There IS something YOU can do about it
Each year our Bible colleges and seminaries graduate thousands with full biblical and pastoral training. Thousands. But there are only so many churches to pastor. It is greater than 3:1. And most of the rest are certainly not going to the mission field. So they drop out of the pastoral search world. They are the unempastored.
The result is that many churches are filled with people who, as some might say, have missed their calling. Of course they might go out and plant a new church. But that’s a lot of work [sarcasm on] and a person needs a paycheck in today’s world [sarcasm off] so they end up teaching Sunday School. Or maybe act as an assistant, always feeling unfulfilled.
We can easily see what has contributed to this situation. The pastorate is often a professional position rather than a place of service. Pastor’s don’t want competition from people with the same education and who may have experiences which might lead to strategic conflict. So many reasons.
So let’s contribute some new ideas to the thread. How about forming a pastoral team where the pastor takes these men (and some women) and trains them specific ministry tasks. Like, say, hospital visitation and prayer. Like visitation for those who drop in to your local church. Like pulpit fill when the pastor is on vacation. Like helping with evangelistic efforts outside the four walls. There are a million non-threatening ways these people can be used.
The neat thing is – these people do not necessarily want to be part of a pastor staff. They are often task-oriented. They are interested in being engaged in ministry without the frills of professionalism that many pastors enjoy. They just want to do the work of ministry. So let them. Help them. Train them. Encourage them.
Increase your ministry effectiveness by doing what Moses did. No, not by going onto some mounting and receiving direct revelation. (Besides, you already tried that and it didn’t work.) Do it by delegating in a simple, effective manner.
