What if the mentality of some (or possibly many) pastors is suffocating ministry? Is it possible that the “superman” role that some pastors embrace is more like krypton to the church than salvation? God does call pastors to lead and equip believers for the work of ministry, but the choice to lord over it and indulge in the benefits of this “sacred” position has caused disastrous effects within the Body of Christ. When a member exalts his pastor to a place of superior spirituality, a set up for failure is looming.
During my first year of full-time pastoral ministry, the lady who prepares my income tax forms said that I had a decision to make about Social Security. The choice to “opt out” seemed to me to be easy, that is until I casually mentioned this to a close friend and mentor. He said, “I choose to pay it because everyone else in my church is paying it. I do not want to create a distinction between myself and the people I serve.” (slight paraphrase) In other words, he did not want to encourage a “clergy-laity” divide. (By the way, he is consistent with this mentality and connects with people in the church on a much deeper level than most pastors.)
Creating a privileged class of people within the church has produced tragic effects. The early Church did not struggle with the issue until Constantine made Christianity legal and created the “State church.” Over the next sixteen centuries, the power that comes with position in the Church has brought out the worst in so-called leadership. The clergy-laity divide has created a narcissistic mentality of pastors that is elitist and encourages the thoughts of members that “the pastor is a hired professional that does the work of ministry” (as opposed to equipping all believers for ministry.)
Alan Hirsch tells a story in Untamed about a pastor who gave out a white slip of paper and simple fasteners to every member of the congregation upon arrival one Sunday. Then he led every member in an official ordination service of the church. He declared every person to be a minister or “clergy” member and instructed them to put on their “dog collar.” When you read about that scenario, what is your first reaction? Honestly, mine was “Are you ‘cheapening’ that piece of paper I have hanging on my office wall?” In a sense, the answer is “yes,” but I am less offended when I stop and consider the benefits of team ministry as opposed to a man-centered hierarchy.
The “clergy-laity” divide is the greatest barrier to volunteer ministry. When people expect a very small group, or even one person, to carry the full load of ministry, the church suffers and the “clergy” will burn out. God designed His mission to be a team effort. Greg Ogden explains, “…the biblical emphasis is not on the ‘multigifted’ pastor but on a ‘muitigifted’ body.” (Unfinished Business) Sure, teams need a coach and God calls certain people to leadership. But there is only One person who is to lord over the people, Christ Jesus. Paul Stevens states that the highest calling on the church leader is to point people to find their life and ministry in Jesus, and not become dependent on their leaders. Hirsh accurately diagnoses the psychological disorder of the “clergy” mindset as co-dependency.
How can a pastor diminish the “clergy-laity” divide? The first is a suggestion of a practice that I have recently embraced (and I am attempting to implement): Never do ministry alone. There are tasks that I could more easily accomplish by myself. Yet, this defies the “equipping” mindset. Got a hospital call to make? Take someone with you. A sermon to preach? Involve members into the message (literally- let someone else speak, too). Or at least bring some others who have creative minds into your process for sermon development. A faithful pastor is one who is always looking for a opportunity to follow the instructions of the Apostle Paul to the young pastor, Timothy: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) An equipping pastor is obsessed with mentoring and transferring opportunities to make an impact for eternity.
The pastor who embraces an empowering role (instead of an executive or privileged mindset ) will find a greater joy in service and impact for the Kingdom of God. This pastor may or may not grow a “mega-church,” have a television program, or become a sought-after speaker. Yet, he will have an authentic respect from the people God has called him to serve and leave a legacy of influence that will endure for a multitude of generations to come.
Read the previous posts in this series:
The Four Hurdles to Volunteer Ministry Overview
Who is “Called?”
Articles to Come this Week: “Big Scary Jobs” and “Blindfolding Ministry”
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Also you may want to view past topics on volunteer ministry by visiting the BiG IdEaS link.
Shepherding Well 
It does seem that there are pastors out there that seek fame or a larger podium, so to speak, but there are also pastors who are humbled by their community/congregation. It is a difficult leadership role, to be sure, and it helps if the pastor feels comfortable leaning on other members of his community, and asking for help when he needs it.