Why?
Their fellow church leader wasn’t the only person in that church who would struggle with sin. How had they been ministering to others in the congregation who needed help in being restored? They probably had not been, or at least doing very little of such work.
It seems the leaders in this church had immersed themselves in being so interested in “organization building” (not evangelism, but organization building) that they had lost touch with actually shepherding the flock of God. When someone assertively sought their help to turn from their sin, they really didn’t know how to handle it.
Let me suggest here that when church leaders don’t know how to help a sinner battle sin, then those church leaders have lost touch with their basic role in the church and calling from God.
Headlines have recently heralded a story about a female pastor who is an admitted atheist, and fought her denomination for the “right” to remain pastor of the church she shepherds even though she’s an avowed atheist (she won that fight). Many have asked out loud what is the point of an atheist being a pastor? How can she rightly shepherd the flock of God in her care?
Perhaps we need to ask how can a shepherd who doesn’t enjoy shepherding be an effective shepherd? Further, how can church leaders who don’t know how to lead their flock in battle against sin and into spiritually healthy relationships with the Lord rightly carry out their calling to shepherd the flock of God? It appears some church leaders have, along the journey of their ministry, lost their ability to adequately shepherd disciples of Jesus. In any church where that is a reality, it needs to be corrected.
Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly — not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor, (1 Peter 5:2-4).
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
