Pastors and Trust

Trust is a thing earned and not demanded. At one point, most people trusted clergy almost without question. Unfortunately, recent days have brought many wolves in sheeps clothing to the forefront of the public's eye and many people have seen the ugliness of impropriety on the part of many preachers. The sex scandals, the financial scandals, the lies, the perversion and all the rest that have been heard of or experienced at the hand of clergy people has had a most distasteful affect upon those clergy who serve with pure motives and clean hands.

There are a number of places in the sacred book that command obedience and submission to our leaders, but I am one who believes that respect is earned and never demanded - even by clergy! There are numerous imperatives that command the saints to be characterized by humility and by regarding others as more important than themselves and commands to do unto others as you would have someone do unto you. With that balance, the clergyman is live in such a way that he respects people and earns their trust.

That bad things have been done by the hands of unscrupulous clergymen is undisputable, but saints should be encouraged to resist the temptation to judge all clergymen by the wiles of those trashy men we've been speaking of. Certainly, any clergyman must conduct himself as a Christian in order to earn the respect of the people he serves, but at the same time the people must be willing to trust him that he might have the opportunity to do what he is supposed to do. This business of church leadership is a two way street between the clergy and the congregation. They must trust him and he must respect them and with that comes an environment conducive for bringing God glory, edifying the saints and evangelizing the lost.

I once met a man who thought it was his job to protect the church from the pastor. Everything the pastor wanted to do was shot down by this guy. Every single time a decision had to be made or a direction had to be set, this guy was found at odds with the pastor. I encouraged him to consider becoming a pastor, himself, since he thought he knew best in every situation and since we true preachers are outnumbered and need all the help we can get. He wasn't interested. He was interested in being in charge. The Bible specifically teaches us that the pastor is in charge and it is he and the elders who oversee the work of the church - not some Bubba who is trippin' out on sometype of power or ego trip.

If clergy and churches would endeavor to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus instead of being content to uphold what they think the Word says, then much ground could be covered with congregation and pastor in step with the other. At some point, congregations must trust their pastor and pastors must trust and respect the people enough to lead them and not drive them. There is a profound difference between leading and driving. The good shepherd knows the difference and the sheep the like it!