim it exactly as God intended it. Rightly understood, then, theology and scholarship move the preacher in the direction of God and His Word, not away from it.

Effective Pastoral Leadership

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Pastoral leadership is taught in the Bible, and yet it is a topic of frequent, if not fervent, discussion and debate in pastors’ meetings, as well as in church parking lots. Pastoral leadership must be and can be effective. A thorough understanding of Scripture is important at this point. There must be a proper application and implementation of Scriptural principles. While there are available many excellent books on the subjects of leadership, administration, and management, some people become frustrated when they are unable to see these subjects presented in their Biblical setting.

Understanding Pastoral Theology

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Many years ago I read some words that came from Clarence E. Macartney which have been indelibly impressed on my mind. These words are, “The pastorate is the front-line trench of the ministry.” His little book entitled, Preaching Without Notes, is an inspiring and practical discussion of preaching. His love for pastoral preaching shows itself repeatedly throughout the book, and on page 175 he writes, “The minister’s occupation is appointed of God, not of man. The current tendency is to secularize the ministry, both its message and its office, as if the work of the minister were just the same as that of a teacher, a physician, a scientist, or an artist, only with a slightly different accent.