Be Ye Doers. . . Of The Word!

I just heard of another church in trouble. It seems just a couple of years ago a popular preacher left. Since then the congregation has gone steadily downhill. The quick succession of new preachers who stayed a short while then bailed out, only serves to add to the instability and doctrinal confusion. The eyes of members who have stayed on glaze over with nostalgia as they remember the glory days with popular and successful Brother X. There has been talk of having him back for a "revival" to round up those former members who have drifted away. But, by and large, the mood is one of discouragement, helplessness, and pessimism.

This familiar and oft repeated scenario must surely stand as an indictment of the failures of the "one-man pastor system." The "boom and bust" cycles of our churches ride the careers of popular, and not so hot, preachers. Declining churches and collapsing youth groups following the exit of a popular preacher are all too common! Let's expose the "one-man pastor system" for the unscriptural misfit it is, and return to the workable New Testament pattern for the church.

Floundering Churches

One deficiency of the "one-man pastor system" is that the church never grows up. Instead, like a spoiled child, the church allows, expects, or pays the preacher to do all the spiritual work. He explains the hard Bible passages; no one else does in-depth Bible study. He "pastors" the flock; the elders are mere figureheads. He does the soul-winning; the Christians sit on the sidelines to cheer him on. And for a while, things are just peachy! But when "Mr. Popular Pastor" moves on to bigger and better congregations, or just quits because his health or family couldn't stand the strain of being "Mr. Popular Pastor," the church falls apart. Without "Mr. Popular Pastor" to run the show, most churches seem paralyzed and incapable of functioning with any degree of effectiveness.

Teaching goes haywire because no one else has really learned to study and apply Scriptures. Weak members fade away and drop out because no one else feels the responsibility to shepherd the flock. Growth stops because no one else does any soul-winning; and new people can't come any more. The net result is doctrinal chaos as the desperate congregation tries anything to halt the decline in attendance and giving. Next comes denominational singing groups, trading pulpits with denominational churches, selling projects, and all sorts of gimmicks to reverse the financial and attendance drop. A succession of replacement preachers give it a whirl but soon give up and move on. Unless the church can hire "Mr. Popular Pastor 2" the end result will be fighting and splits over doctrine, practice, policy and church politics. Elders resign in a huff, families leave, and at last the church settles for a student preacher from the nearest Bible College who is just on the first rung of the ladder that leads to becoming another "Mr. Popular Pastor."

Frustrated Preachers

I don't know how many successful preachers have told me how they hate the "located ministry." Perhaps the rise in para-church ministries is due in part to the desire of these frustrated preachers to find a way to preach and teach the Word unencumbered by the pressures, politics, and headaches that come with a church that expects him to be "Mr. Popular Pastor." How can we ignore the defection of so many really good men into secular jobs? Hasn't the time come for us to recognize the problems with our now traditional, but unbiblical system? Our colleges and conventions do not honor those successful in restoring the New Testament pattern. Instead, the "big boys" who have become polished, successful achievers as head of a big church program are the recipients of their praise. But when the marriage, family, or health of "Mr. Popular Pastor" disintegrates, we shake our heads in collective wonder. Won't we see that such devastation does not have to "go with the territory" or be part of the job risks for a preacher? How can we stand idly by while our churches grind up and devour the lives, energies, ideals, the very heart of so many dedicated preachers? Let's call a halt to the needless waste of those men who really do care about Truth, doctrine, and the lost. These are good men — men who genuinely care about the future and welfare of the church. The reason the Scriptures teach a plurality of elders is to spread the work load. One man just can't do it all, especially when trying to wear both the hats of the elder and the evangelist. Preachers quitting in frustration are a symptom of the failure of the "one man pastor system."

Forgotten Pattern

Our movement seems to have forgotten all about the New Testament pattern for the Church. In the Bible, spiritual men from the local congregation were appointed by the evangelist to lead the church. These men, called elders, had the responsibility for the shepherding, oversight, and teaching of the congregation. They assisted the evangelist with training and then sent out new men to do the work of evangelist in a new area, i.e. plant churches and appoint elders in those churches. This created an equitable system of checks and balances. The evangelist was accountable to the supporting church who sent him out. Elders were accountable to the evangelist who appointed them. Hence, no one could be called "the minister" since each performed his respective services to Christ. Today's "one-man pastor system," trumpeted by church growth experts and borrowed from denominationalism, creates an adversarial relationship between the elders and preacher. Despite the clear Bible prohibition against one-man rule (2 John) churches discard the New Testament pattern of the church and go searching for "Mr. Popular Pastor."

Feeble Leadership

Nowhere is the failure of the "one-man pastor system" more evident than in its effect on the leadership of the local church. Elders have become mere figureheads in the church. Elders often serve as little more than a "board of directors." Because "Mr. Popular Pastor" does everything, elders have seldom learned how to be soul sinners, make sick calls, preach or teach, study the Bible in depth, be examples to the flock; and they are never expected to be spiritual leaders of the church. Proud to have attained the office, elders merely supervise the church from a distance, becoming keepers of the "sacred traditions." The main goal quickly becomes "keep everyone happy." The net result is obstinate resistance to change and an antagonistic relationship with the preacher, while finances serve as the club used to maintain control.

Limits on Church Growth

The "one-man pastor system" limits growth. Church growth hinges entirely on the drive, ability, and organizational skills of "Mr. Popular Pastor." Even though he may have exceptional ability, growth will stall out when "Mr. Popular Pastor" reaches his own physical and emotional limits. One man can only do so much! The explosive growth of the first century church came not because one man was paid to win souls, but because evangelism was a constant, natural part of the life of every Christian. The world will never be won by "Mr. Popular Pastor," because the clergy will never mass enough manpower to accomplish the task. Meanwhile, the congregation, which could be a mighty marching force of soul-winners, is taught to do nothing and expect everything to be done by the professional clergy.

The time has come to abandon a system that ruins preachers, restricts growth, and mummifies elders. The New Testament pattern of evangelists out planting churches while elders remain in the local congregation to teach, shepherd, and train Christians is a vastly superior system to the "one-man pastor system." Most preachers would love to be able to concentrate on preaching, teaching, and evangelism; unfettered by the demands of shepherding, administration, and church politics. We must admit there are those preachers who bask in the glory of being "Mr. Popular Pastor" and have no intentions of changing the current system. Yet, if the Church of Christ is serious about being the church of the New Testament, these abuses and distortions must not be allowed to continue. When we abandon the task of restoring the New Testament church, we are in danger of tumbling back into the morass of denominationalism. We must change the goal of preachers from becoming "Mr. Popular Pastor" of a dependent congregation to that of planting and setting in order churches that are self-sufficient. We must change the office of elder from a repository for honored retirees, to an office for hard-working, faithful, responsible, active, knowledgeable men of service. We must change the congregation from being spectators for the professional clergy to pet and titillate, into a mobile, Biblically sound ministering evangelistic force. We must change the church from being a place to go, to a body that goes. Let's get back to the simple, workable, New Testament plan.