As some of you know, a few weeks ago our Pastor at First Baptist Church of Pocahontas announced that he has accepted a pastorate at a church in Central Texas and will soon be relocating his family that direction in the coming weeks. Pastor Eric, Sherrill, and Sweet Madelynn will be deeply missed. Their family has been a real treasure to me and my family and to the whole congregation at FBC. For the next several months, members of our church, along with the deacons and church staff, will work together with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit to find the next man to lead our little flock.
Most of us at FBC are hopeful and optimistic about the prospects of finding a qualified, faithful pastor (though Bro. Eric has left some big shoes to fill), but it’s also something that we are all a bit reserved about if we are being honest. It’s not as though we are having to find a new home-owners insurance agent now that ours has retired, or hiring a new kid to come mow our lawn this summer because the one who did it last year is headed to college after graduation. No, we are looking for a new leader, a life-advisor, a teacher, a friend. We are looking for someone who will be expected to be dedicated to the study of God’s Word and to be prepared each week to make Christ known to Christ’s people. This man will potentially be the one who baptizes our children as they come of age and profess faith in Jesus; He will possibly officiate our children’s future marriage ceremonies and/or our or our loved ones’ funerals. Filling this position is not something we take lightly.
For those reasons, I’ve decided to write a post highlighting some of the qualifications and characteristics that Christians ought to look for when hiring a pastor. This information may be helpful in evaluating whether or not you should remain at your current church or what to look for when you’re trying a new church out with your family. You may have other suggestions that are not on this list and you may even disagree with some of them. If nothing else, I hope this will at least push us to think deeply about the office of a pastor and our need to be led by godly, sold-out leaders.
Biblical Faithfulness: A minister must believe that the Holy Scriptures are the perfect, inerrant Words of God. A pastor who doesn’t believe that God has spoken clearly and rightly through the Scriptures that He has preserved for His people is not worthy of the position. If a pastor believes some of the Bible is correct and other parts are inaccurate or err, then those under him are left to his discretion on which parts to believe and which parts can be ignored or dismissed. Find a man that believes that the Bible (Old and New Testament) is in fact the very Word of God.
Holy Living: A pastor must be a man of principle, a man of integrity, a man who seeks to live a holy life. He will not be perfect, but he ought to strive with his whole being to be holy. Else, why would anyone under him desire to live such a life? Christ calls His people to live holy, set-apart lives; the minister is certainly not exempt from this. He’s to lead by example, encourage others to do so, and to help those who fail to look to Christ for salvation from sin and strength to mortify all evil within ourselves. If a man doesn’t live a holy life nor seek to do so with all his heart, the pulpit is no place for him.
Humble Servant: The pastor is a servant. All Christians are called to be servants of God and fellow-man, but the office of the pastor is one of humble service. He ought to be a man who seeks to meet the needs of those under his commission and those outside of the church, especially in matters pertaining to salvation and eternal life. This position will require much humility. Your desires, your needs, your comforts, all take a backseat to those to whom you serve. And this duty must flow from a heart of love rather than a sense of obligation. A man called to the office of pastor will have that heart, he will possess a great love of people. If he does not, he’s not the one. But if you find a humble man who loves to serve, hold him tight, compensate him well, respect him, and follow him as he follows Christ.
Expository Preaching: This one may be more of a personal preference, but if truly believe a pastor should (for the most part!) be an expository preacher. This means preaching through books of the Bible line upon line, precept upon precept. A popular alternative to this method would be something like topical preaching — where the sermon is based on a certain topic that he wants to preach about, and then finds a text to support it. These and other methods are acceptable and even useful here and there when circumstances within or without the church demand attention, but for the most part, you want a pastor to be preaching and teaching through the Word of God. In this way, a congregation receives the whole counsel of God rather than the pet topics of the preacher. We need God’s Word, not man’s thoughts. For that reason, find a man who loves to preach through God’s Word.
Community-Engaged: A pastor ought to love the community in which he is a part. His job is not solely to deliver sermons twice a week and answer Bible questions for parishioners. Those are important, but his job reaches much further than this. God has not only placed a man in a church but in a community as well. A pastor should love his community and be active and well-known. He’s directed to be held in high-esteem and of well-reputation by those inside the church and those without. Get a man that desires and works towards the betterment of the local community, not the least in regards to the salvation of the lost souls therein.
Christ-Centered Life: Christ ought to be the center of every Christian, especially that of the pastor. Jesus ought to be the center of his preaching, his praying, his conversations, his home life, his personal evangelism, and his thoughts. “To make Christ known…” — that’s the job. He would be very poorly equipped for such a position who knows very little of Christ himself! Find a man who lives, sleeps, eats, drinks, and breathes Christ.
A Man of Prayer: A pastor must be a man of prayer. Anyone can pray before preaching a sermon or at a ceremony for the church. Find a man that “prays without ceasing.” Prayer ought to be an ordinary activity of a pastor’s life. He will not only need to pray for himself, but for every member of the church. And not them only, but for each of their families. But prayers are not only needed for church members and their families, but for all the families of our community. If a pastor is not a man of prayer, pray God sends you a different pastor.
Biblically Qualified: I saved this one for last —not because it’s the least important, but because it is the foundation for all the others. These are the biblical mandates for a minister of the gospel and a shepherd over the flock of God. 1 Timothy 3:1–7 (ESV): “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” Titus 1:5–9 (ESV): “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” If a man seeks to be a pastor outside of these qualifications, let him pastor a different church; do not hire him for yours!
That’s a tall order! I do not write these things to suggest that pastors are expected to be perfect people (though many would testify that they have been criticized for falling short of that mark!). Pastors, like the rest of us, are sinners saved by grace. They struggle, they hurt, they are weak at times, and constantly fall short of expectations that they set even for themselves. But, it’s a big job, an impossibly important job, and filling a pastorate requires much prayer, patience, and a firm resolve to find a biblically sound, faithful, and Christ-Centered man of God. Take your time finding one, souls depend upon it!
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