Pastor

Pastor—what a powerful word, rich with meaning: shepherd, overseer, servant, leader, visionary, spiritual guide, teacher, prophet, and more. I vividly remember the night God called me to ministry. It was a cold winter night in 1997. I was lying on a mattress on the floor, staring at the ceiling with tears streaming down my face. I had no idea how much that moment would change the course of my life. What a journey it’s been since that time.

Becoming a pastor was never part of my plan. It wasn’t even on my radar. I had dreams and ideas about my future—but “pastor” wasn’t on the list. Then suddenly, the moment came. God called, and by His grace, I said yes. Looking back, I realize I had no idea what I truly wanted until I became what God created me to be. Now, I cannot imagine life apart from His calling.

The journey has been transformational. Every step, every trial, every lesson was necessary. I’ve learned that being a pastor is not about arriving; it’s about continually learning, growing, and remaining teachable. Those who are unteachable typically fail to remain faithful to the call. Effective ministry demands a heart that stays humble, open, and faithful to the lessons God provides along the way.

Too often, pastors get trapped either in the nostalgia of the past or the dreams of the future. In turn, they miss the sacredness of the present. The inability to live fully in the now robs us of the daily God-moments. Yes, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But walking with Jesus is a living, breathing adventure—ever unfolding, ever calling us deeper. May we never lose the wonder of the call to ministry. 

In Western culture, the vocational call to ministry has often been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans. These leaders seek success first and ask God to bless their endeavors later. We forget that pastoring is an ancient practice. We don’t have to reinvent it every time someone writes a new book.

I love America, but I don’t care for “the American way.” The values of this country is based on consumerism and success, not servanthood and sacrifice. Consumerism has made its way into the church and it treats God as a commodity to be promoted. In an age of marketing we dehumanize people, turning them into giving units and statistics instead of living beings.

With this modern understanding comes a competitive spirit that causes us to treat one another as rivals. We forget that we are all on the same team working for the same King. The consumerist mindset causes many pastors to become disillusioned with their congregations. An authentic spiritual leader cannot survive in this climate for very long. I wonder if at the root of the issue is a cultural assumption that all great pastors are “movers and shakers,” people who get things done and make things happen. This is certainly true of the leadership models that influence our thinking today: politicians, businessmen, advertisers, celebrities, athletes, etc.

While being a pastor certainly has some components of leadership as seen in our present society, the pervasive element in our 2000 year pastoral tradition is not someone who “gets things done,” but rather the person placed in the community to be a prophetic voice. A pastor is someone who calls attention to what is going on in the world and what our response before God should be. Being passionately faithful to that is more important than anything else we can do in ministry.

In my current position (superintendent, bishop, pastor to pastors), I hope to help pastors discover a deep sense of dignity and worth in this ancient calling. May we realize that there is no one-size-fits-all model for becoming a successful pastor other than faithfulness to the call. God calls every pastor to be the most genuine version of themselves they can possibly be. There are no shortcuts, no imitating, no gimmicks, and no trying to do it on your own. There is just faithfulness. Be faithful.

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(Source: The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene H. Peterson)