Primary responsibilities of pastors

I am reading Mad Church Disease, Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic by Anne Jackson and on page 130 she interviews Matt Carter of Austin Stone Community Church about this topic.  It resonated with me and something I posted on May 19 this year.  Matt says this about the primary responsibility of pastors and church leaders:
"In Scripture, we see two primary responsibilities of the pastor: servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  The apostle Paul wrote, "Men ought to regard us [pastors] as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.  Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).   Unfortunately, so many pastors view themselves first and foremost not as servants of Christ, not as those responsible for stewarding the deep things of God to their people, but rather as servants of the church!  I grew up in a church that expected the pastor to be available to meet every whim and need of every congregant.  If somebody was in the hospital, he better go!  If someone needed to meet with him, he better be available!  If he spent too much time on the sermon rather than with the people, it was said of him that he was "a good preacher" but "not a good pastor."  Although hospital visitations, meetings, and coffee times with the church are important, Scripture reveals that they are not the pastor's primary responsibilities.  Being a servant of Christ and a steward of the deep things of God are."

This was needed and encouraging to me right now.  The problem with many in the church today is twofold.  One, they completely misunderstand the nature of the church.  It is not a club as I have said in my blog about the Easter message, instead it exist for mission to reach people for Christ.  Too often we confuse this and look inward and settle into our comfortable club with our comfortable friends.  Two, they also confuse or misunderstand the role of the pastor.  What we want is really a chaplain who will make us laugh, make us cry, and make us feel religious.  But we do not want one who will follow 2 Timothy 2:4 and correct, rebuke and then encourage.  And we definitely do not want to take up our cross and follow Christ.

When a pastor does not tow the line they resort to the politics of the club and work behind the scenes, work the phones, and politic in the parking lot to run him off.  This is why pastors need to have thick skins and love the Church as Jesus does.  A pastor must love the Church enough to press on and tear down strongholds and shepherd the flock.  God help me, I can do no less.