The Priority of Local Churches Having a Pastor

We began to reject denominations, now we are rejecting pastors.

A few decades ago the non-denominational church fad began. For the most part, people began to become disenfranchised with the mainline denominations, and embracing that freedom loving, individualistic American spirit, they broke ties. "Who cares if the Bible requires us to be connected, we need to go out on our own--blaze a new trail and do church our way."

I'm glad that tide is starting to change. Just a few weeks ago I met a pastor who said that he is with a non-denominational church that is linked to a certain association of churches that provides oversight and accountability--in essence, a non-denominational denomination.

But the winds of change have not begun to blow in hurricane proportions. As a matter of fact, the "throw the baby out with the bathwater" mentality is still with us. Some churches are now even going further, throwing out the office of pastor too.

I have met a few churches like this and heard of many more. It seems that the egalitarian spirit that pervades America has hit the church too. We post moderns have rejected all authority and said that no one has the right to be the top dog.

While it comes in different forms, one of the big ways this manifests itself is through what is being called "the satellite church." This is where a "mother church" plants a church in another city, but the plant does not have its own pastor. The pastor from the mother church is piped in via a live video cast each Sunday for the message. The churches have different worship services led by different bands/worship leaders. Then when it comes time for the message, the jumbotron turns on and the preacher appears on the screen.

Yet not having a pastor in the local church harms the flock of God. Just today I listened to a sermon on the 1 Timothy passage that says, "Watch your life and your doctrine...because if you do you will save yourself and your hearers." Here alone ought to be enough reason for a local pastor. The pastor, whose profession is godliness and piety, becomes, in a very true sense, the congregation's savior.

This is not to mention that the whole of the epistles of Timothy and Titus were written to pastors, the epistles recorded in the first 3 chapters of Revelation were written to the "angel" or messenger (traditionally known as the pastor/preacher) of those local churches.

Practically speaking a church should want a pastor because of the spiritual services he provides. By trade the pastor handles the word of God. Therefore he is apt to counsel, teach classes for adults and children (yes the children!), and assist with the other duties of governing the flock of God.

In sum, the pastor serves as the shepherd of the sheep. No sheep throw out the shepherd. Rather they trust him for guidance and provision. And no shepherd would try to oversee his flock via a jumbotron. The shepherd eats, sleeps, weeps and rejoices alongside his sheep.