Perhaps the most used image for the role of the so-called “pastor” in the Bible is that of a shepherd. And shepherds shepherd. They care for the sheep, feed the sheep, guide the sheep, watch out for the sheep, search for the sheep, and perhaps even lay down their lives for the sheep. I think when people become pastors, this image of caring, preaching, warning, and checking in on people comes to mind. Even in Acts, Peter and the other apostles were to give their attention to prayer and teaching…not waiting on tables. So, initially in my mind, this priority of the pastor was strong in my mind…I didn’t think that other aspects of balancing and planning was all that “Biblical”. I felt (and perhaps still do feel to an extent) that all this talk about management and resources and vision casting…was just some kind of cross pollution from the business sector. Of course I still thought that the business world can teach us a lot, but I also felt that leaning too hard into that comes less from necessity and more from pastors looking on and longing to be part of that scene.
But, I think recently I’ve come to understand that management cannot be avoided in pastoring. For example, in Acts, even though Peter and the other apostles appointed deacons to focus in on the other work…the thinking about the problem (people in the churches are not being cared for and the apostles are being spent), coming up with a solution to the problem (increasing the number of people who will work and giving them specific duties), and actually going through and putting the plan into action (finding out people who qualify, explaining what their duties will be). All of these actions seem to be a part of the pastorate.
Thinking back to the sheep example, shepherds are not just to protect the sheep but probably also need to know the lay of the land, where there are good places to be fed, and how to make sure that all the sheep are actually fed. They need to know not just the sheep, but the environment as well. If there are too many sheep, they need to think about the next steps so that all the sheep are provided for (hiring workers under them…perhaps creating another separate flock….). Thinking through these issues, while not directly part of the praying and preaching…still seem to be intrinsically linked to pastoring.
And shepherds generally don’t deal with abstract ideas, but the reality of the sheep. There might be the ideal “sheep”, but to the shepherd, what matters is each sheep before them…knowing their call/voice, and taking time to go after the ones that wander as well…however far or long it might be.
In short, management seems to be a part of the pastorate. And so as a pastor, this is an area to grow in.
Quinby 