Loving Our Church Leaders
She narrowed her eyes, scowling, “I was here when you came, and I’ll be here when you leave!” sternly warning my pastor-husband after a church service. We encountered self-righteous attitudes from church “ruling families,” never having learned how to manage church conflict and the ensuing hostilities in our first church. There was no room for my husband to lead them as their pastor called by God. He lovingly shepherded them, but the “powers that be” ensured that his efforts became ineffective through rumors and gaslighting. Our ministry there barely lasted two years.
Several months after we left, we received a card from the previous pastor’s family apologizing for what happened to us, “We should have warned you.” They had endured spiritual abuse for several years from this church that the movers’ and shakers’ ancestors built. They were hurt badly while caring for their special needs child. Somehow, they just needed to move on with life. When they heard what happened to us, they decided to reach out. We lost our church family, home, income, and insurance in one fell swoop. Dazed and injured, we questioned God’s call to ministry.
I’ve been on both sides of church conflict, as both a church member and the pastor’s wife. Roasting a preacher at lunch on Sundays is absolutely toxic. When contention comes against church leaders, nothing good ever comes of it.
The Apostle Paul instructed his fledgling church in Thessalonica to treat their church leaders with respect and value them because they’ve dedicated their lives to minister to them. Since Thessalonica was a bustling port city, it teemed with a cultural mosaic of multiple religions, paganism and Judaism. Paul and Silas made tents so the church didn’t have to worry about supporting them, and he got a first-hand view into their daily lives. They needed strong, caring leadership and cooperation. Their leaders needed their support to grow them in spiritual maturity.
Is our culture much different today? We have strong, independent natures with a mosaic of religious and non-religious thought in our cultural diversity. Many churches lack spiritual maturity, which requires strong, caring pastoral leadership to nurture them in their faith. Immature believers don’t always financially support their churches because they don’t understand where their money goes and its importance. They also bring other religious thoughts and personal agendas with them. These issues challenge pastors to find ways to maintain unity and peace within their congregations. As believers, it’s vital that we support them so they can dedicate their time and energy to growing our congregations spiritually. They also need our help to make ministries in our churches effective. Being 100% behind their vision is critical to the successful maturity of our church members and attendees.
Questions for Reflection:
What positive attributes do your pastor and church leaders possess that have helped your congregation grow in spiritual maturity?
How can you get involved in your church to support your pastor’s ministry?
