What is a Pastor? [Pastors and Practice]

—Ben Arbour

[Editor’s Note: In the midst of writing a book on the same topic, Ben Arbour has agreed to offer us a series, Pastors and Practice, arguing that Christ is our true model for pastoral ministry. Throughout this series, Ben will explain how Christ’s example should affect the governing of the church and the ministry of pastors.]

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So far in this series, I’ve sought to raise concerns with the practices of churches in a couple of different areas. First, if a church has multiple elders leading her, the members should recognize the several elders as the pastors of the church rather than just acknowledging one elder. Second, pastors should have relationships with the people that call them pastor. Why is this? What’s wrong with calling someone pastor even if you don’t actually know that person?

The issue fundamentally boils down to the meaning of words. The Greek word poimena, in some English versions of the Bible, is translated as “pastor.” The term “pastor,” at one time, maintained the proper meaning of poimena, but now the term is used generally in reference to ministers or clergy. This is unfortunate , because “pastor” no longer points back to its original meaning. For our modern ears, a more helpful translation of poimena is “shepherd.” Pastor means shepherd.

What does a shepherd do? Well, he shepherds sheep. The noun “shepherd” (poimena) is (unsurprisingly) related to the verb “to shepherd” (poimaino). According to one Greek lexicon, ”poimaino” (verb) means:

1. to serve as a tender of sheep
2. to watch out for other people
   1. to lead, guide, rule
   2. to protect, care for, nurture

Thus, “poimena”, a shepherd, is either one who herds sheep or one who serves as a guardian, leader, or caretaker for other people.

Now, in this series, I have been provocative in places, and intentionally so. However, I want to be clear about what I’m NOT saying. I am not undermining the importance of preaching, and I am not saying that doctrine and education are unimportant aspects of Christian discipleship. However, these are not the only things which Christian discipleship is about. Genuine discipleship cannot be accomplished by preaching alone.

Consider the activities of a shepherd: leading, guiding, protecting, caring for, and nurturing. Doesn’t this sound an awful lot like cultivating disciples? It does to me. The job of shepherds is to nurture and guide (disciple) the sheep. Is this done through preaching and education? Absolutely. Is it done by preaching and education alone? Absolutely not!

There is quite a bit of biblical support of my position, which is that pastoral leadership requires relationship. This isn’t true of any and all leadership. It’s okay for a general to lead colonels, who then lead majors, who lead captains, who lead lieutenants, who lead soldiers. In most cases, those leaders don’t have any real relationship with those they are leading—and that’s fine.

Friends, this is not the type of leadership to which the Bible calls pastors. Think about the following sampling of verses, taken from a recent blog post (about a book by D.A. Carson):

For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. (1 Corinthians 4:15-17) [emphasis added]

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Brothers, join in imitating me… (Philippians 3:17)

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9) [emphasis added]

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9) [emphasis added]

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra… (2 Timothy 3:10-11) [emphasis added]

In Paul’s discipleship of fellow pastors he likewise exhorts them to serve as examples for other believers to emulate and imitate:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12) [emphasis added]

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works… (Titus 2:7-8)

The imitation language is striking. In what way can I imitate someone I don’t know? How can I practice things I’ve never seen him do? Whomever I call “pastor” must be someone I spend enough time with that I can actually strive to follow him as he follows Christ. This is the true nature of pastoral ministry; this is what Christian discipleship is all about.

Sure, part of the ministry of discipleship involves education, and that cannot be overlooked without significant damage to the maturation process, but evangelicals have equated discipleship with education. We value pulpit ministry to the point of devaluing the other significant forms of pastoral ministry. It is wonderful that more and more churches are recovering pulpits as places where theological education and exposition of the Scriptures take place (rather than merely being places of entertainment and moralism). However, we need to agree with the Bible that preaching is necessary but not sufficient to see people conformed into the image of Christ.

The very nature of the Great Commission presumes engagement with people in relationship. We are not called to make converts, nor merely to educate and make good students. Rather, Christians are called to make disciples. Christian leaders, especially pastors, elders, and overseers are called to see not that people merely know everything that Christ commanded, but that they obey everything He commanded.

That simply cannot happen without real, genuine relationships.