By Gerry Kraft
From my perspective, here are the things that are critical for the transitional pastor to know.
1. That God is in control. Even in the midst of confusion, frustration, heartache and disappointment, God is in control. It is important to understand this so we have the right perspective on the task before us. Many times the circumstances and challenges we find unpleasant and difficult to deal with are the very things that God uses to bring true revival. TThese often are the issues that hinder the working of the Holy Spirit. We need to face squarely each of these difficult areas with a view to asking God, ‘What do we need to learn, make right, or change in order that we can move forward?’
2. Our church, in reality, is God’s church. It is not ours. It is His. When we become possessive we miss the blessing of working with others to try to understand what God is wanting to accomplish. This is true for each member as well. Sometimes this “ownership issue” is the one of the strongest issues that hinders unity and forward progress in the church. This past week on a telephone call with someone on a pastoral search committee I learned that after over a year of looking for a pastor they could not come to agreement on a single person. While there were several individuals who were well qualified to give leadership, because of ‘personal ownership’ issues, the committee has been hindered from moving forward. We need to come to the table with clean hands and pure hearts. We need to be open, willing and wanting to receive from the Lord His person to lead the church for the future.
3. We win when we ‘serve’ the church. Serving is a process of helping the church work through all of the issues and it’s vision for the future. Directing does little for long term health as people will not implement that which they do not have a part in planning. Serving involves a keen sense of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the leader and the church. Serving will help the church recognize God’s leading and where He is blessing. It will enable us to bring our ministry into alignment with what God is doing and with what He wants to do in us and through us.”
Gerry has given us a good answer to a timely question. In these coming weeks of ministry, let us relinquish our possessiveness. Let us “let go and let God.” The work is His and His alone. He is the true senior pastor and we are His associates and assistants. He is the Lord. We are “servants for Jesus' sake.”
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