Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

Introduction:

Last week, we learnt what it means to partner with God and ways we can partner with God. We went further into “motives” for serving and giving. We then concluded that, rendering service to God and giving are tried and proven ways to plant seeds for a harvest that will result in our needs being met.

Today we are going to look at four ways in which a church should care for its pastor: respect, financial support, accountability and submission of the congregation to the Word of God.

 

HOW CAN THE CHURCH CARE FOR A MESSENGER (“PASTOR”)?

 1. Respect

God asks us to respect our leaders, including the pastor. 1 Thess. 5:12-13

“But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another”.

 

Caring also includes honoring the pastor and being at peace with him, as well as the other leaders. Pastors deserve honor and respect because he is the one who ministers to the congregation day-by-day, week-by-week, and month-by-month.

 

We need to resist the temptation of undervaluing Pastors. Focus on their strengths, pray for their weaknesses, Stop comparisons, Appreciate the “small” stuff.

 

Paul did not say recognize those who preach great sermons or oversee successful ministries. He said: "respect those who labor among you…..."

 2. Financial Support

A church should care for its pastor financially.

• Jesus accepted financial support from people during His ministry (Luke 8:2-3).
•  Apostle Paul willingly received financial support and indicated that God was well-pleased with such a gift (Phil. 4:18)

 

Financial support should include a regular salary and benefits. If a pastor isn’t being paid generously, his mind and heart are likely divided. I Timothy 5:17-18:

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and “the laborer deserves his wages.” 

 

Worrying over finances is a difficult thing many pastors go through and honestly it should not be the case. It also makes them stressed, worn-out etc. and yes I know some will say “sure the Lord will provide”.

Yes, the Lord provides and the Lord provides through His people (you and I). Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9-7 “Let everyone give as his heart tells him, neither grudgingly nor under compulsion, for God loves the man who gives cheerfully. After all, God can give you everything that you need, so that you may always have sufficient both for yourselves and for giving away to other people. As the scripture says: “He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.” 

 

Not many pastors generally have time for family holidays yet at least every summer we take our family and go even on a weekend holiday. A way of financially supporting pastors will be to provide them with a paid family holiday—perhaps anonymously. Be creative and generous with your financial care.

 3. Accountability

In a church all the leaders become accountable one to another. They are accountable for their approaches, their spiritual lives, and their behavior. The church can also care for its pastor by holding him accountable for his actions and life as he is not more holy or above everyone.

 

However we need to be careful because some people have a habit of worshipping their pastor, putting them on a pedestal, and they eventually become ‘pastor-worshippers.’ Remember pastors are human beings too. Value the message not the messenger.

 

God never intended for any leader to be “beyond rebuke,” It still does not mean we should be finding fault with every of their flaws. Everyone has flaws. The issue however is when we consistently sin in a certain area, then each one of us needs help. God is more concerned about our holiness than our comfort.

 4. Submission

Finally, if the church believes that God has called their pastor to preach and teach the Word, then the congregation automatically have a responsibility to listen carefully and submit (unless he teaches error). This encourages the pastor to minister joyfully.

 

 “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you”. Hebrews 13:17

 

Conclusion:

It is important to note that giving to pastors should not be only because they are in need. The Bible encourages that we give to them because it is a source of receiving a peculiar blessing from God! Matthew 10:41-42 says” “Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

There are many ways to care for our pastors. We have studied 4 different ways today and once we respect, financially support, hold accountable and submit to our pastors, it will go a long way towards their ways of ministering to us. Caring is also an act of giving and remember proverbs 11:24: “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything” NLT.