Interesting question from my friend James. He ponders this idea in his post on Rob Bell, Rob Bell, Mars Hill Pastor of Grandville, MI. Mega Church Steps Down. I am not interested in Rob Bell but James asks an interesting question, one where we take the answer for granted but maybe shouldn't.
As James points out, elders/pastors are given to the church. Can one be a pastor and then decide to stop being a pastor? Were they ever really a pastor in the Biblical sense to begin with?
Check out this post and weigh in!
4 comments:
Arthur,
"Can one be a pastor and then decide to stop being a pastor?"
From the ecclesiastical concept of a pastor? Yes!
From the Biblical concept of elder? No!
"Were they ever really a pastor in the Biblical sense to begin with?"
Again the ecclesiastical concept prevents that from being known clearly. So my answer would be, No and Yes!
From the Biblical concept of elder. Maybe!
The ecclesiastical view of "pastor" is that of an expert who is paid to do a job. One who is employed, and therefore able to leave his employment.
The Biblical concept of "elder" is explained by his name. He is an older, more experienced follower of Christ, who has proven himself to a congregation, who recognizes him as elder.
I'm thankful, in retirement that I've spent most of my long life experiencing both situations, beginning with the first and officially ending with the second which seems to continue anyway.
Uhmmm, stepping down is how you get to be pastor in the first place. Matt 20.
That is a great point Steve, you don't step up to become a leader, you step down!
The phrase "stepping down" means that he had to be put "up" in the first place.
That phrase "stepping down" goes to show that people put pastors on a pedestal to begin with adding to the heirarchy that he was above others.
Swanny
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