Tag: pastors

The pastor’s job interview

I’m continuing to share thoughts on how to approach recruitment of new pastors and I thought ti might be worth homing in on the interview.  Now, remember that I write as someone who favours a relational approach and developing leaders from within. However, many churches may still find that they need to look outside of… Continue reading The pastor’s job interview

Recruiting well. Appointing new pastors.

One of the ways in which elders take responsibility for providing and protecting is by recruiting well, whether that is into a leadership position in the church from within, such as appointing additional elders and ministry leaders or it is recruiting people to join the staff team including a paid pastor. Now, I have come… Continue reading Recruiting well. Appointing new pastors.

Elders have a crucial responsibility

We often think of elders being responsible for providing for the church, ensuring that the congregation are led, pastorally cared for, fed with God’s Word.  There is however a crucial responsibility which gets less attention.   In Acts 20:28-31 addressing the Ephesia elders, Paul says: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy… Continue reading Elders have a crucial responsibility

Shepherds for sale?

Megan Basham has recently written a book called “Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders traded the truth for a leftist agenda” I was recently asked whether I thought that this was true about the UK Evangelical church too. Here’s the answer I gave. If you want to read Megan’s book, it is available from Amazon.

Should pastors expect to preach 3 times a week?

As a follow up to John Brand’s open letter to those training people in church contexts, a further letter to the editor appeared in the next month’s issue from David Randall.  You can read it here but it may be behind a pay-wall.  So, in summary, he contrasts what Brand had referred to as “real-world… Continue reading Should pastors expect to preach 3 times a week?

An open response to an open letter in Evangelicals Now about training future pastors

This first appeared as a letter in Evangelicals Now here. Evangelicals Now have recently published an open letter from John Brand, principal of Edinburgh Bible College. It’s addressed to “church leaders training men for ministry.”  Well, that kind of sounds like me, so I hope that John and EN will accept an open letter in… Continue reading An open response to an open letter in Evangelicals Now about training future pastors

Can you be an effective pastor without being a reader?

This was a question shared on Twitter recently as a poll. The originator suggested that by being a “reader”, he meant beyond the bible and commentaries.  Responses both in the voting and in comments suggested that most people assumed that wide reading was if not essential at least very important for pastoral ministry. Some people… Continue reading Can you be an effective pastor without being a reader?

Should pastors let people know their political position?

I asked two questions on Twitter, the first was about whether pastors/elders should declare their political allegiance in terms of party. The second question was related but slightly different. It asked whether or not pastors/elders should express their political views.  In both cases, the majority of those responding indicated that they thought that pastors should… Continue reading Should pastors let people know their political position?

Paying the pastor

John Benton’s latest article on the Pastor’s Academy site talks about the importance of looking after pastors well, particularly when it comes to pay. He references Martin Luther’s commentary on Galatians 6:6 in support of his point. Now, there’s some good points in the article.  Whilst, elders in the church should not be greedy, lovers… Continue reading Paying the pastor