Balance in the pastoral ministry

THE SPOTLESS AGENDA: 016

Balance in the pastoral ministry 

The pastoral ministry plays out in two forms basically, namely; personal development and infrastructural development. Personal development focuses on helping the people to grow up in their well-being whereas infrastructural development focuses on helping the church to grow up in infrastructure and other social amenities that will benefit everyone. 

What is the focus of your pastoral vocation? Is it about personal development or infrastructural development?

Well, a good pastor is balanced in their provisions for the personal development of the members and the infrastructural development of the church as a whole. Choosing one over the other demonstrates that the pastor is less skillful to lead the people to realise their full potentials. 

In Africa as a whole and in Ghana particularly, some spiritual leaders practise spiritual fatherhood only in the sense of chastising and disciplining spiritual sons and daughters. But that's not enough. Spiritual fatherhood is about feeding the flock and ensuring their total well-being. And this includes admonishing, correcting, rebuking, chastising and disciplining sons and daughters when they go wrong. 

While you want your followers to be praying, fasting and eating the word to be able to grow up spiritually, take actions that will ensure that your followers have enough to eat and to spare, a place to shelter, clothes to wear, access to healthcare and education, and a voice in their communities. 

Understand the pastoral ministry first and foremost as a ministry given to develop people to help you build the church. If the people are not well-developed in spirit, mind and body, they will find it needless to put up stupendous edifices. The average human being cares about what to eat, what to wear and where to lay his head before he finds the comfort to worship and to serve God. 

The pastoral ministry is not limited to preaching, teaching and counseling. It also involves coaching, managing and developing people to realise their full potentials.

To have a successful pastoral ministry, you must learn to maintain the balance of all aspects of life - spiritual, psychological, emotional, physical, intellectual, financial and social among others. 

#TowardsASpotlessChurch

Comments

  1. Sage WordJune 13, 2022 at 1:28 AM

    The Spotless Agenda is a move towards a spotless church. Study, reason and question (srq) Scripture in order to find evidence of the truth. Remember, this is achievable only through the Holy Spirit.

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