Church Pastor - Pastors are people who traditionally feel called by God to teach, nurture, and equip Christian believers in church settings. The pastor of a church is the CEO, or executive leader of that particular congregation. Ideally, he or she works closely with local leadership teams to develop ways to fulfill the church's mission statement and Scriptural mandate.
In John 10:11, Jesus referred to Himself as the good shepherd: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (NIV). As such, Jesus is the role model for all pastors. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul says God, "gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers" (NIV). The surrounding verses make it clear that spiritual nurturing or shepherding was the intended goal (verses 12-16).
Through examples of poor shepherding Ezekiel provides us with an understanding of God's expectation for pastors. "Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: ' Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?' " —Ezekiel 34:2 (NKJV).
This tells us that God expects spiritual shepherds to feed and nourish His people.
Ezekiel continues, "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them." —Ezekiel 34:4 (NKJV).
From these two verses from Ezekiel we see that God expects His pastors to -
1. Feed the sheep
2. Strengthen the feeble
3. Heal the sick
4. Bandage the hurt
5. Bring back those driven away
6. Seek those who are lost.
In another setting God speaks through Jeremiah and say, "I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding" (Jeremiah 3:15).
Other Roles and Duties
Along with their spiritual leadership roles, pastors are usually looked to as the visionary leader of the church body. A wise pastor will not try to do this alone, but will seek out the counsel of his or her church leaders to create a shared mission. This precludes that pastors also train and equip others to participate in a shared ministry.
