What Is a Minister, Anyway?

Sermon by Rev. Fred Rhines

Scripture: Romans 10:14-17, I Timothy 4:11-16

Text: “And how are they to hear without a preacher? “– Romans 10-14

I’m sure you’ve heard the old joke about ministers—they have the easiest job in the world, they only work, one hour a week!  Just about as familiar is the complaint as to why it takes so long and so much effort to find a minister in the first place.  Put out an ad or go on line and you should have a minister the next day!  Well, not so fast!

Let’s take a closer look at what is a minister – preacher, church leader and what he or she is to do anyway.  It just might surprise you.

We’ll look at certain aspects of the ministry of the minister, zeroing in on the ordained person who would lead a church.  We’ll attempt to better understand who this person would be and how they could affect your lives.  Because minister’s personalities can be so different (you need the right personality to fit the varying personalities of each particular church.) Almost any explanation is going to fall short, but our scripture lessons today, lead us to a good “sense and feel” of a church leader.  It’s not like hiring a new local plumber.  Not at all.

The apostle Paul asks us in Romans 10 – “how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed” How are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?”  The former RSV translation of the Bible put this last statement more directly, I believe when it said, “How are they to hear without a preacher?”

A preacher must carry, bring to life, expound on the word of God and relate that word (those words) to the everyday lives of those listening.  A preacher makes the words real, applicable, usable—they stir the text, mold the text, shape the text so that it comes off the printed page and becomes a part of the hearer’s life.  It can be a beautiful, powerful experience.

Well, a preacher is also one who is Sent.  Yes, God gets into the process here—without telling a church what to do. That’s why we talk of calling a minister, not hiring one.  “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!”  Paul reminds us that not all have properly obeyed or expounded on the good news. They can be trained—they can be ordained (certainly basic indicators)—but they may not be the right person to bring the good news to your particular church as you need to hear it.  As well as all the good and hard work on the part of a Search Committee to bring the right candidate to a church, it is vital to listen to God’s revelation as part of the process. A Chaplain should be as much a part of the Search Committee, as the chair or vice chair.

In a church where I was the last interim following a couple of others, the church was ready to call a settled pastor, I knew it was problematic.  He was there less than a year when the Church Council members went into his office one day and told him to clean out his desk and leave.  They asked me to come back as interim (on short notice) and I was there another, almost 2 years until a new settled pastor was called.

Paul, in his First letter to Timothy (as a really young minister) says that in addition to preaching, a minister must be a teacher as well.  Don’t let anyone run a preacher down for being too young—or today, some might say, for being too old.  Be firm and direct in a pastor’s preaching and teaching.  Also, be it; don’t just do it!  People see a minister’s conduct, how they live, love, their faith and priority.  They’ll know if you’re a phony!  Is the conduct genuine” What’s the attitude?  People know if a minister can direct them in the faith.  Credibility is basic.

Well, preaching and teaching, with a genuine caring heart may have been the Biblical role of a minister, but as time went on that role changed to include many other things—not all from the Bible.  The care of souls added pastoral calling then counseling, then knowledgeable assessor of resources and referral agent, so said Rev. Davida Crabtree, former interim Florida Conference Minister.  The preacher, interpreter of the Word expanded to include a range of involvements in the community, leader of diverse intellectually and spiritual stimulating programs of the church, and prophetic addresser of the times (with an opinion on everything, except, of course, politics.)  The minister became “learned scholar” that evolved into intelligent administrator, developer of sound social action programs, and manager of human resources of the life of the church.  Dazzled yet?

Along with all this; the expectations on the minister have grown and increased as new roles have been added (with none of the former roles taken away in the process, of course.)  Rev. Crabtree continues, today an ordained minister is pastor, preacher, scholar, manager, motivator, facilitator, equipper, teacher, prophet, therapist, spiritual leader, group process leader, empowerer of lay leadership, visionary of the church’s future, conflict intervener, and the best duty of all, pleaser of everybody!  Now you know why a Search Committee’s work has been so long and involved!!  Certainly, there is pressure to produce today in our results-oriented society.  The minister is expected to know everything.  There is the story of the little boy who asked the minster one Sunday after church, what all the names were on the plaque in the narthex.  The minister went through the names and explained that they were people who had died in service.  The boy then asked if that was the 9 o’clock or the 11 o’clock service.

There is certainly a lot to consider in who should be an ordained minister and there are some basics behind all this that are necessary but difficult to pin down. Some of them - subtle points.  The first would be the person vs the minister.  Is our minister a genuine down-to-earth person that we are comfortable with, or is he or she stuck in their” role” of being a minister?  Is it someone we can freely approach, talk with, confide in?? Or is the person aloof, distant?

Well, second, the minister is not indispensable.  Has to be at every meeting.  Has to have his/or her finger in every pie.  Know everything that is gong on all the time.  The indispensable minister has their whole life wrapped up in the church, but also runs the danger of being the one to run everything, and show distrust for the lay leaders.  It also relates to being down-to-earth, doesn’t it?  The indispensable minister sets a bad example.

This minister can be type “A personality”, roaring 24-7, having seemingly limitless energy, like the Energizer bunny—going and going and going.  A good minister friend of mine in Illinois, now deceased, went through this indispensable phase.  Early in his ministry, he was serving a fairly large church in Ohio—and was always on the brink of exhaustion.  Going all day long, sometimes all night—calling on people, doing newsletters, other office duties, community service, and on and on.  Well, the day before Christmas came and he had one of these kinds of days. As he got up to conduct the Christmas eve service, that night, he collapsed in the pulpit—collapsed from exhaustion, literally.  He ended up in the hospital for some time, but learned his lesson to care for himself too.  He was much wiser for the experience and always a fine dedicated pastor.

This all leads to a most basic factor.  The ordained minister does not exist for themselves alone.  They are in partnership with you and I – the congregation.  It is always your ministry together.  Is there a good solid relationship; is there a bonding and joint commitment to go forward in Jesus Christ.

Well, as we are aware, God in Jesus Christ is here forever, but none of us human ministers will last that long.  Sooner or later, every church, including this one, will have to call a new minister—meaning more profiles, search committee meetings, looking at candidates and the time, transition work that comes with it.  As a silver lining, this is a good time to renew our linkages with our United Church of Christ denomination.

A parishioner in a big church one time said, “When our preacher at last finishes his sermon, there is an enormous awakening.” I will stop speaking now, so that we can all awake to our ministry! 

Amen.

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