I sat with a Pastor this week and simply asked, ‘Are you happy?’ I’m not sure he was ready for that question. I asked it because he didn’t look it. Not that he was at fault for not looking happy it was what was happening in the church. I think without being unrealistic an unhappy leader is an unhappy church.
“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” (Hebrews 13 v 17)
Next week my denomination will see a major hand-over of leadership when one General Superintendent steps down after 8 years leading us and another takes the baton. I along with the Ministers of the denomination will commit ourselves to not only a willing acceptance of their leadership but to the placing of our confidence in their appointment by God as our leader.
It is what happens throughout the denomination when people become members of our churches. When I was a Pastor I stood with the new members of the church with a short ceremony of accepting them into the church. These are the instructions and the details of that welcoming ceremony:-
Reception into membership
You will be given the opportunity for a “few words”.
Here we would encourage you to declare your submission in 3 ways:
- To God – to acknowledge that He has led you into this church.
- To the Pastors/Eldership.
- To the Fellowship of believers present.
The membership will be asked to stand, the eldership will gather around you and the Pastor will make a commitment to yourselves. These words will be said:-
“In responding to your trust, and in submitting to you as your Pastor, on behalf of the eldership, we receive you into the membership of the church. In doing this we acknowledge our commitment in:
Instruction: First, I commit myself as Pastor to teach and feed you the Word of God, with the aim that you fulfil the plane the Lord has for you as a man or woman of God.
Correction: Second, in that same regard, I am committed to counselling or correcting you, should you ever drift from the truth of God’s Word. I am committed to doing everything possible to keep you in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Intercession: Third, we commit ourselves to pray for you. We will uphold you in regular intercessory prayer as we, the eldership, continually bring the church to God’s throne.
Protection: Fourth, we commit ourselves to standing by you in any time of need, burden or personal crisis. You will never be alone if you will let us know when hard times arise.
Devotion: Finally, we commit ourselves to loving you. Jesus said that this trait should mark His disciples, and we intend to live out that divine order of love. Its essence is not so much in affection as in commitment. Regardless of how close socially we may or may not become, we are always personally committed to you. Should you ever feel you have been hurt, neglected or misunderstood, you will know it is unintentional, because we will never do anything to violate you in any way. Our total commitment is to love, serve and help you become the person God created you to be.
Reception: We embrace you, and in Jesus’ name receive you into this fellowship. Please know that you are loved and received.
In your church you will have something similar. It is a beautiful moment when the member says ‘God has led me, you are my Pastor and this is my church.’
You can see from the words I used that I believed the importance of being a shepherd (they keep watch over you as those who must give an account).
The NIV doesn’t translate brilliantly in my view when it says not to make the leader’s work a burden. The Greek is to do all you can so that they are not ‘groaning’. I am thankful to God for the people I have had the joy of shepherding and I still do that role in a different way. They do bring me joy and I feel I have their confidence.
This is what I will commit to next week (actually I already have).
What about you? We all have a leader of some sort? Will you take this verse today and do something now or plan to do so when you can? Let their work be a joy. Make sure you have a happy leader for what you sow you reap.
Missions Paul 